Salmi 2:4 Commento

As the foregoing psalm was moral, and showed us our duty, so this is evangelical, and shows us our Saviour. Under the type of David's kingdom (which was of divine appointment, met with much opposition, but prevailed at last) the kingdom of the Messiah, the Son of David, is prophesied of, which is the primary intention and scope of the psalm; and I think there is less in it of the type, and more of the anti-type, than in any of the gospel psalms, for there is nothing in it but what is applicable to Christ, but some things that are not at all applicable to David (Psa 2:6, Psa 2:7): "Thou art my Son" (Psa 2:8), "I will give thee the uttermost parts of the earth," and (Psa 2:12), "Kiss the Son." It is interpreted of Christ Act 4:24; Act 13:33; Heb 1:5. The Holy Ghost here foretels, I. The opposition that should be given to the kingdom of the Messiah (Psa 2:1-3). II. The baffling and chastising of that opposition (Psa 2:4, Psa 2:5). III. The setting up of the kingdom of Christ, notwithstanding that opposition (Psa 2:6). IV. The confirmation and establishment of it (Psa 2:7). V. A promise of the enlargement and success of it (Psa 2:8, Psa 2:9). VI. A call and exhortation to kings and princes to yield themselves the willing subjects of this kingdom, (Psa 2:10-12). Or thus: We have here, I. Threatenings denounced against the adversaries of Christ's kingdom (Psa 2:1-6). II. Promises made to Christ himself, the head of this kingdom (Psa 2:7-9). III. Counsel given to all to espouse the interests of this kingdom (Psa 2:10-12). This psalm, as the former, is very fitly prefixed to this book of devotions, because, as it is necessary to our acceptance with God that we should be subject to the precepts of his law, so it is likewise that we should be subject to the grace of his gospel, and come to him in the name of a Mediator.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 2 This psalm is the second in order, and so it is called in Act 13:33; which shows that the book of Psalms was in the same form in the apostles' days as now, and as it ever had been; and though it is without a title, yet certain it is that it is a psalm of David, since the twelve apostles of Christ with one voice ascribe it to him, in which no doubt they the generally received sense of the Jewish Act 4:24; and the Messiah is the subject of and that it is a prophecy concerning him, his person, office, and kingdom, appears from the express mention of the Lord's Anointed, or Messiah, in his being set as King over Zion, notwithstanding the opposition made against him; from the person spoken of being called the Son of God, and that in such sense as angels and men are not, and therefore cannot belong to any creature; and from his having so large an inheritance, and such power over the Heathen; and from the reverence, service, and obedience due to him from the kings and judges of the earth; and from the trust and confidence which is to be put in him, which ought not to be placed but in a divine Person; and more especially this appears from several passages cited out of it in the New Testament, and applied to the Messiah, Act 4:25, to which may be added, that the ancient Jewish doctors interpreted this psalm of the Messiah (s); and some of the modern ones own that it may be understood either of David or of the Messiah, and that some things are clearer of the Messiah than of David (t); and some particular passages in it are applied to him both by ancient and later writers among the Jews, as Psa 2:1, "Why do the Heathen rage", &c. (u); Psa 2:6, "I have set", &c. (w); Psa 2:7, "I will declare the decree", &c. (x), and Psa 2:8, "Ask of me", &c. (y); and we may very safely interpret the whole of him. (s) Jarchi in loc. (t) Kimchi in v. 12. & Aben Ezra in v. 6. 12. (u) T. Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 3. 2. Pirke Eliezer, c. 19. (w) R. Saadiah Gaon in Dan. vii. 13. (x) Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 90. 2. Zohar in Numb. fol. 82. 2. Maimon in Misn Sanhedrin, c. 11. 1. & Abarbinel Mashmiah Jeshuah, fol. 37. 4. &. 38. 1. (y) T. Bab. Succah, fol. 52. 1. & Bereshit Rabba, s. 44. fol. 38. 4.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh,.... At the rage and tumult of the Heathen; at the vain imaginations of the people; at the opposition of the kings of the earth; at the mad counsel of the rulers, against him and his Messiah; and at their proposal to one another to throw off the yoke and government of them both. This is a periphrasis of God, "who dwells in the heavens", and sits there enthroned; though he is not included and comprehended in them, but is everywhere; and his being there is mentioned in opposition to the kings of the earth, and the people in it; and to show the vast distance there is between them, and how they are as nothing to him, Isa 40:1, Job 4:18; and how vain and fruitless their attempts must be against him and his Messiah: and his sitting there still and quiet, serene and undisturbed, is opposed to the running to and fro, and the tumultuous and riotous assembling of the Heathen. Laughing is ascribed unto him, according to the language of men, as the Jewish writers speak (d), by an anthropopathy; in the same sense as he is said to repent and grieve, Gen 6:6; and expresses his security from all their attempts, Job 5:22; and the contempt he has them in, and the certain punishment of them, and the aggravation of it; who will not only then laugh at them himself, but expose them to the laughter and scorn of others, Pro 1:26; the Lord shall have them in derision; which is a repetition of the same thing in other words; and is made partly to show the certainty of their disappointment and ruin, and partly to explain who is meant by him that sits in the heavens. The Targum calls him, "the Word of the Lord"; and Alshech interprets it of the Shechinah. (d) Kimchi, Aben Ezra, & R. Sol. Ben Melech in loc.

"He that dwells in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn, and the Lord shall have them in derision" [Psalm 2:4]. The sentence is repeated; for "He who dwells in the heavens," is afterwards put, "the Lord;" and for "shall laugh them to scorn," is afterwards put, "shall have them in derision." Nothing of this however must be taken in a carnal sort, as if God either laughs with cheek, or derides with nostril; but it is to be understood of that power which He gives to His saints, that they seeing things to come, namely, that the Name and rule of Christ is to pervade posterity and possess all nations, should understand that those men "meditate a vain thing." For this power whereby these things are foreknown is God's "laughter" and "derision." "He that dwells in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn." If by "heavens" we understand holy souls, by these God, as foreknowing what is to come, will "laugh them to scorn, and have them in derision."

Then when he says, "He who dwells," the suppression of those plotting against the kingdom of David is set forth. And concerning this he does two things. First, it is shown how they are suppressed by the Lord. Second, how by his Christ, at "But I have been appointed," etc. Against these -- namely the Lord and his Christ -- they plotted, as was said. Concerning the first, note four things: namely derision, scorn, angry speech, and disturbance. For just as a boy of no strength and power, if he fights against a giant, is laughed at by the giant, so if anyone of no power wishes to plot against him who dwells in the heavens, he is laughed at by him. Job 35: "Look up to heaven and behold, and contemplate the sky, that it is higher than you. If you sin, what will you harm him?" And if the powerless one persists, then the one who is more powerful rebukes and scorns him. For derision is done with the mouth, according to Jerome in the Gloss; but scorn with a wrinkled and contracted nose, arising from a certain slight indignation. Prov. 1: "I also will laugh at your destruction and will mock, when what you feared comes upon you." But if he in no way desists, he proceeds to vengeance; and therefore he says, "Then he will speak to them in his wrath," that is, he will pronounce the sentence of vengeance against them. For wrath does not befall God, but what belongs to the creature is sometimes attributed to the Creator by anthropopathy, which is a human pre-passion. Ps. 6: "Lord, not in your wrath," etc. Finally, the sentence is carried out; and therefore he says, "and in his fury he will trouble them," in heart and in soul in eternal punishment: that is, by his own power he will punish them. Job 15: "When he moves to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness is prepared in his hand; tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will surround him." These four things will occur at the judgment. For he will deride by placing them on the left: Mt. 25. He will scorn, saying: "I was hungry," etc., reproaching them. He will speak in wrath, sentencing: "Depart, you cursed, into eternal fire," etc. He will trouble them, executing the sentence: "These will go into eternal punishment," etc.

The number and authorship of this Psalm are stated (Act 4:25; Act 13:33). Though the warlike events of David's reign may have suggested its imagery, the scenes depicted and the subjects presented can only find a fulfilment in the history and character of Jesus Christ, to which, as above cited and in Heb 1:5; Heb 5:5, the New Testament writers most distinctly testify. In a most animated and highly poetical style, the writer, in "four stanzas of three verses each," sets forth the inveterate and furious, though futile, hostility of men to God and His anointed, God's determination to carry out His purpose, that purpose as stated more fully by His Son, the establishment of the Mediatorial kingdom, and the imminent danger of all who resist, as well as the blessing of all who welcome this mighty and triumphant king. (Psa 2:1-12) Why do the heathen, &c.--Beholding, in prophetic vision, the peoples and nations, as if in a tumultuous assembly, raging with a fury like the raging of the sea, designing to resist God's government, the writer breaks forth into an exclamation in which are mingled surprise at their folly, and indignation at their rebellion. heathen--nations generally, not as opposed to Jews. the people--or, literally, "peoples," or races of men.

By a figure whose boldness is only allowable to an inspired writer, God's conduct and language in view of this opposition are now related. He that sitteth in the heavens--enthroned in quiet dignities (compare Psa 29:10; Isa 40:22). shall laugh--in supreme contempt; their vain rage excites His derision. He is still the Lord, literally, "Sovereign," though they rebel.

Above the scene of this wild tumult of battle and imperious arrogance the psalmist in this six line strophe beholds Jahve, and in spirit hears His voice of thunder against the rebels. In contrast to earthly rulers and events Jahve is called יושׁב בּשּׁמים: He is enthroned above them in unapproachable majesty and ever-abiding glory; He is called אדני as He who controls whatever takes place below with absolute power according to the plan His wisdom has devised, which brooks no hindrance in execution. The futt. describe not what He will do, but what He does continually (cf. Isa 18:4.). למו also belongs, according to Psa 59:9; Psa 37:13, to ישׂחק (שׂחק which is more usual in the post-pentateuchal language = צחק). He laughs at the defiant ones, for between them and Him there is an infinite distance; He derides them by allowing the boundless stupidity of the infinitely little one to come to a climax and then He thrusts him down to the earth undeceived. This climax, the extreme limit of the divine forbearance, is determined by the אז, as in Deu 29:19, cf. שׁם Psa 14:5; 36:13, which is a "then" referring to the future and pointing towards the crisis which then supervenes. Then He begins at once to utter the actual language of His wrath to his foes and confounds them in the heat of His anger, disconcerts them utterly, both outwardly and in spirit. בּהל, Arab. bhl, cogn. בּלהּ, means originally to let loose, let go, then in Hebrew sometimes, externally, to overthrow, sometimes, of the mind, to confound and disconcert. Psa 2:5-6 Psa 2:5 is like a peal of thunder (cf. Isa 10:33); בּחרונו, Psa 2:5, like the lightning's destructive flash. And as the first strophe closed with the words of the rebels, so this second closes with Jahve's own words. With ואני begins an adverbial clause like Gen 15:2; Gen 18:13; Psa 50:17. The suppressed principal clause (cf. Isa 3:14; Ew. 341, c) is easily supplied: ye are revolting, whilst notwithstanding I.... With ואני He opposes His irresistible will to their vain undertaking. It has been shown by Bttcher, that we must not translate "I have anointed" (Targ., Symm.). נסך, Arab. nsk, certainly means to pour out, but not to pour upon, and the meaning of pouring wide and firm (of casting metal, libation, anointing) then, as in הצּיג, הצּיק, goes over into the meaning of setting firmly in any place (fundere into fundare, constituere, as lxx, Syr., Jer., and Luther translate), so that consequently נסיך the word for prince cannot be compared with משׁיח, but with נציב. (Note: Even the Jalkut on the Psalms, 620, wavers in the explanation of נסכתי between אמשׁחתיה I have anointed him, (after Dan 10:3), אתיכתיה (I have cast him (after Exo 32:4 and freq.), and גדלתיו I have made him great (after Mic 5:4). Aquila, by rendering it καὶ ἐδιασάμην (from διάζεσθαι = ὑφαίνειν), adds a fourth possible rendering. A fifth is נסך to purify, consecrate (Hitz.), which does not exist, for the Arabic nasaka obtains this meaning from the primary signification of cleansing by flooding with water (e.g., washing away the briny elements of a field). Also in Pro 8:23 נסּכתּי means I am cast = placed.) The Targum rightly inserts וּמניתיהּ (et praefeci eum) after רבּיתי (unxi), for the place of the anointing is not על־ציּון. History makes no mention of a king of Israel being anointed on Zion. Zion is mentioned as the royal seat of the Anointed One; there he is installed, that He may reign there, and rule from thence, Psa 110:2. It is the hill of the city of David (Sa2 5:7, Sa2 5:9; Kg1 8:1) including Moriah, that is intended. That hill of holiness, i.e., holy hill, which is the resting-place of the divine presence and therefore excels all the heights of the earth, is assigned to Him as the seat of His throne.