Psalm 2:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

NIV: The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

NASB: The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers conspire together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

CSB: The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One:

NLT: The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.

KJV: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

NKJV: The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

This clearly identifies the aggressors behind the evil plot mentioned before (Psalm 2:1), as well as the target of their aggression. The kings and rulers of the nations are the aggressors. The word "set" here implies deliberate preparation and arrangement. Translations such as the NASB render this as "take their stand," suggesting the aggressors' hostile intent. They gather their armies in military formation and brainstorm how to overthrow the Lord and His Anointed.

The English word "Anointed" here comes from the Hebrew term mashiyach. This is the origin of the word "Messiah." In Greek, the same concept is expressed with the title Christos, from which comes the English title "Christ." This points to Jesus, Israel's Messiah (Acts 2:36). In Old Testament times three significant roles were inaugurated by the anointing with oil. They were the roles of prophet, priest, and king. The prophet delivered the Lord's messages to the people; the priest represented the people before the Lord; the king ruled the people on behalf of the Lord.

Jesus, the promised Messiah, is all three: prophet, priest, and king. He came to earth as the Word and declared God's message (John 1:14, 18). He is the believers' High Priest, interceding for us (Hebrews 4:14–16). And someday He will rule the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16).

Psalm 2:1–6 portrays nations arrayed in military fashion against the Lord God and His anointed King. They have plotted to throw off the Lord's control. However, their scheme causes the Lord to laugh and to defeat their evil plan. He addresses them in His wrath and terrifies them in a display of His fury. After being released by the Sanhedrin, the Jews' ruling body in the first century, Peter and John returned to a gathering of believers and reported what had transpired. Together, the believers quoted Psalm 2:6 and applied it to the risen Son of God (Acts 4:23–30).

Psalm 2, written by King David (Acts 4:25), begins by questioning the nations' frenzied attempt to overthrow the Lord and His anointed King, Jesus. Godless cultures plot to rid themselves of divine authority. But trying to escape God's will is ridiculous. He will direct His wrath toward them and asserts He has established His King upon Mount Zion. God addresses His Son as His only begotten. This passage predicts the anointed King—the Messiah—will smash the rebellious nations to pieces with an iron rod. The psalmist urges the kings and rulers of the earth to submit to the Son's rule and come to friendly terms with Him. The psalm closes with the declaration that all who take refuge in the Lord's anointed King are blessed.

Psalm 2 is often labelled a royal psalm, because it refers to the King above all kings. This complements several other psalms: Psalms 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, and 144. Acts 13:33 relates Psalm 2:7 to Jesus. Revelation 2:27, spoken by the risen Savior, relates Psalm 2:9 to His victory over the rebellious nations and His reign on earth. Revelation 19:19–21 describes when and how Jesus will defeat the nations that assemble to go to war against God's anointed Son.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.