The psalmist ponders why the human race rages against God. The leaders of world nations defy God. They want to be their own gods. They view obedience toward the true God as something like slavery.
Psalm 2:1-3Psalm 2:1-3 commentary wonders aloud why nations and kingdoms plot as though they can actually resist God and His chosen King, the Messiah. According to Acts 4:25Acts 4:25 commentary, commentary this psalm was written by King David. Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary is quoted numerous times in the New Testament. Examples follow:
David gasps aloud, asking rhetorically Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? (v. 1).
The implied answer to this rhetorical question is, “There is no good reason to do this because it is completely futile.” The Hebrew verb behind in an uproar (“ragash”) pictures restless masses stamping their feet and roaring like surf during a storm. The psalmist brands every strategy hatched against God as “vain”—empty, weightless, doomed from the start. As we will see, the vain thing that the nations imagine is to resist God’s anointed King and ascend above His power. The nations vainly wish to have authority over God and His anointed.
This plot to ascend above God reminds us of Lucifer (Satan) who also imagined this same vain thing. As we see in Isaiah, Lucifer similarly schemed:
"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High'” (Isaiah 14:12-14Isaiah 14:12-14 commentary).
Satan plotted to displace God’s authority. Notwithstanding whatever gains Satan might have made, his destiny is to be “thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15Isaiah 14:15 commentary). We see this in Revelation 20:10Revelation 20:10 commentary, commentary that this is the ultimate destiny of the adversary. Satan is the current ruler of this world. He has been spiritually cast out, as Jesus has been given all authority. However, Jesus has not yet physically vanquished Satan as of this writing (John 12:31John 12:31 commentary). Since Satan is still the ruler of this world, the world reflects his sentiment to be in an uproar against God and plot a vain thing, which is to ascend to the most high, above God’s authority.
Acts 4:25-26Acts 4:25-26 commentary records the earliest believers praying the words of Psalm 2:1-2Psalm 2:1-2 commentary back to God when they realized that Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Sanhedrin had only reenacted the age-old rebellion by crucifying Jesus, describing that “the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ” (Acts 4:25-26Acts 4:25-26 commentary).
This first-century prayer from Christ’s earliest followers teaches us that Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary speaks simultaneously of ancient kings, first-century authorities, and every modern power structure that vainly imagines it can assume a level of authority that exceeds that of God, the creator of heaven and earth. David then zeroes in on the leadership class of the nations: The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed (v. 2).
The Hebrew verb translated take their stand (“yatsab”) pictures the earth’s rulers planting their feet, drafting treaties, and signing edicts with grim determination to set themselves in defiance against God, only to discover they have declared war on Omnipotence itself. We see in Revelation that the earth’s kings appear to openly acknowledge that they are in direct opposition to the Lamb. But rather than repent and beg for mercy, they hide themselves (Revelation 6:16Revelation 6:16 commentary).
The rulers’ antagonism is directed not merely at an abstract deity but at His Anointed. In Hebrew, the word translated anointed is “māšîaḥ”—Messiah. The Greek translation of “māšîaḥ” is “christos.” Messiah and Christ both mean anointed, and God anointed Jesus to be the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16Revelation 19:16 commentary). We will see this referred to in Psalm 2:6Psalm 2:6 commentary.
From David’s vantage, God’s future anointed king points to the royal line God promised him (2 Samuel 7:12-132 Samuel 7:12-13 commentary). From our perspective, it points to Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s anointed King. The two viewpoints are joined in the reality that Jesus is the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1Matthew 1:1 commentary).
The rebels voice their manifesto against God and His anointed King, Jesus the Lamb of God: Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us! (v.3).
The rebel rulers label the Creator’s moral order as fetters and cords—chains—echoing the serpent’s framing in Eden that autonomy from God is freedom. Both personal experience as well as God’s Word make clear that living apart from God brings slavery to sin (John 8:34John 8:34 commentary, commentaryRomans 6:17-20Romans 6:17-20 commentary).
The irony is thick; the reality is that sin brings slavery and death while obedience to God brings freedom and life (Galatians 5:1Galatians 5:1 commentary). Jesus invites the weary to take His yoke, promising that His burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30Matthew 11:29-30 commentary). Paul similarly calls the difficulties he endured “momentary, light affliction” when compared to the “eternal weight of glory” promised by Jesus awaiting him as a reward for being a faithful witness (2 Corinthians 4:172 Corinthians 4:17 commentary, commentary2 Timothy 2:122 Timothy 2:12 commentary, 4:84:8 commentary).
For readers of every century, the psalmist’s opening volley issues both warning and comfort. No headline of geopolitical turmoil should surprise the church; Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary predicted it. Yet no headline should unnerve us either; the raging of the nations and its leaders will end with divine laughter, and the drama’s outcome was scripted before the first king donned a crown. The only wise course is humble allegiance to the Anointed One, Jesus, whose global throne and gracious invitation will dominate the rest of Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary.
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Psalm 2:1-3 meaning
Psalm 2:1-3Psalm 2:1-3 commentary wonders aloud why nations and kingdoms plot as though they can actually resist God and His chosen King, the Messiah. According to Acts 4:25Acts 4:25 commentary, commentary this psalm was written by King David. Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary is quoted numerous times in the New Testament. Examples follow:
David gasps aloud, asking rhetorically Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? (v. 1).
The implied answer to this rhetorical question is, “There is no good reason to do this because it is completely futile.” The Hebrew verb behind in an uproar (“ragash”) pictures restless masses stamping their feet and roaring like surf during a storm. The psalmist brands every strategy hatched against God as “vain”—empty, weightless, doomed from the start. As we will see, the vain thing that the nations imagine is to resist God’s anointed King and ascend above His power. The nations vainly wish to have authority over God and His anointed.
This plot to ascend above God reminds us of Lucifer (Satan) who also imagined this same vain thing. As we see in Isaiah, Lucifer similarly schemed:
"How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High'”
(Isaiah 14:12-14Isaiah 14:12-14 commentary).
Satan plotted to displace God’s authority. Notwithstanding whatever gains Satan might have made, his destiny is to be “thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15Isaiah 14:15 commentary). We see this in Revelation 20:10Revelation 20:10 commentary, commentary that this is the ultimate destiny of the adversary. Satan is the current ruler of this world. He has been spiritually cast out, as Jesus has been given all authority. However, Jesus has not yet physically vanquished Satan as of this writing (John 12:31John 12:31 commentary). Since Satan is still the ruler of this world, the world reflects his sentiment to be in an uproar against God and plot a vain thing, which is to ascend to the most high, above God’s authority.
Acts 4:25-26Acts 4:25-26 commentary records the earliest believers praying the words of Psalm 2:1-2Psalm 2:1-2 commentary back to God when they realized that Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Sanhedrin had only reenacted the age-old rebellion by crucifying Jesus, describing that “the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ” (Acts 4:25-26Acts 4:25-26 commentary).
This first-century prayer from Christ’s earliest followers teaches us that Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary speaks simultaneously of ancient kings, first-century authorities, and every modern power structure that vainly imagines it can assume a level of authority that exceeds that of God, the creator of heaven and earth. David then zeroes in on the leadership class of the nations: The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed (v. 2).
The Hebrew verb translated take their stand (“yatsab”) pictures the earth’s rulers planting their feet, drafting treaties, and signing edicts with grim determination to set themselves in defiance against God, only to discover they have declared war on Omnipotence itself. We see in Revelation that the earth’s kings appear to openly acknowledge that they are in direct opposition to the Lamb. But rather than repent and beg for mercy, they hide themselves (Revelation 6:16Revelation 6:16 commentary).
The rulers’ antagonism is directed not merely at an abstract deity but at His Anointed. In Hebrew, the word translated anointed is “māšîaḥ”—Messiah. The Greek translation of “māšîaḥ” is “christos.” Messiah and Christ both mean anointed, and God anointed Jesus to be the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16Revelation 19:16 commentary). We will see this referred to in Psalm 2:6Psalm 2:6 commentary.
From David’s vantage, God’s future anointed king points to the royal line God promised him (2 Samuel 7:12-132 Samuel 7:12-13 commentary). From our perspective, it points to Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s anointed King. The two viewpoints are joined in the reality that Jesus is the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1Matthew 1:1 commentary).
The rebels voice their manifesto against God and His anointed King, Jesus the Lamb of God: Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us! (v.3).
The rebel rulers label the Creator’s moral order as fetters and cords—chains—echoing the serpent’s framing in Eden that autonomy from God is freedom. Both personal experience as well as God’s Word make clear that living apart from God brings slavery to sin (John 8:34John 8:34 commentary, commentary Romans 6:17-20Romans 6:17-20 commentary).
The irony is thick; the reality is that sin brings slavery and death while obedience to God brings freedom and life (Galatians 5:1Galatians 5:1 commentary). Jesus invites the weary to take His yoke, promising that His burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30Matthew 11:29-30 commentary). Paul similarly calls the difficulties he endured “momentary, light affliction” when compared to the “eternal weight of glory” promised by Jesus awaiting him as a reward for being a faithful witness (2 Corinthians 4:172 Corinthians 4:17 commentary, commentary 2 Timothy 2:122 Timothy 2:12 commentary, 4:84:8 commentary).
For readers of every century, the psalmist’s opening volley issues both warning and comfort. No headline of geopolitical turmoil should surprise the church; Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary predicted it. Yet no headline should unnerve us either; the raging of the nations and its leaders will end with divine laughter, and the drama’s outcome was scripted before the first king donned a crown. The only wise course is humble allegiance to the Anointed One, Jesus, whose global throne and gracious invitation will dominate the rest of Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary.