God’s reaction to the rebelliousness of humankind is to laugh. He mocks the silliness and powerlessness of His creation trying to overthrow Him. But after He is done laughing, God declares that He will establish His own appointed King over the earth, who will rule from Zion—Jerusalem.
In Psalm 2:4-6Psalm 2:4-6 commentary, commentary God laughs at the ridiculous notion that competing authorities can in any way impede His plan to install the King whom He has anointed over all the earth: Jesus. The psalmist, David, now turns from earth’s commotion to heaven’s composure, reminding us that He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them (v. 4).
The pronoun them at whom Jesus scoffs is the nations who raged against Him in the previous section, Psalm 2:1-3Psalm 2:1-3 commentary; the nations who vowed to cast off the perceived bonds God holds upon them. The Hebrew verb “yāshab,” translated as He who sits, carries the idea of being enthroned—God is not pacing in anxiety but reigning in serene authority.
His laughter is not frivolous; it is the mockery of omnipotence toward pretensions that cannot possibly succeed. We might liken this laughter to that of a parent confronted with their four-year-old holding a plastic sword and declaring defiance of bedtime. David exposes the underlying imbalance of the conflict: finite rebels have challenged the Infinite.
It is inferred that Peter and John, and the first-century believers with them, drew courage from Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary when Jerusalem’s leaders commanded them to stop preaching about Jesus. Their recitation of Psalm 2:1-2Psalm 2:1-2 commentary in their prayer for God to give them power to preach with boldness and perform miracles by His hand infers that they also understood that the Lord is sovereign over all. In fact, their prayer states that these bad actors played a role that was “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:28Acts 4:28 commentary).
The Lord merely laughs at the edicts and defiance of men like those in Acts 4Acts 4 commentary who forbade His people from preaching in the name of Jesus, the Christ, God’s anointed. This understanding led the early disciples to pray for boldness rather than safety (Acts 4:23-31Acts 4:23-31 commentary). They understood that their greatest blessing lay in standing boldly for Jesus regardless of the cost. For it is the Lord’s anointed who will give the greatest rewards of this life (2 Corinthians 5:102 Corinthians 5:10 commentary). After the laughter, Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying (v. 5).
The pronoun them in the phrase He will speak to them refers to the rulers of the nations speaking in defiance of God’s authority. The Hebrew ’ap (“anger”) pictures flaring nostrils—divine indignation that burns against injustice. God designed the world to be governed by humans in love and service to one another. Instead, the world filled with violence (Genesis 6:11Genesis 6:11 commentary) as humans sought to exploit one another. God sent Jesus to redeem the world, and it is His inevitable reign that is our hope (2 Peter 3:132 Peter 3:13 commentary).
Revelation foresees that God’s divine fury will culminate in the day Christ shatters hostile kingdoms like a clay pot struck by a rod of iron, an image that links directly to Psalm 2:9Psalm 2:9 commentary. Amid that thunder God declares the outcome of His fury. What is stated next will be the result of God’s anger against the nations. It will be this saying that will terrify the nations in His fury. Now God speaks what creates dread within His opponents: But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain (v.6).
What historically causes kings to become maniacal is fear of losing power. We saw this with Herod, who sought to kill Jesus after His birth, when His destiny was told to Herod by the magi (Matthew 2:16Matthew 2:16 commentary). The literal Zion refers to the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem which David captured around 1003 BC. It rises 2,500 feet above sea level and is flanked by the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. This is the location of the City of David, and at its top is the temple mount, which is also Mount Moriah, and likely the place where Abraham offered up his only son Isaac (Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 commentary, commentary2 Chronicles 3:12 Chronicles 3:1 commentary).
Zion is used in the Old Testament both literally to describe a physical mountain as well as a symbol of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. By calling it My holy mountain, God fuses geography with prophecy: the place where Abraham once offered Isaac and where Solomon later built the temple which housed God’s presence, this place becomes the stage for the Messiah’s universal throne. It will be from Jerusalem that Jesus, the Christ, will reign over all the earth.
Hostile kings may crown themselves, but the Lord has already enthroned His chosen ruler. That King is Messiah Jesus, whose faithful obedience to death on the cross and resurrection from the dead certified His right to be given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18Matthew 28:18 commentary, commentaryPhilippians 2:8-9Philippians 2:8-9 commentary). He will reign over all. His future reign will vanquish every rival.
Thus, this section of Psalm 2:4-6Psalm 2:4-6 commentary moves from mocking laughter to the lightning of God’s anger and finally to the lasting lordship of Christ’s reign over all the earth. The words urge us to measure every geopolitical headline we encounter against the inevitable throne above Zion where Jesus will be seated and rule over the earth in righteousness and truth.
As we will see in the next section, He (astonishingly) desires to share His rule with those children of God who follow Him in faithfulness and prove their willingness to serve through faithful stewardship and faithfulness in this life.
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Psalm 2:4-6 meaning
In Psalm 2:4-6Psalm 2:4-6 commentary, commentary God laughs at the ridiculous notion that competing authorities can in any way impede His plan to install the King whom He has anointed over all the earth: Jesus. The psalmist, David, now turns from earth’s commotion to heaven’s composure, reminding us that He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them (v. 4).
The pronoun them at whom Jesus scoffs is the nations who raged against Him in the previous section, Psalm 2:1-3Psalm 2:1-3 commentary; the nations who vowed to cast off the perceived bonds God holds upon them. The Hebrew verb “yāshab,” translated as He who sits, carries the idea of being enthroned—God is not pacing in anxiety but reigning in serene authority.
His laughter is not frivolous; it is the mockery of omnipotence toward pretensions that cannot possibly succeed. We might liken this laughter to that of a parent confronted with their four-year-old holding a plastic sword and declaring defiance of bedtime. David exposes the underlying imbalance of the conflict: finite rebels have challenged the Infinite.
It is inferred that Peter and John, and the first-century believers with them, drew courage from Psalm 2Psalm 2 commentary when Jerusalem’s leaders commanded them to stop preaching about Jesus. Their recitation of Psalm 2:1-2Psalm 2:1-2 commentary in their prayer for God to give them power to preach with boldness and perform miracles by His hand infers that they also understood that the Lord is sovereign over all. In fact, their prayer states that these bad actors played a role that was “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:28Acts 4:28 commentary).
The Lord merely laughs at the edicts and defiance of men like those in Acts 4Acts 4 commentary who forbade His people from preaching in the name of Jesus, the Christ, God’s anointed. This understanding led the early disciples to pray for boldness rather than safety (Acts 4:23-31Acts 4:23-31 commentary). They understood that their greatest blessing lay in standing boldly for Jesus regardless of the cost. For it is the Lord’s anointed who will give the greatest rewards of this life (2 Corinthians 5:102 Corinthians 5:10 commentary). After the laughter, Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying (v. 5).
The pronoun them in the phrase He will speak to them refers to the rulers of the nations speaking in defiance of God’s authority. The Hebrew ’ap (“anger”) pictures flaring nostrils—divine indignation that burns against injustice. God designed the world to be governed by humans in love and service to one another. Instead, the world filled with violence (Genesis 6:11Genesis 6:11 commentary) as humans sought to exploit one another. God sent Jesus to redeem the world, and it is His inevitable reign that is our hope (2 Peter 3:132 Peter 3:13 commentary).
Revelation foresees that God’s divine fury will culminate in the day Christ shatters hostile kingdoms like a clay pot struck by a rod of iron, an image that links directly to Psalm 2:9Psalm 2:9 commentary. Amid that thunder God declares the outcome of His fury. What is stated next will be the result of God’s anger against the nations. It will be this saying that will terrify the nations in His fury. Now God speaks what creates dread within His opponents: But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain (v.6).
What historically causes kings to become maniacal is fear of losing power. We saw this with Herod, who sought to kill Jesus after His birth, when His destiny was told to Herod by the magi (Matthew 2:16Matthew 2:16 commentary). The literal Zion refers to the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem which David captured around 1003 BC. It rises 2,500 feet above sea level and is flanked by the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. This is the location of the City of David, and at its top is the temple mount, which is also Mount Moriah, and likely the place where Abraham offered up his only son Isaac (Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 commentary, commentary 2 Chronicles 3:12 Chronicles 3:1 commentary).
Zion is used in the Old Testament both literally to describe a physical mountain as well as a symbol of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. By calling it My holy mountain, God fuses geography with prophecy: the place where Abraham once offered Isaac and where Solomon later built the temple which housed God’s presence, this place becomes the stage for the Messiah’s universal throne. It will be from Jerusalem that Jesus, the Christ, will reign over all the earth.
Hostile kings may crown themselves, but the Lord has already enthroned His chosen ruler. That King is Messiah Jesus, whose faithful obedience to death on the cross and resurrection from the dead certified His right to be given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18Matthew 28:18 commentary, commentary Philippians 2:8-9Philippians 2:8-9 commentary). He will reign over all. His future reign will vanquish every rival.
Thus, this section of Psalm 2:4-6Psalm 2:4-6 commentary moves from mocking laughter to the lightning of God’s anger and finally to the lasting lordship of Christ’s reign over all the earth. The words urge us to measure every geopolitical headline we encounter against the inevitable throne above Zion where Jesus will be seated and rule over the earth in righteousness and truth.
As we will see in the next section, He (astonishingly) desires to share His rule with those children of God who follow Him in faithfulness and prove their willingness to serve through faithful stewardship and faithfulness in this life.