Psalms 2:4-6

2:4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust;

the Lord taunts them.

2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them

and terrifies them in his rage, saying,

2:6 “I myself have installed my king

on Zion, my holy hill.”


tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).

tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”

sn And terrifies them in his rage. This line focuses on the effect that God’s angry response (see previous line) has on the rebellious kings.

tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification to indicate that the speaker is the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV).

tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”

tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”