Discovery BoxPsalms 2:2-6 
Context2:2 The kings of the earth 1 form a united front; 2
the rulers collaborate 3
against the Lord and his anointed king. 4
2:3 They say, 5 “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! 6
Let’s free ourselves from 7 their ropes!”
2:4 The one enthroned 8 in heaven laughs in disgust; 9
the Lord taunts 10 them.
2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage, 11 saying, 12
2:6 “I myself 13 have installed 14 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
1 sn The expression kings of the earth refers somewhat hyperbolically to the kings who had been conquered by and were subject to the Davidic king.
2 tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.
3 tn Or “conspire together.” The verbal form is a Niphal from יָסַד (yasad). BDB 413-14 s.v. יָסַד defines the verb as “establish, found,” but HALOT 417 s.v. II יסד proposes a homonym meaning “get together, conspire” (an alternate form of סוּד, sud).
4 tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).
5 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The quotation represents the words of the rebellious kings.
6 tn Heb “their (i.e., the
7 tn Heb “throw off from us.”
8 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).
9 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.
10 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
11 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.
12 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification to indicate that the speaker is the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV).
13 tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”
14 tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”
