Psalms 2 (GNV)

Chapter Text

2:1 Why doe the heathen rage, and the people murmure in vaine?

2:2 The Kings of the earth band themselues, and the princes are assembled together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

2:3 Let vs breake their bands, and cast their cordes from vs.

2:4 But he that dwelleth in the heauen, shall laugh: the Lord shall haue them in derision.

2:5 Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath, and vexe them in his sore displeasure, saying,

2:6 Euen I haue set my King vpon Zion mine holy mountaine.

2:7 I will declare the decree: that is, the Lord hath said vnto me, Thou art my Sonne: this day haue I begotten thee.

2:8 Aske of me, and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the endes of the earth for thy possession.

2:9 Thou shalt krush them with a scepter of yron, and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell.

2:10 Be wise nowe therefore, ye Kings: be learned ye Iudges of the earth.

2:11 Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce in trembling.

2:12 Kisse the sonne, least he be angry, and ye perish in the way, when his wrath shall suddenly burne. blessed are all that trust in him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heathen", "rage", "people", "murmure", "vaine", "kings", "earth", and "band". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heathen" and "rage", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "heathen" and "rage" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heathen" and "rage" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.