The second Psalm starts by talking about the earthly rulers raging against God’s anointed king. They do not seem to realize that when they make war with God’s anointed that “they are making war against God.^[1]” It speaks about the anointed king who is David, and it skips to a king who is the Son of God. The second Psalm is full of double meaning. It is partly about king David and future earthly kings, and partly about the Messiah as the King of Kings.

     “There are nine psalms scattered through the psalter that specifically concern the king^[2]” and Psalm 2 is one of them. The original context of this Psalm is the coronation of David as the king of Israel, making it one of the “Royal Psalms”.[3]  

     When David became king, the nation of Israel was in a state of chaos. David had already been reigning in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years. There had been a long war between the house of Judah and the rest of Israel. Ish-Bosheth (Israel’s king) had been killed and Abner, the leader of Israel’s army, had been murdered. The leaders of all of the tribes in Israel knew that Samuel had anointed David to be the next king. They also knew of the prophecies concerning David ruling Israel.[4]

     At the time of its writing this psalm would have been received with praise and rejoicing. They would see it pertaining to David who was anointed king by Samuel. Other prophesies said that he would rule. These put God’s own stamp of approval on David’s reign. Having a ruler that God approved of would have soothed many fears of uncertainty. More of those fears would have been put to rest because of the military capabilities of David. Israel no longer needed to worry about its ability to defend itself.[5]

     This Psalm was written to celebrate the coronation of David’s kingdom but it cannot be addressing only an earthly kingdom. It could be referred to as an Indirectly Messianic Psalm, as it was written for an earthly king but its ultimate fulfillment is in Jesus Christ.[6] The words “Thou art My Son (Psalm 2:7, NKJ)” cannot be applied to David or anyone other than Jesus the Christ. Likewise, “I will give thee the uttermost parts of the earth (Psalm 2:8, NKJ),” and “Kiss the Son (Psalm 2:12, NKJ)” are not appropriate to any earthly king or kingdom.[7] There is only one Son that we should worship.

     This psalm makes the first biblical use of the term Son in reference to the Messiah. As it is written on the basis of a divine decree, the Messianic use of this verse and other verses of this Psalm in the New Testament, is appropriate.[8]

     In Acts 4:25 Peter and John, with the rest of the Apostles, see the fulfillment of verses 1,2 in the rebellion against Christ by the Jews and the gentile rulers. Paul in Acts 13:33 uses verse 7 to show that it is reasonable that Jesus would be resurrected, as He is the Son of God.[9]Hebrews 1:4,5 states, using the same verse, that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was higher than any angel by asking the question, “For to which of the angels did He ever say:

‘You are My Son,

 Today I have begotten You’? (Psalm 2:7, NKJ)”

     As we look at the Old Testament through the paradigm of Christianity, the Scriptures are illuminated for us and we are able to see the messianic meaning in Psalm 2. The “Apostles understood it in this sense.^[10]” In their arguments with the Jews they quote it “and argue upon it as accomplished in Christ’s victory over death and the grave.^[11]”

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^[1] John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 12.

^[2] Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 435.

[3] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 23.

[4] Robert D. Bergen, 1, 2 Samuel, vol. 7, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 318.

[5] Robert D. Bergen, 1, 2 Samuel, vol. 7, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 318.

[6] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 790.

[7] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 744.

[8] John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 60.

[9] John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 60.

^[10] Charles Simeon, Horae Homileticae: Psalms, I–LXXII, vol. 5 (London: Samuel Holdsworth, 1836), 6.

^[11] Charles Simeon, Horae Homileticae: Psalms, I–LXXII, vol. 5 (London: Samuel Holdsworth, 1836), 6.

Bibliography

Bergen, Robert D. 1, 2 Samuel. Vol. 7. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996.

Bratcher, Robert G., and William David Reyburn. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1991.

Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.

Hill, Andrew E., and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.

Lange, John Peter, Philip Schaff, Carl Bernhard Moll, Charles A. Briggs, John Forsyth, James B. Hammond, J. Frederick McCurdy, and Thomas J. Conant. A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008.

Ross, Allen P. “Psalms.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:778–779. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Simeon, Charles. Horae Homileticae: Psalms, I–LXXII. Vol. 5. London: Samuel Holdsworth, 1836.

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.