Psalms 1–2
Psalm 1:1-2:12
Psa.1.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- הלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בעצת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,construct
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובדרך: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,const
- חטאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- עמד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ובמושב: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לצים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 4:14-15 (verbal): Warning language echoes Psalm 1's prohibition against following the wicked: 'Do not enter the path of the wicked; do not walk in the way of evil'—similar vocabulary of path/way and avoidance.
- Proverbs 1:10-15 (thematic): Parallels the admonition not to join sinners' counsel or company—an extended proverb warning against consenting to sinners' enticement and joining their counsel.
- Psalm 119:1 (verbal): Begins with the same beatitude formula ('Ashrei/Blessed') and connects blessedness to right conduct and walking in the law of the LORD—echo of Psalm 1's righteous way motif.
- Psalm 26:4-5 (verbal): David's refusal to 'sit with men of falsehood' and his hatred of the assembly of evildoers echoes Psalm 1's threefold progression (walk, stand, sit) away from wicked company.
- Matthew 7:13-14 (structural): Jesus' two-ways teaching (wide road to destruction vs. narrow road to life) reflects the structural contrast in Psalm 1 between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.
- Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.
Psa.1.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- בתורת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,const
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- חפצו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ובתורתו: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- יהגה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יומם: ADV
- ולילה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Joshua 1:8 (verbal): Commands constant meditation on the book of the law 'day and night'—a close verbal and thematic parallel to delighting and meditating in the LORD’s law in Ps 1:2.
- Psalm 119:97 (verbal): First‑person declaration of love for God's law and continual meditation 'all the day,' echoing Ps 1:2's emphasis on delighting in and meditating on the law.
- Psalm 119:15 (verbal): Speaks of meditating on God's precepts and considering his ways—repeats the motif of ongoing reflection on the law found in Ps 1:2.
- Deuteronomy 6:6‑7 (thematic): Commands that God's words be kept in the heart and recited in daily life (sitting, walking, lying down), paralleling the idea of constant engagement with the law in Ps 1:2.
- Psalm 119:11 (thematic): Speaks of hiding God's word in the heart to avoid sin—relates to the inward delight in and internalization of the law expressed in Ps 1:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
- But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa.1.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- כעץ: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שתול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- פלגי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- פריו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- בעתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3ms
- ועלהו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- יבול: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- יצליח: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (verbal): Uses the same planted-by-water tree image (roots by a stream, yields fruit in season) to describe the one who trusts in the LORD — near-verbal parallel to Ps 1:3.
- Psalm 92:12-14 (verbal): Portrays the righteous as flourishing trees (palm/cypress) planted in the house of the LORD who still bear fruit in old age, echoing Ps 1:3’s fruitfulness and vitality.
- Psalm 52:8 (allusion): Speaker compares himself to a green olive tree in God’s house—an image of flourishing, rooted life similar to the tree-planted-by-waters motif in Ps 1:3.
- Proverbs 11:30 (thematic): Associates the fruitfulness of the righteous with life-giving, tree imagery (‘the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life’), thematically linking righteousness and productive, sustaining life as in Ps 1:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.
- He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.
Psa.1.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- כן: ADV
- הרשעים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- כמץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- א: PRT
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תדפנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.37:2 (verbal): Uses similar image of the wicked as transient vegetation: "They are like the grass that withers... the wind passes over it, and it is gone," paralleling chaff blown by the wind.
- Isa.40:6-8 (thematic): Employs the motif of human transience—"all flesh is grass... the grass withers, the flower fades"—echoing Psalm 1:4's portrayal of the wicked as ephemeral like chaff.
- Matt.3:12 (allusion): John the Baptist uses winnowing/chaff imagery—"He will clear his threshing floor... the chaff he will burn"—alluding to the same judgmental image of chaff driven by wind.
- Matt.13:30 (structural): Parable of the weeds and the harvest: separation of righteous and wicked at harvest (gathering/burning the weeds) structurally parallels Psalm 1's contrast and the fate of the wicked as chaff.
Alternative generated candidates
- Not so the wicked; they are like chaff that the wind drives away.
- Not so the wicked; they are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Psa.1.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- כן: ADV
- לא: PART_NEG
- יקמו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- במשפט: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וחטאים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בעדת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,const
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Ps.26:5 (verbal): Uses similar language of exclusion from the company/assembly of sinners—request that the psalmist not be 'gathered' with sinners resonates with Ps 1:5’s 'wicked will not stand... in the congregation of the righteous.'
- Prov.4:18-19 (thematic): Contrasts the destinies/paths of the righteous and the wicked (light vs. darkness), echoing Ps 1:5’s theme that the wicked do not share the righteous’ standing or end.
- Matt.13:49-50 (structural): Describes a final separating of the wicked from the righteous at judgment—parallels Ps 1:5’s image of the wicked not standing in the righteous’ assembly at judgment.
- 1 Cor.6:9-10 (thematic): Declares that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom, reflecting the same theological conviction in Ps 1:5 that the wicked have no place among the righteous at the final reckoning.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
- Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Psa.1.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יודע: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ודרך: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תאבד: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Prov.2:8 (verbal): A close verbal parallel: God preserves/guards the way of the righteous (’preserveth the way of his saints’), echoing Psalm 1’s claim that the LORD ‘knows the way of the righteous.’
- Ps.37:23-24 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD establishing and upholding the steps/way of the upright — similar theme of divine care and guidance for the righteous contrasted with the fate of the wicked.
- Ps.25:12-14 (thematic): Portrays God teaching and revealing his way to those who fear him (the righteous), paralleling the idea that the LORD knows and directs the righteous’ path.
- Matt.7:13-14 (structural): Jesus’ contrast between the broad way that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life parallels Psalm 1’s binary opposition between the way of the righteous (life) and the way of the wicked (perishing).
- John 10:27-28 (allusion): Jesus’ promise that his sheep hear his voice and ‘shall never perish’ echoes the theme of divine protection and preservation of the righteous set against the perishing of the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
- For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psa.2.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למה: ADV
- רגשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ולאמים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יהגו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ריק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Acts 4:25-26 (quotation): Directly cites Ps 2:1–2 in the apostles' prayer: 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?'—applies the psalm to opposition against God's messengers.
- Psalm 33:10–11 (verbal): Declares that the LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing and frustrates the peoples' plans, echoing Ps 2's theme that nations' plotting is ultimately vain.
- Psalm 46:6 (verbal): Imagery of nations raging and kingdoms shaking before God's voice parallels Ps 2's depiction of tumultuous nations contrasted with divine sovereignty.
- Isaiah 8:10 (thematic): Calls for peoples to devise plans but asserts those plans will not stand—parallels the idea in Ps 2 that the nations' plotting is futile in the face of God's will.
Alternative generated candidates
- Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
- Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
Psa.2.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יתיצבו: VERB,hitp,impf,3,m,pl
- מלכי: NOUN,pl,m,cons
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ורוזנים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נוסדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- יחד: ADV
- על: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- משיחו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
Parallels
- Acts 4:25-26 (quotation): The early church leaders quote Psalm 2 (including v.2) — 'The kings of the earth took their stand...' — and apply it to the opposition against Jesus.
- Hebrews 1:5 (quotation): Hebrews cites Psalm 2:7 ('You are my Son') to identify the anointed figure as the Son, showing the NT uses Psalm 2 in a messianic sense.
- Revelation 17:14 (thematic): Depicts earthly kings making war against the Lamb; thematically parallels rulers conspiring against the Lord and his Anointed in Psalm 2:2.
- Psalm 110:2 (thematic): Speaks of the Lord extending a scepter from Zion and ruling among enemies; complements Psalm 2 by portraying God's sovereign response to hostile rulers.
Alternative generated candidates
- The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and against his Anointed.
- The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed.
Psa.2.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ננתקה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,c,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- מוסרותימו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,pl
- ונשליכה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,c,pl
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- עבתימו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,pl
Parallels
- Acts 4:25-26 (quotation): The early church leaders quote Psalm 2:1–2 to interpret hostile rulers’ actions toward Jesus and the disciples; the rebellious intent in v.3 (“break their bonds…cast off their cords”) is part of the same poetic context applied to opposition to God's anointed.
- Isaiah 58:6 (verbal): Speaks of loosening chains and breaking every yoke (“to undo the heavy burdens…to break every yoke”), echoing the language and motif of removing bonds found in Ps 2:3.
- Isaiah 10:27 (thematic): Declares that the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing, a related image of breaking oppressive bonds and overturning domination similar to the defiant rejection of authority in Ps 2:3.
- Psalm 149:8 (thematic): Describes binding kings with chains and fettering nobles—an inverse but related motif of power, rulers, and bonds; both psalms portray struggle between nations/rulers and divine kingship.
- Luke 19:14 (thematic): The crowd’s cry “We will not have this man to reign over us” reflects the same rebellious refusal of an asserted ruler’s authority that underlies the conspirators’ declaration in Ps 2:3 to burst bonds and cast off cords.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us.
- Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us.
Psa.2.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יושב: VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
- בשמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישחק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- ילעג: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- למו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ps.37:13 (verbal): Explicitly states that the LORD 'laughs at the wicked,' paralleling the same image of God laughing at those who oppose him.
- Ps.59:8 (verbal): 'But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision'—very close verbal and thematic echo of divine laughter and derision.
- Prov.1:26 (thematic): Wisdom declares 'I also will laugh at your calamity,' echoing the motif of laughter at the downfall of the wicked or scoffers.
- Isa.37:23 (allusion): God rebukes the Assyrian king for mocking and reviling the Holy One of Israel—parallel theme of nations' mockery and divine derision.
- Acts 4:25-26 (quotation): The early church quotes Ps 2 (vv.1–2) to frame the opposition of earthly rulers; links to the psalm's overall theme of human plotting and God's sovereign (derisive) response.
Alternative generated candidates
- He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD scoffs at them.
- He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD scoffs at them.
Psa.2.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אז: ADV
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אלימו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- באפו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+pr:3,m
- ובחרונו: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- יבהלמו: VERB,hiphil,imprf,3,m,sg+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 110:5 (verbal): Speaks of the LORD striking kings on the day of his wrath—language and theme of divine anger and judgment echo Psalm 2:5.
- Exodus 15:7 (thematic): Describes God sending out his anger that consumes the enemy like stubble; parallels the motif of God speaking/acting in wrath to overwhelm foes.
- Nahum 1:6 (thematic): Rhetorical question about who can stand before God's indignation and fury—similar emphasis on the terror and overpowering nature of divine wrath.
- Romans 1:18 (thematic): New Testament portrayal of 'the wrath of God' revealed against ungodliness; echoes Psalm 2:5's theme of divine wrath directed at rebellious humanity.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath.
- Then he will speak to them in his anger, and alarm them in his wrath.
Psa.2.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- נסכתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- מלכי: NOUN,pl,m,cons
- על: PREP
- ציון: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
- הר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- קדשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
Parallels
- Psalm 110:2 (verbal): Speaks of the LORD extending a scepter from Zion—both texts locate the king’s rule on Zion and link kingship with that holy mountain.
- Psalm 89:27 (thematic): God’s promise to exalt David’s descendant as preeminent among kings echoes the divine enthronement declared in Ps 2:6.
- Psalm 132:13-14 (structural): Affirms that the LORD has chosen Zion as his dwelling/holy hill, providing the same theological backdrop for installing a king on Zion.
- Zechariah 9:9 (thematic): Proclaims a coming king to Zion (messianic arrival); parallels Ps 2:6’s association of Zion with the enthroned ruler.
- 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (allusion): God’s covenant promise to David to establish his offspring and throne provides the Davidic foundation for the claim that God has set up a king on Zion.
Alternative generated candidates
- But as for me, I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.
- But as for me, I have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill.
Psa.2.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אספרה: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- אל: NEG
- חק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ילדתיך: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg+obj:2,m,sg
Parallels
- Acts 13:33 (quotation): Paul (in Pisidian Antioch) directly cites Ps 2:7 to identify Jesus as God's Son and to link the declaration with the resurrection ('God has fulfilled this'), quoting the same words.
- Hebrews 1:5 (quotation): The author of Hebrews explicitly cites Ps 2:7 ('You are my Son; today I have begotten you') to argue for the unique sonship and superiority of the Son over angels.
- Hebrews 5:5 (quotation): Hebrews repeats the Ps 2:7 formula in explaining Christ's divine appointment as high priest, applying the psalm's sonship language to Jesus.
- 2 Samuel 7:14 (allusion): God's promise to David ('I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son') provides the covenantal background for royal/sonship language echoed in Ps 2:7.
- Psalm 89:26-27 (verbal): Psalm 89 uses parallel language ('You are my Father... I will make him my firstborn') that echoes and develops the royal sonship motif found in Ps 2:7.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will proclaim the decree: the LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”
- I will proclaim the decree: The LORD said to me, 'You are my son; today I have begotten you.'
Psa.2.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שאל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ממני: PREP,suff,1,m,sg
- ואתנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נחלתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- ואחזתך: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אפסי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 72:8 (verbal): Speaks of rule over the nations/'from sea to sea'—a royal claim over the whole earth similar to giving the nations and ends of the earth as possession.
- Isaiah 49:6 (thematic): Commission to bring light/salvation to the nations and 'to the ends of the earth,' echoing the universal reach of Ps 2:8.
- Daniel 7:14 (thematic): The one given everlasting dominion over all peoples and nations parallels the motif of receiving the nations as an inheritance.
- Matthew 28:18 (structural): The risen Lord's claim that 'all authority in heaven and on earth' has been given him undergirds the idea of authority over the nations in Ps 2:8.
- Genesis 17:8 (allusion): God's covenant promise to give land/offspring and make nations part of the inheritance resonates with Ps 2:8's language of nations and the ends of the earth as possession.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.
- Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession.
Psa.2.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תרעם: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בשבט: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברזל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ככלי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יוצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תנפצם: VERB,piel,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Revelation 2:27 (quotation): Direct citation of Ps 2:9 applied to the Messiah/Christ — 'to rule them with a rod of iron.'
- Revelation 12:5 (verbal): Speaks of the male child who 'will rule all the nations with a rod of iron,' echoing the same iron‑rod ruling imagery from Ps 2:9.
- Revelation 19:15 (verbal): Describes the Messiah's judgment with a 'sharp sword' and 'rule them with a rod of iron,' and treading the winepress — closely paralleling Ps 2:9's crushing/judicial imagery.
- Isaiah 11:4 (thematic): Portrays the coming ruler who judges and strikes the wicked with decisive authority ('strike the earth with the rod of his mouth'), thematically parallel to Ps 2:9's use of a rod to execute judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- You shall rule them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
- You shall rule them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psa.2.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- השכילו: VERB,hiphil,imp,2,pl
- הוסרו: VERB,hiphil,imp,2,pl
- שפטי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 8:15-16 (verbal): Wisdom speaks of authority over kings and rulers—language of kingship and judgment parallels the Psalm’s address to rulers to be wise.
- Proverbs 31:8-9 (thematic): An admonition to speak and judge rightly on behalf of the vulnerable; parallels Psalm 2’s call for judges/kings to act justly and heed instruction.
- Exodus 18:21 (structural): Moses is instructed to appoint able, God-fearing men as judges—structurally similar to the Psalm’s address and admonition to earthly judges and rulers.
- Acts 4:25-26 (quotation): The early Christian community cites Psalm 2 to interpret the hostility of earthly rulers toward God’s purposes—echoes the Psalm’s concern with kings and judges.
- Romans 13:1 (thematic): Paul’s teaching on submission to governing authorities resonates with the Psalm’s engagement with rulers and the divine ordering of earthly authority.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
- Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Psa.2.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עבדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ביראה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וגילו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- ברעדה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 10:12 (verbal): God requires Israel to 'fear the LORD' and walk in his ways—parallels the summons to serve the LORD with fear (shared language of fear and obedience).
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 (verbal): 'Fear God and keep his commandments' echoes the paired obligation of reverent fear and faithful service found in Psalm 2:11.
- Proverbs 9:10 (thematic): 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom' highlights the foundational, reverential attitude toward God that Psalm 2:11 prescribes for his servants.
- Psalm 33:8 (verbal): 'Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him' uses the same vocabulary of fear/awe and a universal summons similar to Psalm 2:11.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 (thematic): Calls for worship 'with reverence and awe' because 'our God is a consuming fire'—New Testament parallel to serving God in fear and trembling as an appropriate response to his sovereign power.
Alternative generated candidates
- Serve the LORD with fear; rejoice with trembling.
- Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa.2.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נשקו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- בר: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- פן: CONJ
- יאנף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ותאבדו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- יבער: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כמעט: ADV
- אפו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff3ms
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- חוסי: VERB,qal,ptc,act,m,pl
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 2:7 (structural): Immediate context within the same psalm: verse 7 declares the king as God’s Son (“You are my Son”), which grounds the call in v.12 to do homage to the Son ('kiss the Son').
- Psalm 2:9 (thematic): Parallel within the psalm on the king’s punitive power and wrath ('break them with a rod of iron'); relates to v.12’s warning about the Son’s anger and the danger of perishing.
- Psalm 34:8 (verbal): Shares the blessing-formula about finding refuge: 'Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him,' closely echoing v.12’s 'Blessed are all who take refuge in him.'
- Psalm 118:8 (thematic): Similar theology of trust and asylum: 'It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man,' resonating with v.12’s exhortation to seek refuge in the (anointed) Son.
- Acts 13:33 (quotation): New Testament citation of Psalm 2 (v.7) applying 'You are my Son' to Christ; acts as an early Christian reading of the psalm that frames the v.12 exhortation to honor and not provoke the Son as addressed to Jesus.
Alternative generated candidates
- Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way— for his wrath may soon be kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
- Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way; for his wrath may soon blaze forth. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season; his leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked; they are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed.
Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us.
He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD scoffs at them.
Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath. But I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.
I will proclaim the decree: the LORD said to me, 'You are my son; today I have begotten you.'
Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be instructed, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.