Monday, October 12, 2026
Psalm 2
Psalm 2
Coronation of the Son
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:
3 “Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath:
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree.
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter;
you will shatter them like pottery.”
10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,
for his anger may ignite at any moment.
All who take refuge in him are happy.
Psalm 2 ushers the worshiper into God’s throne room. It reminds us that David’s emergence as a king from Judah was a midcourse confirmation between God’s promise to Abraham and his descendant bringing the final kingdom to earth (Gen. 49:10; cf. Gen. 12:1–3; Matt. 3:2). The first hint that the psalm refers to David’s Greater Son is in the title “Anointed,” which is Messiah in Hebrew and Christ in Greek (Ps. 2:2; Acts 10:38).
Another clue is the prophecy of worldwide rule that demands a King with infinitely greater powers than David, but which also accords with God’s promise to David of an eternal and worldwide kingdom established by his descendant (cf. Ps. 2:8–9; 2 Sam. 7:12–14; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). The apostles preached the gospel from this psalm. The author of Hebrews explained that Christ was this “Son” whom God sent into the world—the only Son who could truly fulfill the promises to David (Ps. 2:7; Heb. 1:5).
Peter preached that Christ’s cross was the epitome of the nations’ rage (Ps. 2:1; Acts 4:25–27). Paul revealed that Christ’s coronation occurred after his resurrection (Ps. 2:6; Acts 13:33; Rom. 1:4) and that he blesses the nations as they obey him by faith (Ps. 2:10; Rom. 1:5). John showed that salvation or damnation depends on one’s relationship to the Son (Ps. 2:12a; John 3:36). And Ephesians calls Christians to live courageously in the face of worldwide spiritual rebellion because Christ is actively ruling over all of reality (Ps. 2:12b; Eph. 1:20–22). In these various ways the New Testament reveals that ultimately Christ himself is the King who fulfills Psalm 2.**
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*Taken from the ESV® Literary Study Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2007 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
**Taken from the ESV® Gospel Transformation Study Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2013 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
