Discovery BoxPsalms 2:2
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
Psalms 5:2
Context5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my king and my God,
for I am praying to you!
Psalms 68:12
Context68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! 5
The lovely lady 6 of the house divides up the loot.
Psalms 102:15
Context102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 7
and all the kings of the earth will respect 8 his splendor,
Psalms 110:4
Context110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 9 and will not revoke it: 10
“You are an eternal priest 11 after the pattern of 12 Melchizedek.” 13
Psalms 138:4
Context138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks 14 to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak. 15
[2:2] 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.
[2:2] 2 tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.
[2:2] 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).
[2:2] 4 tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).
[68:12] 5 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
[68:12] 6 tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or corruption of נצוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.
[102:15] 9 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 10 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[110:4] 13 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 14 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 15 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 16 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 17 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[138:4] 17 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
