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1
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 was not originally on the syllabus. But if we read Psalm 1 we almost have
to read Psalm 2. This might seem strange because they appear so different.
But if you look carefully you will see connections between the two.
Warning = Psalm 2 contains many linguistic features that are not Standard Biblical
Hebrew. What do these non-standard features represent?
(2:1)
‫“ = רגז‬be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed” under BDB 919a.
‫“ = ְלאֹם‬people” (poetic and chiefly late) under BDB 522b. Actually this psalm
might not be late but early. Which is precisely the point I make in “Further
Evidence for North Israelite Contributions to Late Biblical Hebrew”, in Ian
Young (ed.), Biblical Hebrew: Studies in Chronology and Typology
(London: T and T Clark, 2003), 129-148. Although I could be wrong. See
2:3.
‫ – לאמים יהגה‬Recognize the verb? Compare how it is used here to how it is used in
Psalm 1:2b.
‫“ = ִריק‬empty, vain” in BDB 938a.
(2:2)
‫ = יצב‬Hitpael “set or station oneself, take one’s stand” under BDB 426a.
‫“ = רזן‬be weighty, judicious, commanding” under BDB 931a. Form? How is this
form being used here?
‫נוֹסדוּ‬
ְ – The first ‫ נ‬is either 1cp prefix or Niphal preformative. Note the ‫ ו‬where we
might expect the first root letter. ‫“ = יסד‬establish, found, fix” under BDB
413b. What does the verb express in this conjugation? You might need to
look it up.
2
‫“ = ָמ ִשׁ ַיח‬anointed” under BDB 603b. This is where the word messiah comes from.1
2
‫על־יהוה ועל־משׁיחו‬
(2:3)
‫“ = נתק‬pull, draw, tear away” under BDB 683. Form? We do not see many of
these. Note the strong dagesh in the second(?) root letter. What does the verb
express in this conjugation?
‫רוֹתימוֹ‬
ֵ ‫מוֹס‬
ְ = noun + suffix. Let us deal with ‫רוֹתי־‬
ֵ ‫מוֹס‬
ְ first. ‫מוּסר‬
ָ = “discipline
(moral), chastening, correction” under BDB 416a. Apparently sometimes
‫ מ ָֹסר־‬with suffix. Now about that suffix ‫־מוֹ‬. This is apparently a rare variant
of 3mp possessive suffix.
The termination ‫־◌מוֹ‬
ֵ occurs with the noun almost exclusively in the later
poets and cannot therefore by itself be taken as an indication of archaic
language. On the other hand there can be no doubt that these are revivals of
really old forms. That they are consciously and artificially used is shown by
the evidently intentional accumulation of them. (Gesenius §91l)
So either this psalm is archaic or the psalmist is affecting an archaic style.
How might we tell the difference?
(2:4)
‫ = שׂחק‬See Amos 7:16. That the psalmist employs ‫ שׁחק‬rather than ‫ צחק‬is
interesting.
‫“ = לעג‬mock, deride” under BDB 541a.
(2:5)
1c
2
ॄ + διαψαλµα = ‫סלָ ה‬.
‫“ ֶס‬Septuagint has the equivalent of ‘selah’ – a kind of pause”.
“Probably a gloss”. The editors suggest this entire line was added as a “gloss” (explanation or comment).
3
‫(“ = ָחרוֹן‬burning of) anger” under BDB 354b. How do we find what root this is
under in BDB? Remember that ‫ ־וֹן‬is sometimes a noun sufformative. Try
‫חרה‬.
‫ = בהל‬Piel “dismay, terrify” under BDB 96a. There is a section in my dissertation
which mentions this verb. It is used to express “disturb, terrify” throughout
the Hebrew Bible and “hasten” mostly in late texts. See Richard M. Wright,
Linguistic Evidence for the Pre-exilic Date of the Yahwist, Library of
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 419 (London: T and T Clark, 2005),
82-84.
‫ = נסְך‬III “set, install” under BDB 651b. Who is the subject? Who is speaking?3
4
‫נסכתי מלכי‬
‫ – הר קדשׁי‬We have seen this many times before. This is called the attributive
genitive or genitive of quality. Or as I have sometimes expressed it in class
“X of quality Y = Y X”.
(2:7)
‫ – חֹק‬See Amos 2:4.
‫“ = ילד‬bear, bring forth, beget” under BDB 408a.
You might be interested to compare this verse in its context to how the New
Testament uses it in Hebrews 5:5.
(2:8)
‫“ = שׁאל‬ask, inquire” under BDB 981a.
3
4
“In the Septuagint the verb is passive” so perhaps ‫ ?נִ ַסּ ְכ ִתּי‬Not sure how that helps.
“Septuagint has a third person singular suffix” so “his king”. Put the text-critical notes together = ‫ואני נסּכתי מלכו‬
“as for me, I was installed (as?) his king”. If we read it this way now who is speaking? It would be interesting to
how often direct speech by God in the Masoretic Text is (becomes?) instead direct speech by human beings.
4
‫ ו = וְ ֶא ְתּנָ ה‬+ verb. One of the most common verbs in the Hebrew Bible. Note ‫־◌ה‬.
ָ
Form?5
‫“ = נַ ֲח ָלה‬possession, property, inheritance” under BDB 635a.
‫“ = ֲא ֻחזָּ ה‬possession” under BDB 28b.6
‫ – ֶא ֶפס‬See 2 Kings 14:26.
(2:9)
‫ = ְתר ֵֹעם‬verb + suffix. PGN of suffix? That leaves ‫ ְתר ֹע‬which is not easy. Review
geminate verbs principal parts. ‫“ = רעע‬break” under BDB 949b. Now pay
close attention here. BDB tells us “Aram. loan-word = Heb. ‫ רצץ‬q.v.”
Sometimes Hebrew ‫ צ‬corresponds to ‫ ע‬less frequently ‫ ק‬in Aramaic. So this
is an Aramaic loan-word? More evidence for us to consider the where and
when of this psalm.7
‫“ = ְכ ִלי‬article, utensil, vessel” under BDB 479a. Common noun. Learn it now.
‫ – ככלי יוצר‬Construct phrase. See Amos 4:13 in your notes.
‫ = ְתנַ ְפּ ֵצם‬verb + suffix. That leaves ‫תנַ ְפּצ־‬.
ְ Note shwa under prefix and strong
dagesh. ‫“ = נפץ‬shatter” under BDB 658b. What does the verb express in this
conjugation?
‫ – ַה ְשׂ ִליכוּ‬Form? Conjugation? ‫ = שׂכל‬Hiphil (hard to define) “look at? give
attention, consider, give insight” under BDB 968a. Be careful! What is the
form? Who is speaking? and to whom?
5a
ॄ(्) και δωσω σοι = ‫?־תּנְ ָך‬
ֶ “Septuagint (and Syriac) have ‘and I will give you’”.
6c
Ms + ‫עד־‬. “One manuscript adds ‫ עד־‬so ‘unto (the ends of the earth)”.
7a
ॄ(्) ποιµανεις = ‫ת ְר ָעם‬.
ִ “Septuagint (and Syriac) have ‘you will shepherd’”. Interesting. So either an Aramaic
loan-word that expresses the harsh image of breaking the nations with a rod of iron. Or the softer image of
shepherding (guiding) the nations with a staff of iron. What do you think?
5
‫ – ִהוָּ ְסרוּ‬We have three vowels although one has reduced before the verbal suffix.
Note ‫ ה‬preformative with strong dagesh in first(?) root letter which is ‫ו‬
which means the root is probably what? Careful now. Form? ‫= יסר‬
“discipline, chasten, admonish” under BDB 415b. What does it express in
this conjugation? Is there another word in Psalm 2 based on the same root?
These are the sorts of things you need to watch for when analyzing Hebrew
poetry.
(2:11)
‫“ = יִ ְָר ָאה‬fear” under BDB 432a. Common enough. Learn it.
‫“ = גיל‬rejoice” under BDB 162a.
‫“ = ְר ָע ָדה‬trembling” under BDB 944b. Very rare variant of very rare ‫ר ַעד‬.ַ
‫ – עבדו את־יהוה ביראה וגילו ברעדה‬Curious phrase. How does one ‫???וגילו ברעדה‬
(2:12)
‫ – נַ ְשּׁקוּ‬The first ‫ נ‬could be 1cp or Niphal or even first root letter. Note strong
dagesh in ‫שׁ‬. ‫“ = נשׁק‬kiss” under BDB 676a. But why this conjugation?
‫“ = ַבר‬son” under BDB 135a. Normal Aramaic word for “son” rather than Hebrew
‫בן‬.
ֵ More evidence.
‫ – נשׁקו בר‬The New JPS Version translates this “pay homage in good faith”.
Professor Elliot Wolfson – a top scholar of Jewish mysticism – first pointed
out the strangeness of this translation when he was a visiting scholar at
Cornell University in 1987(?). What is my point? That yes we should be
aware of theological bias in Christian translations of the Bible. But – as
Wolfson pointed out – Jewish translations are not entirely immune.
6
8
‫וגילו ברעדה ׀ נשׁקו בר‬
‫“ = אנף‬be angry” under BDB 60a. The common noun ‫ ַאף‬is based on this root.
‫ – בער‬See Isaiah 6:13.
‫“ = ְמ ַעט‬a little, fewness, a few” under BDB 589b. So ‫“ = ִכ ְמ ַעט‬like a little, for a
moment, quickly?” Wait. So does the son’s anger burn quickly? or only for a
moment? What does context suggest?
‫ – ַא ְשׁ ֵרי‬See Psalm 1:1. Have you noticed the pattern yet?
‫“ = חסה‬seek refuge” under BDB 340a. How do we know this is ‫ חסה‬not something
like ‫?חוס‬9
8
b-b l (‫יו‬
‫)ב ַרגְ לָ יו‬
‫ב’ נ’ לְ ַרגְ לָ יו ְב‬, al ‫ וְ גַ ְדּלוּ ְשׁמוֹ ברעדה‬et dl ‫( נ’ בר‬dttg) = Phew! Something like “read ‘with trembling kiss
his feet’, others ‘and magnify his name with trembling’ and delete ‘kiss the son’ (which is dittography =
something accidentally written twice)”. I am having trouble understanding the reasoning behind this note.
9d
2 Mss ‫־◌ים‬.
ִ “Two manuscripts have plural absolute rather than plural construct. So ‘those trusting in him’ rather
than ‘the trusters (of) in him’. Although the latter sounds strange in English it is perfectly acceptable in Hebrew.