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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Psalms 2:10 - 2:10
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The poet closes with a practical application to the great of the earth of that which he has seen and heard. With וְעַתָּה, καὶ νῦν (1Jo 2:28), itaque, appropriate conclusions are drawn from some general moral matter of face (e.g., Pro 5:7) or some fact connected with the history of redemption (e.g., Isa 28:22). The exhortation is not addressed to those whom he has seen in a state of rebellion, but to kings in general with reference to what he has prophetically seen and heard. שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ are not those who judge the earth, but the judges, i.e., rulers (Amo 2:3, cf. 1:8), belonging to the earth, throughout its length or breadth. The Hiph. הִשְׂכִּיל signifies to show intelligence or discernment; the Niph. נֹוסַר as a so-called Niph. tolerativum, to let one's self be chastened or instructed, like נֹועַץ Pro 13:10, to allow one's self to be advised, נִדְרָשׁ Eze 14:3, to allow one's self to be sought, נִמְצָא to allow one's self to be found, 1Ch 28:9, and frequently. This general call to reflection is followed, in 1Ch 28:11, by a special exhortation in reference to Jahve, and in Psa 2:12, in reference to the Son. עִבְדוּ and גִּילוּ answer to each other: the latter is not according to Hos 10:5 in the sense of חִילוּ Psa 96:9, but, - since “to shake with trembling” (Hitz.) is a tautology, and as an imperative גילו everywhere else signifies: rejoice, - according to Psa 100:2, in the sense of rapturous manifestation of joy at the happiness and honour of being permitted to be servants of such a God. The lxx correctly renders it: ἀγελλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ. Their rejoicing, in order that it may not run to the excess of security and haughtiness, is to be blended with trembling (בְּ as Zep 3:17), viz., with the trembling of reverence and self-control, for God is a consuming fire, Heb 12:28.
The second exhortation, which now follows, having reference to their relationship to the Anointed One, has been missed by all the ancient versions except the Syriac, as though its clearness had blinded the translators, since they render בר, either בֹּר purity, chastity, discipline (lxx, Targ., Ital., Vulg.), or בַּר pure, unmixed (Aq., Symm., Jer.: adorate pure). Thus also Hupfeld renders it “yield sincerely,” whereas it is rendered by Ewald “receive wholesome warning,” and by Hitzig “submit to duty” (בַּר like the Arabic birr = בִּר); Olshausen even thinks, there may be some mistake in בר, and Diestel decides for בו instead of בר. But the context and the usage of the language require osculamini filium. The Piel נִשֵּׁק means to kiss, and never anything else; and while בֹּר in Hebrew means purity and nothing more, and בַּר as an adverb, pure, cannot be supported, nothing is more natural here, after Jahve has acknowledged His Anointed One as His Son, than that בַּר (Pro 31:2, even בְּרִי = בְּנִי) - which has nothing strange about it when found in solemn discourse, and here helps one over the dissonance of פֶּן בֵּן - should, in a like absolute manner to חֹק, denote the unique son, and in fact the Son of God.
(Note: Apart from the fact of בר not having the article, its indefiniteness comes under the point of view of that which, because it combines with it the idea of the majestic, great, and terrible, is called by the Arabian grammarians Arab. 'l-tnkı̂r lt'dı̂m or ltktı̂r or lthwı̂l; by the boundlessness which lies in it it challenges the imagination to magnify the notion which it thus expresses. An Arabic expositor would here (as in Psa 2:7 above) render it “Kiss a son and such a son!” (vid., Ibn Hishâm in De Sacy's Anthol. Grammat. p. 85, where it is to be translated hic est vir, qualis vir!). Examples which support this doctrine are בְּיָר Isa 28:2 by a hand, viz., God's almighty hand which is the hand of hands, and Isa 31:8 מִפְּנֵי־חֶרֶב before a sword, viz., the divine sword which brooks no opposing weapon.)
The exhortation to submit to Jahve is followed, as Aben-Ezra has observed, by the exhortation to do homage to Jahve's Son. To kiss is equivalent to to do homage. Samuel kisses Saul (1Sa 10:1), saying that thereby he does homage to him.
(Note: On this vid., Scacchi Myrothecium, to. iii. (1637) c. 35.)
The subject to what follows is now, however, not the Son, but Jahve. It is certainly at least quite as natural to the New Testament consciousness to refer “lest He be angry” to the Son (vid., Rev 6:16.), and since the warning against putting trust (חֲסֹות) in princes, Psa 118:9; Psa 146:3, cannot be applied to the Christ of God, the reference of בֹו to Him (Hengst.) cannot be regarded as impossible. But since חָסָה בְּ is the usual word for taking confiding refuge in Jahve, and the future day of wrath is always referred to in the Old Testament (e.g., Psa 110:5) as the day of the wrath of God, we refer the ne irascatur to Him whose son the Anointed One is; therefore it is to be rendered: lest Jahve be angry and ye perish דֶּרֶךְ. This דֶּרֶךְ is the accus. of more exact definition. If the way of any one perish. Psa 1:6, he himself is lost with regard to the way, since this leads him into the abyss. It is questionable whether כִּמְעַט means “for a little” in the sense of brevi or facile. The usus loquendi and position of the words favour the latter (Hupf.). Everywhere else כִּמְעַט means by itself (without such additions as in Ezr 9:8; Isa 26:20; Eze 16:47) “for a little, nearly, easily.” At least this meaning is secured to it when it occurs after hypothetical antecedent clauses as in Psa 81:15; 2Sa 19:37; Job 32:22. Therefore it is to be rendered: for His wrath might kindle easily, or might kindle suddenly. The poet warns the rulers in their own highest interest not to challenge the wrathful zeal of Jahve for His Christ, which according to Psa 2:5 is inevitable. Well is it with all those who have nothing to fear from this outburst of wrath, because they hide themselves in Jahve as their refuge. The construct state חֹוסֵי connects בֹו, without a genitive relation, with itself as forming together one notion, Ges. §116, 1. חסה the usual word for fleeing confidingly to Jahve, means according to its radical notion not so much refugere, confugere, as se abdere, condere, and is therefore never combined with אֶל, but always with בְּ.
(Note: On old names of towns, which show this ancient חסה. Wetzstein's remark on Job 24:8 {Comm. on Job, en loc.]. The Arabic still has hsy in the reference of the primary meaning to water which, sucked in and hidden, flows under the sand and only comes to sight on digging. The rocky bottom on which it collects beneath the surface of the sand and by which it is prevented from oozing away or drying up is called Arab. hasâ or hisâ a hiding-place or place of protection, and a fountain dug there is called Arab. ‛yn 'l-hy.)