English Standard Version
Psalms 2:1
1Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Psalms 2:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
- New International Version (NIV)Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
Context of Psalms 2:1
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."
Read all of Psalms 2Psalms 2:1 word by word
לָ֭מָּה רָגְשׁ֣וּ גוֹיִ֑ם וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים יֶהְגּוּ־רִֽיק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 2:1
- Psalms 18:42I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
- Psalms 46:6The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
- Psalms 83:4They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"
- Isaiah 8:9Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered; give ear, all you far countries; strap on your armor and be shattered; strap on your armor and be shattered.
- Luke 18:32For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
- Acts 4:25who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
- Luke 22:1Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.
- Acts 16:22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.
- Acts 17:5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
- Acts 19:28When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
- Matthew 21:38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'
- John 11:49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all.
- Acts 5:33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
- Revelation 17:14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
Commentaries on Psalms 2:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Why do the heathen rage - It has been supposed that David composed this Psalm after he had taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites, and made it the head of the kingdom; 2 Samuel 5:7-9. The Philistines, hearing this, encamped in the valley of Rephaim, nigh to Jerusalem, and Josephus, Antiq. lib. 7: c. 4, says that all Syria, Phoenicia, and the other circumjacent warlike people, united their armies to those of the Philistines, in order to destroy David before he…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Why do the heathen rage - “Why do nations make a noise?” Prof. Alexander. The word “heathen” here - גוים gôyim - means properly “nations,” with out respect, so far as the word is concerned, to the character of the nations. It was applied by the Hebrews to the surrounding nations, or to all other people than their own; and as those nations were in fact pagans, or idolators, the word came to have this signification. Nehemiah 5:8; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Threatenings against the enemies of Christ's kingdom. (1-6) Promise to Christ as the Head of this kingdom. (7-9) Counsel to all, to espouse its interests. (10-12) Verses 1-6 We are here told who would appear as adversaries to Christ. As this world is the kingdom of Satan, unconverted men, of every rank, party, and character, are stirred up by him to oppose the cause of God. But the rulers of the earth generally have been most active. The truths and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1plot: The Hebrew verb translated as "meditates" in Psalm 1:2 suggests opposing the Lord through speech (Isaiah 59:13) or thought (Psalm 38:12; Proverbs 24:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-121. Why do the heathen, &c.--Beholding, in prophetic vision, the peoples and nations, as if in a tumultuous assembly, raging with a fury like the raging of the sea, designing to resist God's government, the writer breaks forth into an exclamation in which are mingled surprise at their folly, and indignation at their rebellion. heathen--nations generally, not as opposed to Jews. the people--or, literally, "peoples," or races of men.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 2:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries