New International Version
Psalms 2:1
1Why do the nations conspire 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?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Why do the nations rage 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 conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
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 as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
- Psalms 46:6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
- Psalms 83:4“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
- Isaiah 8:9Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Luke 18:32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him;
- Acts 4:25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
- Luke 22:1Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,
- Acts 16:22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.
- Acts 17:5But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
- Acts 19:28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
- Matthew 21:38“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’
- John 11:49Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all!
- Acts 5:33When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
- Revelation 17:14They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
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
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