Psalm 2
Literally Rendered with Footnotes
1. Why have races1 raged? 2 And folks3 will meditate4 emptiness! 5
2. Kings of land6 shall position7 themselves. And rulers8 ‘secreted’ 9 unified concerning Yehovah10 and concerning His Messiah:11
3. “We shall break their bonds! 12 And we have slung their ropes13 from us!”
4. Sitter14 in the heavens shall laugh! 15 My Lords46 shall deride16 at them!
5. Then He shall speak unto them via His nose.17 or 18 And He will terrify them via His heat! 17 or 18
6. “And I—I 19 poured20 my king upon Zion the mountain of my holy-[One]!” 21
7. “I will scroll 22 unto a statute of Yehovah. He said unto me, ‘Thou art My son! I, today, I begat Thee! 23
8. Ask from me, and I will give races, thine inheritance,24 and disappearings25 of land, thy possession! 26
9. Thou wilt shepherd27 them with a rod of iron. Thou wilt shatter them like vessels28 of the potter!’” 29
10. “And now, kings, be prudent!30 Be ye corrected,31 judges32 of land! 33
11. Serve34 ye Yehovah via35 fear! 36 And circle-dance37 ye with trembling! 38
12. Kiss-ye [the] Son39 lest He will be infuriated, and ye have damned a way! 40 For His nose17 will burn41 as a little!” 42
Happy43 are all refugees44 in Him! 45
NOTE: Some footnote topics cover numerous texts. They have been recorded, and will be copied into documents discussing those topics. If you see footnote repetition from one text to another, this will explain why.
Regarding the accuracy of these conclusions: Were I gifted by the Spirit of Yehovah to do this work, it would be infallible, as was the case for all ministerially gifted persons in the Bible. No true prophet of God ever erred while prophesying. No true teacher of God ever taught any erroneous teaching. The standards of God have not changed, and the Spirit of God hasn’t weakened over the centuries. Since I am not gifted, my conclusions contain numerous errors, and must be considered and challenged if you (the reader) will not be deceived. I know some answers are correct, but I will have to change some answers as I learn more and as folks like you show me that my proposed answers need changing. If you don’t like this factor of uncertainty, ask Yehovah to give me a ministerial gift along these lines in His Word so that I can give infallible responses. If He does so, you will then be responsible to believe whatever He communicates through me. In the meantime, don’t be a sucker.
Regarding Hebrew words: If you see what appears to be computer nonsense when a Hebrew word is being discussed, your computer does not have the font to view it. If you desire to see the same article with the Hebrew word being visible and correct, let me know; I will send you a PDF form of the same document. (You will need an Adobe Acrobat reader to see it, which is freely available from the Adobe web site.)
1 A race is a large group of individuals who are all the offspring of the same ancestral mother and father. The Hebrew word h¨, goy, only means race or nation (a nation is a race, and is always a race in the Bible; never a country). The term gentile is another way translators render goy. They are then expressing the meaning, an individual of another race besides Israel. I don’t fully disagree with this definition, but it actually means a race, and should always be viewed that way. One more way translators translated goy was heathen. They reserved this rendering for texts in which the heathen was doing an idolatrous (or some other evil) practice. I am always against the rendering heathen because it carries with it an editorial that the word itself does not carry.
2 This shows a tumult, a chaotic, angry or frightened crowd.
3 I rendered this word folks to indicate cultural groups. The lexicographers seem to have a difficult time distinguishing this word from the regular word for people, peoples. I gained the impression that it referred to cultural groups, and found folks (as in folk art) was close to its meaning.
4 A meditation is usually a deep, relaxed thought. It is sometimes pictured by rumination in ruminants (like sheep and cattle) that chew, swallow, then bring up what they swallow into another stomach area to again ingest more. One who Biblically meditates on the Word of God thinks carefully about it literally, desiring to understand its implications and connections.
In other texts, however, it is a deep thought that precedes and accompanies a plot.
5 Terms of emptiness and vanity always refer to idolatry in the Bible (unless a container is being discussed). Idols are even called the vanity of the races. Any plot against Yehovah is considered an emptiness since it is an idolatrous plot that will never go anywhere.
6 This Hebrew word means land. Translators often rendered it earth as if it referred to the whole planet, but it only means land. It can refer to all the land (above the water) on the earth, or it can refer to a particular land. It usually refers to Israel when it is not modified.
7 This act of positioning has to do with taking a stand (literally), setting oneself in a place, determined to hold that position.
8 Rulers means bosses, leaders (like clan leaders), warlords.
9 I have coined a verb from the word secret. (One may already exist.) This indicates getting together in secret to plan secret plans.
10 Yehovah is a contraction (abbreviation) of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb, to be:
He will be, He is, He was
Yēhēyĕh+Hōvĕh+Häyäh
Take just the bold letters (if your program allows you to see bold), and you will have
Yĕhōväh
which is the correct pronunciation of His Name, and which means He will be, is, was. This also defines part of His Character (changelessness) and existence status (He always was, is and always will be).
11 Messiah is a transliteration (making a word in one language that sounds similar to the word in another language) of Meshiakh, the Hebrew being 8jh!A7n. It literally means one anointed, referring to the act in which a prophet pours olive oil (in large amounts) over the head of someone to designate that that person has been chosen and empowered to do a task (whether good or bad). It is drawn from what some shepherds do with their sheep, using oil to keep bugs and problems from the sheep’s ears and face so that the sheep can graze with little distraction. Yehovah’s Messiah is the One Yehovah anointed to be and do very specific salvational and redemptive functions, as well as rule His People Israel.
12 Bonds come from a verb with the following acceptations: to chasten, admonish, to instruct, to discipline.Thus, these bonds are moral in nature, and they restrain from sin, violence, immorality, etc.
13 Ropes comes from a verb meaning to wind, weave, weave together. These folks feel tied!
14 You might carefully consider Psalm 110:1 in light of this text.
15 While related to the name Isaac, it isn’t spelled exactly the same. The lexicographer showed these acceptations: to laugh (usually in contempt or derision), play, mock, to sport. I don’t think this will be funny!
16 This word has the following acceptations: to mock, deride, ridicule. These are strong reactions from the Living God!
17 The nose is most often used to describe great anger. It is often combined with a word having the following root meaning: to be hot with vexation, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled, be incensed. The heat of the nose is a ‘childism’ (a word or expression that a child can understand more easily than an adult), since a child held close can feel the heat of an adult’s nose. This also pictures an angry bull on a cool day, with the heat of its nose being one of the major symptoms of its anger. The English expression, “He has his nose out of joint” at least brings the nose into the picture, and “Man, is he hot!” combines heat with anger. Yehovah’s anger is shown through His nose. No fire-breathing dragon can match!
18 This word has the following root meaning: to be hot with vexation, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled, be incensed. It is combined with the nose to describe great anger. The heat of the nose is a ‘childism’ (a word or expression that a child can understand more easily than an adult), since a child held close can feel the heat of an adult’s nose. This also pictures an angry bull on a cool day, with the heat of its nose being one of the major symptoms of its anger. The English expression, “He has his nose out of joint” at least brings the nose into the picture, and “Man, is he hot!” combines heat with anger. Yehovah’s anger is shown through His nose. Even Leviathan’s fury doesn’t match this!
19 Past- and future-tense verbs have built-in pronouns. I note when a pronoun is supplied in addition to the built-in pronoun by placing the two same pronouns. Thus doubling is a great emphasizer (that translators just ignored).
20 This word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to pour out (as a libation), pour, offer, cast (metal images); to anoint. The last acceptation isn’t right, since another word (Mashakh) means to anoint.
This text gives a picture as if Yehovah is making an idol: He is metal casting His image on Mount Zion—the difference being that His image is truly a Living God! It also gives another picture: He is pouring a libation (a sacrifice that is in the form of a liquid, usually referring to a wine sacrifice) on Mount Zion!
21 (Technical Explanation) Translators ignored the Hebrew construction of a noun followed by an adjective with a connected pronominal ending, choosing to render it as if it were a noun with a pronominal ending followed by an adjective. This ignores Biblical Hebrew grammar rules. The adjective that has a pronominal ending becomes a nominal adjective (an adjective that behaves as a noun). An English example of this is the adjective green. “The grass was green.” Yet it can become as a noun: “They golfed on the green.” I maintain that the two following examples greatly differ:
His Holy mountain
Mountain of His Holy-[one]
The first describes who owns the holy mountain. The second shows that the holy one that he owns in turn owns the mountain.
I do not know why translators have traditionally ignored the Hebrew grammar. I refuse to ignore what I see in the Hebrew. I believe that the Word of God (in the original manuscripts) is infallible. Why should I ignore anything?
22 The Hebrew word sefer is normally translated book. Yet it always refers to a scroll. The verb root has the following lexicographic acceptations: to accurately count, recount, relate, to number, take account of, reckon, rehearse, declare. This is the purpose of a written document.
A scroll differs from a book in a vital way. A book is bound in such a way that the pages can be easily turned, and several pages can be viewed together. A page can also be removed and/or lost without being obviously missing. A scroll, on the other hand, has pages tied one to another, a page to only two neighbours at the most. Pages distant from each other cannot be easily accessed. If a page is missing, the scroll falls into two segments. The scroll’s intent is to be read through consecutively, while a book may be spot-read in various places (possibly ignoring contexts). While the scroll is far less ‘handy’ for many types of study, it is far more excellent presenting data in a continuous manner. Even modern computers using scrolling.
23 Do not assume that you know to what this refers! Make sure you know by an appropriate cross-reference.
24 Try this to obtain the sense: “I will give races to thee for thy inheritance.”
25 The Hebrew word x3p#t, ephess, has the following lexicographic acceptations: to cease, break, come to an end, finality. It is not the same as cease in Shabbat, however. It is more like a Hebrew word for zero. When combined with eretz, land, it indicates those places where the land stops and waters begin. I rendered it disappearings to show this and to distinguish it from the more commonly used edges or ends of the land (a different word).
26 Possession is a ‘childism’, a word that is more easily understood by a child than by an adult. It literally means a grasping. I left possession in place because that is a right understanding of the word.
27 While some translations use break for this word, claiming the Hebrew root to be eer, I noted the following textual citation:
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father.
Thus, I determined that the correct root is her meaning to pasture, tend, graze, feed, to shepherd. Curiously, the first acceptation for the Greek word cited in Revelation 2:27 for rule means to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep! Thus, the Greek needs to be likewise adjusted!
28 I used Revelation 2:27 to determine that vessels should be plural. The Hebrew spelling of the construct case (a technical and frequently used Hebrew form that always assumes an of between that word and the next noun) allows for both the singular and the plural, and the context would have to determine which is in view.
29 (Exactly why will He shatter them in this manner? Think!)
30 This Hebrew word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper, to look at or upon, have insight, to give attention to, consider, ponder, have comprehension. A person who is prudent is very considerate and diligent, carefully determining the best possible course of action or inaction.
31 This Hebrew word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to be chastened, admonished; to be instructed, disciplined. I used corrected because it takes from all the acceptations.
32 A judge is one who renders a decision based on presented evidence. A judge who has the Spirit of Yehovah is one who renders a right decision based on Truth (which includes all the facts).
These judges are secular (and/or idolatrous). Yehovah is giving them warning.
33 This Hebrew word means land. Translators often rendered it earth as if it referred to the whole planet, but it only means land. It can refer to all the land (above the water) on the earth, or it can refer to a particular land. It usually refers to Israel when it is not modified.
Judges of land (or, judges of a land) refer to land judges. Yehovah is a heavens Judge!
34 Service and slavery are hardly distinguishable in the Bible. While slavery always has an evil connotation in English, it does not automatically carry with it that connotation in Hebrew. Everyone is a slave: some to sin, others to righteousness, but all are slaves. Some were slaves to other human masters, and some were over slaves, but all in the Bible have masters. Thus, servant and slave cannot be easily distinguished in the Bible (if at all).
35 I often use via in translations for the Hebrew prefix c (the letter beit). Normally, this prefix supposedly means in, into, with, through. It often shows the means of something occurring if it isn’t showing location (in, into, with). While through can show the means, it can also reflect piercing (which is changing location from the outside to the inside). The Latin/English word via best declares by means of, and this is a very useful and appropriate rendering for many cases of the prefix c (the letter beit).
Serving Yehovah in fear and serving Him with fear are not as strong as serving Him by means of fear.
36 Fear (as of God) in the Bible never means ‘reverential awe’ since this is far too weak a definition. It is a very strong emotional and ethical response against bringing wrath against oneself by displeasing another, along with a knowledge of what terrible things that other can do,and is often combined with a very strong emotional and ethical desire to please another if that other is good, along with a knowledge of the good things that other can do. The proper fear of Yehovah always prods a person to refuse to sin, and to do good works.
37 Acceptations of the word lyg (geel) or lwg (gool) supposedly include to rejoice, exult, be glad, to tremble (from fear). I disagree. I maintain that the root actually is llg, galal, meaning to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together, and in this form meaning to roll-dance or to circle-dance. I especially found this connection in the famous modern Hebrew song, “Hava, Nagilla” meaning “Come-on! We will circle-dance!” with nagilla being (I propose) from the root above.
Circle-dancing is a group expression of joy.
38 This form of trembling is very strong.
39 The is added. The Hebrew word r8c, bar, is an alternative word for son (the normal word being i3c, ben) made famous in the expression, bar mitzvah, ‘son of the commandment’. Since Son did not have the before it, a specific Son is in mind. (Otherwise, it would read, “Kiss a son.”)
40 Damned a way makes no sense in English. The Hebrew word for damn has the following acceptations: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed, be exterminated, to blot out, do away with. Since another word rightly covers blot out, I have chosen another acceptation that combines perish with do away with. This is to damn. This word goes beyond execution, having to do with the everlasting state of destruction for some, and the total destruction for objects. Perish doesn’t quite have the force of this word.
While this way is not defined or described, it is often mentioned in the Bible. Folks who destroy this way for themselves will be damned. (The way itself cannot be destroyed or damned.)
41 This burning is truly a fire-type burning. He is far more frightening and deadly than any fire-breathing dragon (mythical), or even than Leviathan (real)!
42 This burning as a little is small compared to the great burning of the Lake of Fire and Sulfur!
43 Happy gives the sense of this word more than blessed, since blessed is covered with a much more frequently used different word. While some find fault with the origins of the word happy, it is a good word, describing one who is content, settled and pleased.
44 This word means to seek refuge, to flee for protection.
45 Why in the world would refugees in Him be happy? If you understand this, you understand much. (Don’t spiritualize.)