Psalm 2— The Rage of the Nations
1 Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
“‘Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed,’ (1-2)— The Chaldee reads, His Messiah, which properly distinguishes the passage from the anointing of David (Joseph Sutcliffe)— “This passage is without any doubt whatever a reference to Almighty God the Father and his Son the Messiah. As Albert Barnes effectively stated it: ‘The idea here is that it was the purpose of Jehovah and his Anointed to establish a dominion over men, and that it was equally the purpose of the kings and rulers here referred to that it should not be done.’ It is ridiculous that some scholars actually apply this Psalm to David; but no one in his right mind can understand that the references here to his reigning to the uttermost parts of the earth could have any application whatever to the Jewish King David.
"The New Testament makes it clear enough who is spoken of in this chapter. It is none other than the Christ. See Acts 4:25-28; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Matthew 3:17; Romans 1:4; Revelation 2:26-27; and Revelation 19:15. Sclater tried to make something out of the fact that Jesus Christ himself did not quote this Psalm; nevertheless, Almighty God Himself quoted it from heaven in broad open daylight before a multitude (Matthew 3:17). Besides, the Divine promises throughout the New Testament are conveyed to us, not altogether by direct quotations from Jesus but by the word of the Apostles. The fact that Christ himself did not quote from this Psalm is of no significance whatever.
Furthermore, in Matthew 22:45, Christ himself did indeed clearly allude to the teaching of this very Psalm.” (Burton Coffman Commentary)
“The Jews and Gentiles, the rulers, and the people, set themselves to oppose Christ, when he was condemned by the Jewish council, and crucified by the Roman authority, amidst the insults of surrounding multitudes. (See Matthew 27:1-2; Matthew 27:11-18; Matthew 27:27-44.) After His resurrection the same opposition was made to the establishment of His religion; and in every age in one form or another, His kingdom has generally been opposed by the rulers of this world. But the event has uniformly proved, that this attempt, however sagaciously planned, or vigorously conducted, was ‘a vain thing,’ (1a) an ineffectual and ruinous contest against omnipotence; which originated from a rooted enmity to the authority and commandments of God, and the restraints which they impose on the selfwill and corrupt passions of mankind.” (Thomas Scott) Yet “this rejection continues throughout this present age; it becomes more marked as the age draws to its close. Finally the nations with their kings and also apostate Israel [with a false church] will form a great confederacy, they will form a tumultuous throng.” (Arno Gaebelein)
“saying, ‘Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us.’ (3)— Resolved they were to run riot, as lawless and aweless, and therefore they slander the sweet laws [or Torah, including the Commandments] of Christ’s kingdom, as bonds and thick cords (those signs of slavery, Jeremiah 27:2; Jeremiah 27:6-7), as burdens and grievances… [This occurs in the Assembly.] But what saith our Saviour? ‘My yoke is easy, and my burden light.’ No more burden it is to a regenerate person than the wings are to the bird. He delighteth in the law of God after the inward man, Romans 7:22 It is not to him now, as once, bands and cords, but as girdles and garters, which gird up his loins, and expedite his course the better. It confineth him to live in that element where he would live; as if one should be confined to paradise, where he would be, though there were no such law.” (John Trapp)
“‘He’— the exalted but rejected Christ — ‘who sits in the heavens’— at the right hand of God, "this is opposed to their being and reigning upon earth, Psalms 2:2, and is mentioned here, as it is in other places of Scripture, as an evidence both of God’s clear and certain knowledge of all things that are done below— shall laugh, (4) i.e. shall both despise and deride them, and all their crafty devices, which he shall manifest to the world to be ridiculous and contemptible follies. Compare 2 Kings 19:21 Psalms 37:13… ‘Then’— in the midst of all their plots and confidences of success— ‘He shall he speak to them in his Wrath; He shall severely rebuke them, not so much verbally as really, by dreadful judgments. (5) For God’s speaking is oft put for his actions” (Matthew Poole)
“’Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.' This is a reference to Second Coming of the Son of David to sit upon an earthly throne. "'I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.’” (6-9)— This Psalm has its fulfillment in Christ and in Him alone, so that when we read, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17), we recognize at once that the Jews would understand it to mean that all the hopes implicit in their ancient prophecies, and focused in this declaration, were fulfilled in the One of Whom this Word was spoken.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
“But by His powerful Word He determined to confound and destroy them [all those who oppose Him]. He would also establish (or anoint, marg.) His King upon His throne and in His authority over His holy church; of which the temple and its worship, and the kingdom of the house of David, upon mount Zion, were types.” (Thomas Scott)
“‘Now therefore, be wise, O kings [exalted ones of earth]; be instructed, you judges of the earth [spoken of Jesus' followers]. Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.’ The exhortation… is meant especially for that time when the final revolt takes place. The appeal goes forth then to turn to the Lord, to kiss the Son—‘for in a little will His anger kindle.'
So even at that time mercy still is waiting.” (Arno Gaebelein)