Psalm 2:1-5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 2[a]
A Psalm for a Royal Coronation
1 Why do the nations protest
and the peoples conspire in vain?(A)
2 Kings on earth rise up
and princes plot together
against the Lord and against his anointed one:[b](B)
3 “Let us break their shackles
and cast off their chains from us!”(C)
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord derides them,(D)
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger,
in his wrath he terrifies them:
Footnotes
- Psalm 2 A royal Psalm. To rebellious kings (Ps 2:1–3) God responds vigorously (Ps 2:4–6). A speaker proclaims the divine decree (in the legal adoption language of the day), making the Israelite king the earthly representative of God (Ps 2:7–9) and warning kings to obey (Ps 2:10–11). The Psalm has a messianic meaning for the Church; the New Testament understands it of Christ (Acts 4:25–27; 13:33; Hb 1:5).
- 2:2 Anointed: in Hebrew mashiah, “anointed”; in Greek christos, whence English Messiah and Christ. In Israel kings (Jgs 9:8; 1 Sm 9:16; 16:12–13) and high priests (Lv 8:12; Nm 3:3) received the power of their office through anointing.
Psalm 48:5-8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 See! The kings assembled,
together they advanced.
6 [a]When they looked they were astounded;
terrified, they were put to flight!(A)
7 Trembling seized them there,
anguish, like a woman’s labor,(B)
8 As when the east wind wrecks
the ships of Tarshish![b]
Footnotes
- 48:6 When they looked: the kings are stunned by the sight of Zion, touched by divine splendor. The language is that of holy war, in which the enemy panics and flees at the sight of divine glory.
- 48:8 The ships of Tarshish: large ships, named after the distant land or port of Tarshish, probably ancient Tartessus in southern Spain, although other identifications have been proposed, cf. Is 2:16; 60:9; Jon 1:3.
Psalm 76:7-9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
7 At your roar, O God of Jacob,
chariot and steed lay still.
8 You, terrible are you;
who can stand before you and your great anger?(A)
9 From the heavens you pronounced sentence;
the earth was terrified and reduced to silence,
Isaiah 17:12-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
12 Ah! the roaring of many peoples—[a]
a roar like the roar of the seas!
The thundering of nations—
thunder like the thundering of mighty waters!(A)
13 [b]But God shall rebuke them,
and they shall flee far away,
Driven like chaff on the mountains before a wind,
like tumbleweed before a storm.(B)
14 At evening, there is terror,
but before morning, they are gone!
Such is the portion of those who despoil us,
the lot of those who plunder us.(C)
Footnotes
- 17:12 Many peoples: the hordes that accompanied the invading Assyrians, whom God repels just as he vanquished the primeval waters of chaos; see notes on Jb 3:8; 7:12; Ps 89:11.
- 17:13–14 The passage seems to evoke the motif of invincibility, part of the early Zion tradition that Jerusalem could not be conquered because God protected it (Ps 48:1–8).
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.