Psalm 2

The Lord and His Anointed - Although it has no superscription, this psalm is ascribed to David in Acts 4:23-26 and identified as ‘the second psalm’ in Acts 13:33. It is much quoted in the New Testament, both for its high claims for the Person of God’s Anointed and for its vision of his universal kingdom. It is unsurpassed for its buoyant, fierce delight in God’s dominion and his promise to his King. While it is usually considered a coronation psalm, it seems on closer inspection to recall that occasion (7–9) at a subsequent time of trouble (such as that of 2 Sam. 10). At David’s accession, there were no subject-peoples to grow rebellious. There were plenty for Solomon but few for any of his successors. A more significant, however, than David or Solomon was needed to justify the full fury of these threats and the glory of these promises.