The kingdom of Christ: kings are exhorted to accept it.
THE Jewish rabbis expound this Psalm (as Raschi informs us in his comment on the first verse) of king Messiah; though he himself explains it in the literal sense, as relative to David. The Chaldee paraphrase seems also to apply the Psalm to the Messiah. That, in the primary sense, David speaks of himself, I think there can be no reason to doubt; and Bishop Patrick acknowledges, that, under the history of David, it contains an illustrious prophesy of the kingdom of Christ; and, accordingly, he explains it first of David, and then of Christ, his son. We have, therefore, explained the whole Psalm as first describing the history of David's appointment by God to be king of Israel; and if the circumstances of the description do, in their literal sense, belong also to Christ, and are more eminently fulfilled in him than they ever were or could be in David, then this Psalm, in its literal sense, is equally descriptive of Christ as of David; and therefore very justly applied to him by the writers of the New Testament. It is certain that this Psalm was penned after the translation of the ark to Mount Sion; because it expressly calls Mount Sion, The hill of God's holiness, which name could not belong to it till God had chosen it for the residence of the ark; and it must have been composed after the message he received from God by Nathan, of the perpetual establishment of his house, his throne, and kingdom, 2 Samuel 7:1; 2 Samuel 7:29 because he makes particular mention of God's determined purpose in favour of himself and family: nor could any time be more proper for a composition of this nature, than when this instance of God's peculiar favour to him was fresh in his mind, and he was now about to enter into new wars with neighbouring and powerful princes; for nothing could tend more to inspire his people with resolution and courage, than his assuring them that God beheld the attempts of his enemies with scorn and derision, and would enable him to break them with as much ease as he could dash in pieces a potter's vessel. See Dr. Chandler; from whom the following notes on this Psalm are principally taken.
Psalms 2:1. Why do the heathen rage— Gather together; or, as in the Margin of our Bibles, Tumultuously assemble. Cocceius translates the root רגשׁ ragash by convenire concorditer, to meet together with unanimity, or one consent, whatever be the purpose of such meeting; and this sense suits well the place before us; as it represents the nations confederating together to disturb David's reign, and uniting their forces to hinder the increase of his power. It also answers to the fact, as related 2 Samuel 8:1.