Psalm 2 (God's Son)

The Prophecy

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, saying, “As for me, I have set My king on Zion, My holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree: the LORD said to me, “You are My son; today I have begotten you. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

— Psalm 2:1-12 (ESV)

Biblical Fulfillment

All Christian groups agree that the New Testament applies this psalm to Jesus. The debate lies in how it applies.

God's Declarations

At Jesus' baptism and transfiguration, God declared: "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17, Mark 9:7).

The Apostolic Application

Paul specifically linked "today I have begotten you" to the resurrection:

"We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, 'You are My son, today I have begotten you.'" — Acts 13:32-33 (ESV)

The author of Hebrews contrasts Jesus with angels:

For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are My son'?" — Hebrews 1:5 (ESV)

Interpretations

Trinitarian View: Divine Sonship

Core Belief: Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, sharing the same divine essence as the Father.

  • Nature of Sonship: Trinitarians often argue that a "son" shares the nature of his father ("kind produces after kind"). Therefore, the "Son of God" must be God by nature, just as a son of a human is human.
  • Eternal Begetting: While Acts 13 applies the verse to the resurrection, many Trinitarians also view "begotten" as referring to the eternal generation of the Son from the Father, outside of time. The resurrection is the public declaration or unveiling of this eternal reality (Romans 1:4).
  • Unique Status: Hebrews 1 is used to show that Jesus is ontologically superior to angels (who are created beings), implying He is uncreated and divine.

Biblical Unitarian View: Messianic King

Core Belief: Jesus is the human Messiah, the "Last Adam," miraculously begotten by God in the virgin birth and exalted as Lord, but is not God Himself.

  • Metaphorical Sonship: "Son of God" is a title of relationship and royal status, not biological or ontological descent. Adam was also called the "son of God" (Luke 3:38) because he was directly created by God. Jesus is the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), the second perfect human who succeeded where the first Adam failed.
  • Begotten = Resurrection: Relying heavily on Acts 13:33, Unitarians argue "today I have begotten you" refers specifically to the day God raised Jesus from the dead and enthroned him as King. It marks his coronation, not his origin or distinct divine nature.
  • Rejection of "Kind after Kind": They argue that since God is Spirit and not biological, the "kind after kind" argument is flawed. Angels and Adam are called sons of God without being members of a Trinity.
  • Monotheism: They emphasize that the Bible presents the Father alone as the one true God (John 17:3) and Jesus as His anointed human agent.

Jewish View: Royal Coronation

Core Belief: The psalm originally depicted the coronation of a Davidic king (like David or Solomon) and may typologically refer to a future human Messiah, but excludes any concept of a divine man.

  • Adoption Language: In the Ancient Near East, kings were metaphorically "adopted" as sons of the national deity upon taking the throne. "Today I have begotten you" is the legal formula for this royal adoption/coronation ceremony.
  • Human Messiah: Jewish interpretations generally view the Messiah as a righteous human king who restores Israel's political sovereignty and brings world peace. They reject the idea that the Messiah is God or divine.
  • Translation Dispute: Jewish scholars often dispute the Christian translation of "Kiss the Son" (nashqu bar). The word bar is Aramaic for son, while the rest of the psalm is Hebrew (where "son" is ben). Many translate it as "yearn for purity" or "pay homage in good faith," arguing the Christian reading forces a theological point not in the original text.
  • Unfulfilled Prophecy: Jews argue the prophecy of ruling nations with a "rod of iron" and world peace has not yet been fulfilled, distinguishing their expectation from the Christian claim of spiritual or future fulfillment.

Conclusion

The interpretation of Psalm 2:7 depends largely on one's theological starting point regarding the nature of Jesus:

  • Trinitarians see a revelation of Jesus' divine nature, arguing that God's true Son must be God.
  • Unitarians see a declaration of Jesus' royal office and exaltation as the ultimate human (Last Adam) and Messiah.
  • Jews see a description of a human king's coronation, rejecting both Christian claims of divinity and the current fulfillment of the messianic age.

All groups agree the text describes a special relationship between God and His Anointed Ruler, but they diverge sharply on the metaphysical implications of that relationship.

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