Psalm 2 English Standard Version
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
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 burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers 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, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Communication resides between speaker and listener, transference of understanding with purpose. Matthew Henry said this of Psalm 2: “the primary intention and scope of the psalm; and I think there is less in it of the type, and more of the anti-type, than in any of the gospel psalms, for there is nothing in it but what is applicable to Christ, but some things that are not at all applicable to David.”
This Matthew Henry quote is given for one and only one purpose, to hi-lite two words “I think”.
The intent and purpose of this Psalm was given by God the author with purpose.
During the time between its writing and the birth of Christ there have been many teachers of the law that have given their opinions on the meaning of this Psalm. It is only what they think.
At the time of Christ and assuming that the people were being told about the possibility of the coming Messiah it is no wonder that they might have been taught and expected a Messiah that fit verse 5 i.e. wrath.
We may have conversations with others about this Psalm and what we think. How we communicate our opinion has three issues to consider. The first is what we have been taught, the second is history, be it fact or fiction, and the third is the most important, what do the scriptures tell us by faith?