Psalms · Psalm 2

"Why have nations gathered" — Our Sages (Ber. 7b) expounded the passage as referring to the King Messiah, but according to its apparent meaning, it is proper to interpret it as referring to David himself, as the matter is stated (II Sam. 5:17): “And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David as king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek, etc.,” and they fell into his hands. Concerning them, he says, “Why have nations gathered,” and they all gathered. "and kingdoms think" — vain things in their heart. "and kingdoms" — Heb. ולאמים. Menachem interprets לאמים, אמות, and גוים as all closely related.

'Why do the nations rage' — correct in my opinion is that this psalm was composed by one of the poets/singers concerning David, on the day of his anointing; therefore it is written, 'this day I have begotten you' (Psalm 2:7); or, alternatively, concerning the Messiah. 'They rage' (ragshu) — like 'they gather/conspire,' similarly '[from] the throng (mirgeshet) of the workers of iniquity' (Psalm 64:3). The lamed of 'le'umim' (peoples) is part of the root, as in 'and the one people shall be stronger than the other people' (u-le'om mi-le'om ye'ematz) (Genesis 25:23). 'Mutter in vain' — refers to speech, as in 'and if my tongue mutters deceit' (Job 27:4); and the speech is: 'let us break off their bands' (v. 3).

"Why are the nations in an uproar?" — This psalm is the second psalm; and so we find it in all the accurate manuscripts, that it stands at the head of a psalm. And in the counting [of the psalms] it is written as the second. Some of our Sages said (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 9b) that "Happy is the man" and "Why are the nations in an uproar" are a single psalm. And they said (ibid. 10a): every section that was beloved by David, he opened with "Happy" and closed with "Happy"; and this section he opened with "Happy is the man" and closed with "Happy are all who take refuge in Him." The reason why this psalm is juxtaposed to that psalm is not known to us, nor why they were arranged in the order in which they are joined, for they are not arranged in the order of the events. For behold, the third psalm concerns the matter of Absalom, and after it come several psalms whose subject matter preceded the affair of Absalom by a long time. And behold, near the end of the book, Psalm 142 [is headed]: "A prayer, when he was in the cave" — which was in the days of Saul. Therefore we cannot explain that the psalms were arranged in the order of the events. Now David composed and spoke this psalm at the beginning of his reign, when the nations gathered against him, as it is said (II Samuel 5:17): "And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David." And this is what he means by "Why are the nations in an uproar" — that all the Philistines went up. And "ragshu" (are in an uproar) refers to a gathering and a great multitude, as in "the throng of evildoers" (Psalms 64:3); and the Targum renders "and I will still the multitude of Egypt" (Ezekiel 30:10) as: "va-avatel yat itragushta de-Mitzrai" ("and I will abolish the tumult of Egypt"). "And the peoples mutter in vain" — For when they came to make war they spoke arrogantly, since they had defeated Israel in the war under Saul, and [had defeated] Saul and his sons, and a great plague had struck the people, and until now there had been no other king over Israel since the death of Saul. And he says that all their words are in vain.

"Why are the nations in an uproar" — That is to say, why do they need this, to gather together and speak empty words, of no help and no benefit?

"Are in an uproar." — An expression of gathering and a great multitude, as in "from the throng of evildoers" (below, 64:3). "And the peoples." — The nations, as in "and one people shall be stronger than the other people" (Genesis 25:23). "Mutter." — They shall speak. "In vain." — A thing without substance.

"Why" — after he explained the doom of the wicked, that he is like chaff which the wind drives away, and that he has no hope except if He [Hashem] preserves the grain and watches over the righteous, he says: if so, why do the nations rage to rebel against Hashem's anointed and against Israel His people? Is it not only through this — serving Hashem and David His king — that they have any survival? "Why do the nations rage" — there is a difference between "nations" [goyim] and "peoples" [le'umim]. A "goy" is a gathering without regard to whether it holds a religion or not, while the term "le'om" applies where a group is united under a particular religion. And he depicts that the bond they formed against Him was both religious and political, as it says, "against Hashem and against His anointed" — "against Hashem," to throw off the yoke of religion and the seven commandments that David compelled them to observe; "and against His anointed," to throw off the yoke of his kingship and his service. The nations raged with tumult and rebellion, to rebel against the kingdom of the House of David, while the peoples, out of concern for religion, devised thoughts against the religion and commandments of Hashem.

"Kings of a land stand up and nobles take counsel, etc." — Heb. רוזנים, senors (seigneurs) in Old French, lords. "take counsel" — Heb. נוסדו, an expression of counsel (סוד), furt konsilez in Old French (furent conseilles), they hold counsel (see below 55:15). And what is the counsel?...

'They take their stand' (yityatzevu) — [refers to] the kings and the officials, together with the nations. 'And conspire together' (nosdu) is from the root of 'sod' (council), and this is comparable to 'contend, Hashem, with those who contend with me (yerivai)' (Psalm 35:1), which is from the root 'riv' (contend) — a root with a hidden middle letter — just as 'sod' is [related to] the root 'sid' (plaster). The yod of 'yerivai' is transposed, and it is an elliptical descriptive form; or it is in the sense of 'yesod' (foundation). This is according to the view of the one who says that this psalm, composed by the poet, was said concerning David — or that he prophesied concerning himself, for we find that David had many nations under his hand. But if it concerns the Messiah, the matter is even clearer. The meaning of 'against Hashem' is that they went out from under the hand of the reasoned judgment that Hashem planted in the heart of every person. 'And against His anointed' — that they should not deny him, but rather submit to his authority, so as to pay him tribute.

"The kings of the earth stand up" — [This means] that all the lords of the Philistines stood together in a single counsel and in agreement to come make war against David. And he calls them "kings" and "rulers," even though we do not find them called anywhere but "the lords of the Philistines" — in their pride they considered themselves kings, though they were not. It is also possible that other kings from among the nations gathered together with them. "And the rulers take counsel together" — They all took counsel as one. And the counsel is described with the term "foundation" (yesod), because counsel stands in relation to an act just as a foundation stands in relation to a building. "Against Hashem and against His anointed" — For they knew that David reigned by the word of Hashem, and that Samuel, the prophet of Hashem, had anointed him king.

"Stand up" — This refers back to the "why" stated in the preceding verse, meaning: why do the kings and princes stand up in one counsel against Hashem and against His anointed?

"And the rulers." — Princes. "Take counsel together." — An expression of counsel, as in "we took sweet counsel together" (below, 55:15) — because counsel is conducted in secrecy so that it not be revealed, or because counsel is to the deed as the foundation is to a building.

"They stand up" — rebellion sometimes originates with the king who is rebelled against, as with Zedekiah, who rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and the people were drawn after him; and sometimes the rebellion arises from the people, who rebel against the one who rules them, and afterward their king too is drawn along in the bond of rebellion. And he says that this rebellion arose both from the nations — as it says, "Why do the nations rage" — and from their kings, as it says, "The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers." He depicts the nations raging and rebelling on one side, and their kings standing on the other side together with the rulers, who are the ministers of counsel, "and take counsel together" — [devising] secret plans together on how to wage war. And the rebellion is both "against Hashem," regarding religion, and "against His anointed," regarding the government.

"Let us break their bands" — Deronproms lor koyongles in Old French (as in Jer. 27:2). These are the bands with which the yoke is tied. "their cords" — Heb. עבתימו, lor kordes (leur cordes) in Old French.

'Let us break off their bands' — from the root 'musar' (bond). 'And their cords' (avotam) — thick, twisted ropes. The meaning is the same [as the previous clause], expressed in different words, for such is the way of eloquent style, as in 'how shall I curse whom [God] has not cursed, and how shall I execrate whom Hashem has not execrated?' (Numbers 23:8). 'He who sits' — since Scripture mentioned 'the kings of the earth take their stand,' it says, in contrast to them, 'He who sits in the heavens,' who is above man. The Gaon said that the meaning of 'He will laugh' is that He will make them a laughingstock and an object of mockery. But the correct view is that Hashem created matter, which is the substance, and forms, which are attributes of it — whatever man makes, or when he depicts living forms — and His name is exalted, utterly beyond being described in terms of substance, let alone attribute; only because the speaker is a human being, and likewise the listener, does 'the Torah speak in the language of men,' so that the listener may understand. And so too they described the earth as if it had the form of a man: 'and the earth opened its mouth' (Numbers 16:32), 'the recesses of the earth' (a phrase found in several places, e.g. Jeremiah 6:22). 'Lamo' — like 'to them' (lahem). The word 'la'ag' (mock) always takes the letter lamed [as its object-marker], as in 'they mock me' (Psalm 22:8); therefore, 'and our enemies mock us' (ve-oyveinu yil'agu lamo) (Psalm 80:7) — in the manner of a pronominal suffix, as I shall explain.

"Let us break their bands asunder" — They were saying: let us break the bands of Israel and their bond, which they tied together when they agreed to crown David king. Because for seven years not all of Israel had agreed to crown him, and now they had all agreed upon him, the Philistines said: let us break their bands. "And cast away their cords from us" — This is a repetition of the same idea in different words, the meaning being one; such is the way of the language. The "bands" and the "cords" are strong ropes, and they are a metaphor for firm counsel and firm agreement.

"Let us break asunder" — And thus they will say in their counsel: let us remove from ourselves the bonds of His yoke, so that we not serve Him; and he took hold of a metaphor, speaking in language fitting for an ox that pulls in a yoke. "And cast away" — This is a doubling of the matter in different words, for the beauty of the rhetoric and to strengthen the point.

"Let us break asunder." — An expression of removing from its place, as in "they have broken the bonds" (Jeremiah 5:5). "Their bands." — These are the knotted straps of the yoke. "Their cords." — Ropes; a cord is made of three strands.

"Let us break asunder" — "cords" are stronger than "bands," for they are cords braided together which cannot be pulled apart. They say that the weak "bands" they will "break," and the strong "cords" they will "cast away" from their necks. This applies both to matters of religion — commandments that have no [rational] reason, and to which they can raise objections, they will nullify, while the strong, rationally grounded commandments they will cast behind their backs — and to matters of servitude, whose yoke they will throw off; and things they swore to and obligated themselves to by covenant and oath, they will cast off their necks through rebellion, breaking the oath and the covenant.

"laughs...mocks...speaks" — They are meant as the present tense.

"He who sits in heaven laughs, Hashem has them in derision" — Since he said that they took counsel together against Hashem to nullify His word, he now says that He sits in heaven, hears their words, and laughs and derides them. And in saying "laughs and derides" of God, blessed be He, this is by way of metaphor, in the language of men — for a man laughs and derides someone whom he despises and considers as nothing in his eyes. So too: "But You, Hashem, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision" (Psalms 59:9); "Hashem laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming" (Psalms 37:13). And in saying "sits in heaven," the meaning of "sits" is "abides, endures," as in "But You, Hashem, are enthroned forever" (Psalms 102:13). And so understand every instance of "sitting" that is found regarding God, blessed be He, such as "You who sit in heaven" (Psalms 123:1); "who exalts Himself to sit" (Psalms 113:5). And in saying "in heaven" — this is because the heavens exist and endure forever; their individual beings never cease, unlike the individual beings of the earth, whose individuality does cease.

"He who sits in heaven" — As if to say: behold, Hashem sits above in the heavens, and even a weak one situated above is reckoned as mighty, how much more so one who is mighty and above; and so, behold, He will laugh at their counsel and mock them — and the matter is doubled in different words.

"Them" (lamo). — To them, meaning: over them.

"He who sits" — the structure of the verses is: "Why do the nations rage," etc., "the kings of the earth stand up" — and yet "He who sits in heaven laughs" and does not punish them? He answers: the reason "He who sits in heaven laughs" is that through this "He has them in derision" — meaning, in accordance with the saying, "Better is anger than laughter" — that is, the anger with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry at the righteous in this world is better than the laughter with which the Holy One, blessed be He, laughs at the wicked. For laughter has a quality unique among all the [emotional] attributes: with every other attribute, there is no difference [in outcome] between the one who acts and the one acted upon — one who grows angry [causes] the other to receive punishment; one who has mercy [causes] the other to receive mercy. Not so one who laughs at his fellow: the one who acts laughs and seems good-hearted, while the one acted upon receives shame and humiliation. Therefore he uses this to depict the [seeming] success of the wicked — that although it appears that Hashem laughs and is not angry at them, through this they receive only shame and disgrace, in that their punishment will suddenly grow great when their measure becomes full, as it says, "Your mother shall be greatly ashamed," etc., "behold, the end of the nations is a wilderness, a parched land, and a desert plain." And this is the meaning: the fact that it appears that "He who sits in heaven laughs" and does not punish them is because "He has them in derision." (And this is why it first calls Him "He who sits in heaven" — a depiction of Him as though hiding His face, with His glory above the heavens and not attending [to the earth]; but in truth, since He is Master of the whole earth, He has them in derision.)

"Then He speaks to them" — Heb. אלימו, like אליהם. And what is the speech?...

"Then" — Some say that 'yedabber' ("He will speak") is equivalent to 'yovad' ("he will perish"), as in 'vatedabber et kol zera ha-melukhah' ("and she destroyed all the royal offspring"), which is an expression of death, like 'ehi devarkha mavet' ("I will be your plague, O death") (Hosea 13:14). Likewise: 'vatedabber et kol zera ha-melukhah' — for it is written in the other book [the parallel account] as 'vatedabber', from the same root as 'dever kaved me'od' ("a very severe pestilence") (Exodus 9:3). "Elimo" — [some say it means] the mighty ones, as in 'and he took away the mighty ones of the land' (Ezekiel 17:13); but this is not correct, for 'eiley ha-aretz' ("the mighty ones of the land") follows the pattern of 'the strong bulls of Bashan' (Psalm 22:13), and that word too is written with a yod, being from the root of 'ein eyal' ("there is no strength") (Psalm 88:5). And the correct view is that 'yedabber' is to be understood according to its plain sense, and 'elimo' is like 'aleihem' ("to them"), and 'aleimo' is like 'aleihem' ("upon them") — thus: "He will speak to them" — [in answer to] "Why do nations rage?"

"Then He will speak to them in His wrath" — this happens when He hears their words and their arrogance: "He will speak to them in His wrath." "And terrify them in His fury" — His words to them are His wrath and His fury that He will send against them. Some commentators explain "He will speak" (yedabber) in the sense of "a very severe pestilence" (Exodus 9:3), and likewise "she destroyed (va-tedabber) all the royal offspring" (II Chronicles 22:10). And they explain "alaimo" like "the mighty of the land" (II Kings 24:15), which means "the powerful ones of the land"; but the first explanation is closer [to the truth].

"Then" — When they finish concocting the secret plan and the counsel that has been devised, He will speak, etc.

"To them" (elemo). — To them. "Affright them." — From the language of terror.

"Then" — at the time "He will speak to them" suddenly "in His wrath" — then "He will terrify them in His fierce anger," which He directs at them to punish them. Then He will speak to them, saying, "And I have installed My king" — you rage to rebel, but I, at that very time when you thought to throw off the yoke of the kingdom of the House of David — at that very time I installed My king, so that through your rebellion it will be revealed that he is the one anointed by Me to rule "over Zion, My holy mountain."

"But I have enthroned My king" — Why have you gathered together? I have appointed this one for Me to govern and to reign on Zion, My holy mount.

"But I have installed" — [meaning] I have made him king, and the sense is that he is My 'nasikh' [prince/vassal], like "the five kings of Midian" (Numbers 31:8) who were "the princes of Sihon" (Joshua 13:21). And know that a construct pairing is sometimes [built] from the more honored to the less honored, and the reverse also occurs, as in "You are my King, O God" (Psalm 44:5). "But I have installed My king" — Hashem is his inheritance, and they [the people] are "Your people and Your inheritance" (Deuteronomy 9:29); and similarly, "to bow down to the king, Hashem of hosts" (Zechariah 14:16) — that is, to the anointed one, in the manner of "and all kings shall bow down to him" (Psalm 72:11). For had it referred to the [divine] Name, the lamed would have been vocalized with a patach.

"Truly it is I that have established My king" — He says: How could they imagine uprooting the kingship from the house of David, when it is I who made him king and established him! And the word "established" (nasachti) has the sense of leadership and greatness, as in "the princes (nesichei) of Sihon" (Joshua 13:21), and also "their gods, together with their princes" (Daniel 11:8). And "My king" means "the king who belongs to Me," for it is I who made him king, as it is said (I Samuel 16:1), "For I have seen among his sons a king for Me" — meaning: [a king who is] Mine, for My service; and so it says "My king." And the opposite is said (Psalms 74:12), "and God is my King of old," meaning "He who reigns over me." This is an example of the [flexible] use of the possessive-suffix letters. Similarly: "remove Your plague from upon me" (Psalms 39:11); "those who watch for my downfall stand aloof" (Psalms 35:12); "and I will gladden them in My house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7); "I have heard your prayer" (I Kings 9:3; II Kings 20:5; Isaiah 38:5; II Chronicles 7:12) — and others like them, as we explained in the book Mikhlol, in its grammatical section. And it says: "Upon Zion, My holy mountain" — because the stronghold of Zion was not conquered until David came and conquered it; therefore it, and Jerusalem, were called "the city of David." And after he conquered it, the Philistines gathered to fight against him.

"But I" — And thus He will say: but it is I who made him king; so how then will you be able to stand against him, opposite Me? As if to say: let us see whose word will stand — yours or Mine.

"Truly it is I." — The letter vav here stands in place of "but," as in "but your servants have come to buy food" (Genesis 42:10). "Established." — An expression of dominion, as in "the princes of Sihon" (Joshua 13:21).

"I will tell of the decree" — Said David, “This is an established decree, and [one] that I have received to tell this and to make known.” "The Lord said to me" — through Nathan, Gad, and Samuel. "You are My son" — The head over Israel, who are called “My firstborn son.” And they will endure through you, as is stated concerning Abner (II Sam. 3:18): “for God said, etc., ‘By the hand of My bondsman David shall I deliver...Israel.’” And for their sake, you are before Me as a son because they are all dependent upon you. "this day have I" — for I have enthroned you over them. "begotten you" — to be called My son and to be beloved to Me as a son for their sake, as it is stated (I Chronicles 14:2): ‘And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.’ And we find that the kings of Israel who were beloved before Him were called sons, as it is stated (II Sam. 7:14) concerning Solomon: “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son.” We find further concerning David (Ps. 89:27) “He shall call Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’”

"I will tell" — these are the words of David together with his prophecy, or the words of the psalmist speaking of himself. And the sense of "concerning the statute" is: this that I shall tell, I will make it into a statute to be recounted. And He said to me, "You are My son" — [meaning,] to serve Hashem, as a son honors a father. "This day I have begotten you" — like "the Rock that begot you, you neglected" (Deuteronomy 32:18).

"I will tell of the decree" — this is David's statement, in which he says: this telling I will make into a statute and a practice for myself. And what is this telling? For: "Hashem said to me, You are My son" — and from Him came my kingship; therefore let no man dispute it, for Hashem took me as a son, as He said to Samuel (I Samuel 16:1), "For I have seen among his sons a king for Me" — meaning: this king is Mine, he is My son and My servant, and he listens to Me. For anyone who listens to and serves God is called His son, just as a son listens to his father and stands ready to serve him. Likewise: "You are sons to Hashem your God" (Deuteronomy 14:1); "I will be to him a father, and he will be to Me a son" (II Samuel 7:14); and it says: "Sons of the living God" (Hosea 2:1). "Today I have begotten you" — the day he was anointed is the day that God took him as a son, as it says (I Samuel 16:1), "a king for Me." And it says "today I have begotten you," because it was on that day that a spirit of God was born within him, as it is written (I Samuel 16:13), "and the spirit of Hashem gripped David from that day onward." And from that day onward he composed songs and psalms through the holy spirit that was born in him and bestowed upon him from God. Likewise, a spirit of valor was added to him from that day onward. And so it says (Deuteronomy 32:18), "You neglected the Rock who begot you" — meaning He who raised you and placed wisdom and understanding in your heart on the day of the assembly at Mount Sinai. And so it says (ibid. v. 6), "Is not He your father who acquired you?" For if "who begot you, who acquired you" referred merely to [physical] formation, this would be no different for Israel than for the rest of mankind. Do you not see what it says: "Is this how you repay Hashem?" (ibid.) — meaning: is this the repayment you give Him for all the good He has done for you? Is not He your father who acquired you?! And it says: "You neglected the Rock who begot you, and forgot the God who labored to bring you forth" (ibid. v. 18) — as though it said "your father," for He is to you like the father, while "the one who labored to bring you forth" corresponds to the mother.

"I will tell" — David said: I will tell the matter inscribed in the book, that Hashem said to me, "You are My son" — as it is written, "Israel is My son, My firstborn" (Exodus 4:22-23); and the king is reckoned as equivalent to the whole people. "This day I have begotten you" — That is to say, you are as dear in My eyes as a son is to a father on the day of his birth.

"Of the decree." — [Meaning] "the decree," and likewise, "and they pursued to Midian" (Judges 7:25). "Decree." — From the language of engraving and writing.

"I will tell of the decree" — just as there are laws and codes for the conduct of a state, so too there are laws and codes among nations: general laws [that apply] to all states — for example, a fixed law and a universal convention, that a people or king may not encroach upon the borders of [other] kings and peoples without some sufficient claim. And whoever transgresses these laws and goes out by force to destroy nations and rob their inheritance is called a tyrant, one who disturbs the earth, and the like. But I, in going out to conquer nations and strike terror into kingdoms, "will tell of the decree" and the convention that was given to me for this by Hashem — that Hashem, to whom the earth and its fullness belong, gave me permission for this and made it a decree and a law for me (as it says in the Midrash: so that they should not say, "You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations," etc. — [the answer being that] He created it and gave it to whomever was right in His eyes, etc.). And what is the decree? "Hashem said to me" — since "you are My son; this day I have begotten you" — he speaks as though on this very day, the time the nations raged against Him to rebel, Hashem begot him and made him a son to rule over everything, like a son who governs his father's possessions, as it says, "And I have installed My king." And if so, "ask of Me," for on My part nothing prevents it — only ask and request — "and I will give the nations as your inheritance," that they shall be an inheritance for you; as a son who inherits his father's possessions, so shall you inherit all that is Mine. And not only as an inheritance, but also as a holding — for sometimes a person inherits property overseas but does not hold it so that it comes under his control; and not only the nearby nations, but also "you shall seize and conquer to the ends of the earth" — this is one decree, that He gave me permission to conquer all the peoples of the earth. And this is the second: "you shall break them" and crush them with a rod of iron, and they shall be "like a potter's vessel," ready to be shattered and completely broken — meaning that He gave permission also to cut them off and destroy them utterly.

"Request of Me" — Pray to Me whenever you come to battle your enemies.

"Ask" — it is the custom of a father to bequeath an inheritance to his son; therefore it says, "and I will give the nations as your inheritance." "The ends of the earth" — from the same root as "for the money is at an end" (Genesis 47:15) — [referring to] places cut off from settlement.

"Ask of Me" — and He said to me: "Ask of Me." "And I will give the nations as your inheritance" — as He said to him: "And I have cut off all your enemies from before you, and made you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth" (II Samuel 7:9); and it says (ibid. 8:14), "and all Edom became servants to David"; and it says (ibid. 8:6), "and Aram became servants to David"; and it says (I Chronicles 14:17), "And David's fame went out into all the lands, and Hashem put the fear of him upon all the nations." This is what is meant by "And I will give the nations as your inheritance." "And your possession, the ends of the earth" — these are the extremities of the earth; and "efes" ("end") and "ketz" ("extremity") are close in meaning.

"Ask" — For this, ask of Me, and I will grant your request.

"Ends." — Extremities, for at the end of the earth it is as though [the earth] has ceased and come to an end.

"You shall break them" — Heb. תרעם [like] תרוצצם. "with an iron rod" — That is the sword. "you shall shatter them" — Heb. תנפצם, you shall break them, and that is the expression of נפוץ throughout the Scriptures, a potsherd that is bro ken into fine pieces.

"You shall break them" — [meaning] You shall shatter them. And the ayin ought to have taken a dagesh, were it not a guttural letter — like [in] 'teshukhem' and 'tesuvem'. "With a rod of iron" — the sword shall shatter them, the reverse of "Why do the nations rage."

"You shall break them with a rod of iron" — and likewise He said to me concerning all the nations that rise against me: "You shall break them with a rod of iron." "You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel" — "tero'em" means "you shall break them." Similarly, "Can iron be broken?" (Jeremiah 15:12); "He breaks the mighty" (Job 34:24). And likewise "tenapetzem" ("you shall shatter them") has the sense of breaking, but with scattering, for when one breaks a clay vessel, its shards scatter. Similarly, "and the pitchers were shattered" (Judges 7:19). And one who makes clay vessels is called a "yotzer" (potter).

"You shall break them" — You shall shatter them, as one shatters something with a rod of iron.

"You shall break them." — You shall break them, as in "and a striving after wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14). "Potter." — A craftsman of clay. "You shall dash them in pieces." — An expression of scattering combined with breaking and shattering, as in "and the pitchers were shattered" (Judges 7:19).

"And now, [you] kings, be wise" — The Jewish prophets are merciful people. They reprove the heathens to turn away from their evil, for the Holy One, blessed be He, extends His hand to the wicked and to the righteous.

"Now, O kings" — they are the kings of the earth. "Be wise" — the reverse of [scheming] against Hashem. "Be admonished" — the reverse of "their bonds" (v. 3). "Judges of the earth" — they are the rulers [rozenim].

"Now therefore, O kings" — David said this to the kings who had come to fight against him: "Kings!" "Be wise" — and know that you have no power to nullify the work of God, for He commanded that I be king; how then have you conspired together against Hashem? Be wise and take it to heart that you cannot nullify the work of Hashem. "Be admonished, judges of the earth" — and if until now you have been foolish and of evil intent, be wise now, accept correction, and do not be haughty.

"Now therefore" — Since he is assured by Hashem of all this, be wise and accept discipline, and do not speak in such a manner.

"And now" — meaning: since Hashem has authorized me for this, and has given all the kingdoms of the earth into my hand, and if I but ask, I will cut them off and they will perish — if so, why do you rebel and wait until the time you are to perish? It is better that you become wise now. "Be wise, be admonished" — meaning: become wise about this out of an awakening of the intellect, and accept it out of love; or, in any case, be admonished out of moral instruction and fear of the punishment destined to come upon you. And on this basis, "serve Hashem in fear," and by this you will gain that in the end "you will rejoice in trembling" — this being the very trembling and fear you had of the punishment. And he explains his own words: corresponding to what he said, "serve Hashem" — with what shall you serve Hashem? "Kiss bar" — attach yourselves to the one made clear by Hashem [His chosen one], for insofar as you perform the service due the king, Hashem's anointed, it is as though you are serving Hashem. He also said "kiss bar" [chaff kisses the grain] — be like the chaff that kisses and surrounds the kernel and the grain, lest you be like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore he used the word "bar," whose meaning applies equally to the one made clear and chosen, and to the kernel and the grain. And corresponding to what he said, "in fear," he explains: of what should they be afraid? "Lest He become angry" — Hashem, mentioned in the preceding verse — "and you perish in the way, for His wrath kindles but a little" — meaning: since it takes only a little kindling of His wrath for you to perish in the way, as it is written, "and the way of the wicked shall perish," how much more is it fitting for you to fear lest He become angry, for the verb anaf ("be angry") indicates that He consumes the heat of His wrath in a decisive punishment. And corresponding to what he said, "and rejoice in trembling," he explains that "happy are all who take refuge in Him," and therefore you will rejoice afterward, for having taken refuge in Hashem.

"and rejoice with quaking" — When the quaking, about which it is written (Isa. 33:14): “Trembling seized the flatterers,” comes, you will rejoice and be happy if you have served the Lord.

"Serve" — the reverse of their words, "let us break off [their bonds]" (v. 3); and the service of Hashem is to fear Him and not transgress His word. "And rejoice" — if joy comes, do not forget that you must tremble in fear of Hashem. And some say: "And rejoice" is like "you shall rejoice," in the manner of "go up and die on the mountain" (Deuteronomy 32:50), [and] "be fruitful and multiply," which is a blessing regarding the fish of the sea (Genesis 1:22). And the sense is that you will rejoice, if you have trembled because of Hashem.

"Serve Hashem" — desire what He desires, and serve Him. "With fear" — that you should fear Him and know that the power and the might are His, and not yours, even though you have come with a great host. "And rejoice" — do not be aggrieved over my kingship, but rather be glad and rejoice, for it is the will of God. "With trembling" — tremble before Him.

"Serve Hashem" — To accept the yoke of His kingship. "And rejoice" — Then you will rejoice at the time trembling comes upon the rebels, for the trembling will not be upon you.

"With trembling." — With fear and quaking.

"Arm yourselves with purity" — Arm yourselves with purity of the heart. Some explain נשקו as garnimont in Old French, equipping. (This is from the verb, garnir. Garnimont means to provide, as in Gen. 41:40). Menachem (p. 179) interprets it as an expression of desire, as (in Gen. 3:16): “Your longing (תשוקתך) shall be for your husband.” "lest He become angry" — Heb. יאנף, lest He become angry. "and you perish in the way" — Like the matter that is stated (above 1:16): “but the way of the wicked shall perish.” "for in a moment His wrath will be kindled" — For in a short moment His wrath will suddenly be kindled against them, and at that time, the praises of all those who take refuge in Him will be discerned, the praises of all who take refuge in Him.

"Do homage in purity" — this corresponds to "serve [Hashem]" (v. 11), the counterpart of "against Hashem" (v. 2). "And do homage in purity" — [this] corresponds to, and is the counterpart of, "against His anointed" (v. 2). And behold, the meaning of "bar" is like "what, my son, and what, son of my womb" (Proverbs 31:2). And it is likewise written, "You are My son" (v. 7). And it is the custom of the nations of the world to place their hands beneath the hand of the king, as did the brothers of Solomon (1 Chronicles 29:24), or a servant beneath the thigh of his master (Genesis 24:2), or to kiss the king — and this custom exists to this day in the land of India. "Lest He be angry" — refers back to the [divine] Name mentioned in the first verse (v. 2), even though it is distant [in the text] — like "the earth swallowed them" (Exodus 15:12), which does not refer back to "who is like You among the mighty" (Exodus 15:11) but rather to "the enemy said" (Exodus 15:9). And likewise, "and they shall set up the Tabernacle ... before their arrival" (Numbers 10:21) [has an antecedent that is distant in the text]. And some say that "nashku" is from the root of "neshek" [weapons]. And the meaning is "put on weapons, O pure ones" — and here "bar" is like [in] "bar levav" ("pure of heart") (Psalm 24:4) — though it ought to have been written "bor"; or alternatively it means "prepare the grain" or "the vessel of grain." "And you perish [in] the way" — you will be lost from the aspect of the way, like "[a leaf] that withers" (Isaiah 1:30) — for the tree itself does not wither, rather its leaves wither, for it belongs to the intransitive verbs. And Rabbi Moshe ha-Kohen said that "derekh" ("way") is like "midrakh kaf raggel" ("the sole of a foot to tread"). But this is far-fetched, for it has no sense. "For His wrath is quickly kindled" — this is a transitive verb, like "as fire kindles a forest" (Psalm 83:15), in the manner of "a devouring fire"; and the object is omitted, for it is not necessary, since the heat of anger is compared to fire.

"Do homage in purity (nashku bar)" — like "and he kissed (va-yenashek) all his brothers" (Genesis 45:15). And "bar" is like "ben" (son); similarly, "What, my son, and what, son of my womb?" (Proverbs 31:2). Or its meaning derives from "the pure of heart" (Psalms 73:1). And if its sense is "son," the meaning would be: "Kiss" this son whom God has called "son," as it says, "You are My son." And the reason for "kiss" is that it is the practice of a servant to kiss the hand of his master. And if its sense is "pure," the meaning would be: What do you have against me? For I am pure of heart, and there is no iniquity in me for which you should come and fight against me; rather, it is incumbent upon you to do homage to me and acknowledge that I am king by the command of God. It is also possible to explain "bar" from "choose for yourselves a man" (I Samuel 17:8), along the lines of "Saul, the chosen of Hashem" (II Samuel 21:6). "Lest He be angry" — if you do not quickly turn back from your evil ways, God will be angry with you. "And you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled in a moment" — in the moment that you persist in your wickedness, His wrath will burn against you — that is, if you do not turn back quickly. And the meaning of "and you perish in the way" is like "and the way of the wicked shall perish" (Psalms 1:6). Now in fact it is the way that perishes, and they are said to perish on account of their way, which is a perishing one — just as "a fading leaf" (Isaiah 1:30), where it is the leaves that fade, yet the tree itself is called "fading"; and likewise "those with torn garments" (II Samuel 13:32) and elsewhere: for it is the garments that are torn, not the people themselves, yet they are called "torn" on account of their garments, which are torn. Similarly, "those with shaven beards and torn garments" (Jeremiah 41:5), and others like them. And it says: "Happy are all who take refuge in Him" — like me today, who have taken refuge in Him and been saved by Him, while you will perish; but if you too take refuge in Him, it will likewise be said of you, "Happy are you." Some commentators explain this psalm as referring to Gog and Magog, and that "the anointed one" is the Messiah-King; and thus our Sages of blessed memory explained it (Berakhot 7b). This psalm can indeed be explained in this manner; but the more plausible view is that David said it concerning himself, as we have explained. And the Christians interpret it as referring to Jesus, and the verse that they bring as proof and use as support for their error is itself, for them, a stumbling block; and it is: "Hashem said to me, You are My son." For if they say to you that he was the son of God, say to them: it is not possible to say "son of God" of flesh and blood, for a son is of the same kind as his father. It is not possible to say that this horse is the son of Reuben; therefore, the one to whom Hashem said, "You are My son," would need to be of His kind and be God like Him. Moreover, it says, "Today I have begotten you," and the one born is of the same kind as the one who bore him. And say to them: it is not possible for there to be, in the Godhead, a father and a son, for the Godhead cannot be divided, since it is not a body that can be divided; rather, God is one in every sense of unity — He can neither be increased, nor diminished, nor divided. And say to them further: the father precedes the son in time, and it is from the father's power that the son comes forth. And even though the one term cannot exist without the other in the naming — for one is not called "father" until he has a son, and one is not called "son" unless he has a father — nevertheless, the one who is called "father," once there is a son, was without doubt prior in time. If so, the deity you speak of, whom you call "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" — the part you call "Father" is prior to the other part you call "Son." For if the two of them had existed together for the same span of time, they would be called "twin brothers," and you would not call them "father and son," nor "begetter" and "begotten"; for the begetter precedes the begotten without doubt. And if they say: it need not be said that "son of God" refers to something of the same kind as the Godhead — say to them: we cannot speak of God, may He be blessed, except by way of figurative language, just as it is said of Him, "the mouth of Hashem," "the eyes of Hashem," "the ears of Hashem," and the like; and it is known that these are only figures of speech. Likewise it is by way of figurative language when it says "son of God," "sons of God"; for one who carries out His commandments and His mission is called His "son," just as a son carries out his father's commandments. Therefore it calls the stars "sons of God," as in "and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). And likewise a person, on account of the higher spirit within him — when he carries out the commandments of God, on account of the wise soul that instructs him — is called [God's] "son"; and therefore it says, "You are My son, today I have begotten you"; and it says, "Israel is My son, My firstborn" (Exodus 4:22); and it says, "You are sons to Hashem your God" (Deuteronomy 14:1); and it says, "Is not He your father who acquired you?" (ibid. 32:6); and it says, "I will be to him a father, and he will be to Me a son" (II Samuel 7:14). And say to them further: the deity that you say is the Father said to the Son, "Ask of Me and I will give the nations as your inheritance" — how can the son ask of the father, when he is surely a god like him and has power over the nations and the ends of the earth just as he does? Moreover, before the asking, the nations were also not yet his inheritance — if so, was the deity's power limited at first, and did it grow afterward? This cannot be said of a deity. And if they say to you that this was spoken with regard to the flesh, after the Godhead took on flesh, and it told the flesh to ask of Him so that He would give it the nations as an inheritance — this could not be, for the flesh had no kingship and no dominion whatsoever over any of the nations. And if they say to you that it means that his faith would be accepted [by the nations] — behold, most of the nations, both Jews and Ishmaelites, did not accept his faith. Behold, I have instructed you as to what you should answer them regarding this psalm; and you shall add from your own knowledge, in keeping with these matters. And if they ask you for its interpretation, you shall explain it according to whichever of the two approaches you choose: either concerning David, or concerning the Messiah-King, as I have explained to you.

"Do homage in purity" — Desire, with a pure heart, to accept His kingship in wholeness of heart, not in deceit. "Lest He be angry" — For lest the anger of Hashem burn against you. "And you perish in the way" — That is to say, you will be wandering without knowing which way to turn. "When... is kindled" — As soon as His anger burns even a small amount, then you will perish in the way. "Happy" — This is the praise of those who take refuge in Hashem, because from their own hearts they came to understand and know the might of Hashem's power and the strength of His arm, and therefore they took refuge in Him.

"Do homage." — From the language of longing and desire. "Purity." — From the language of "clear" and clean. "Be angry." — From the language of "anger," as in "for You were angry with me" (Isaiah 12:1).