Psalm 2:1 (WEB)
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
Catechism · 1
“…peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."” — Catechism footnote: Acts 4:27-28; cf. Ps 2:1-2.
Fathers and councils · 22
Athanasius of Alexandria
“Why do ye, as ‘the heathen, rage, and imagine vain phrases against the Lord and against His Christ?’ for no holy Scripture has used such language of the Saviour, but rather ‘always’ and ‘eternal’ and ‘coexistent always with the Father.’” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment“And if they had considered the prophecy of Moses, they would not have hanged Him Who was their Life.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1; Deut. xxviii. 66.
Read the whole comment“Therefore does the Word lament for them, saying, ‘Why do the people exalt themselves, and the nations imagine vain things?’” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
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Eusebius of Caesarea
“The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ”; to which he adds, in the person of Christ himself, “The Lord said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
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Augustine of Hippo
““Why do the heathen rage, and the people meditate vain things?” (ver. 1).” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“But of them that believe through His humiliation the multitude so surrounded Him, that it could be said with the greatest truth, “blindness in part is happened…” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment““Wherefore” then “have the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things against the Lord, and against His anointed:” for “the Lord abideth for ever.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
Read the whole comment““Wherefore have raged the nations, and the peoples meditated empty things?”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment“Let us see if ye efface, let us see if ye extinguish, let us see if ye remove from the earth the name thereof, let us see if ye peoples do not meditate of empty things, saying, “When shall She die, and when shall perish the name of Her?”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment“Those to whom imagining vain things it is said, “Why do the heathen so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing?” etc.…He therefore sitteth at the right hand of God, till His enemies be placed beneath His feet.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, etc.
Read the whole comment“But in this faith, though the heathen rage furiously, and the people imagine a vain thing: though the flesh be slain while it preacheth Thee: “My soul shall live, and shall praise Thee: and Thy judgments shall help me” (ver. 175).” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment“…were to come under the figure of past time: as is the case, for example, in that passage, “Why have the nations raged, and the peoples imagined vain things?”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1. The English version employs the present tense.
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John Chrysostom
“The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord, and against His anointed.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed.”” — editor's note: Psalm ii. 1, 2
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Tertullian
“For in the person of Pilate “the heathen raged,” and in the person of Israel “the people imagined vain things;” “the kings of the earth” in Herod, and the rulers in Annas and Caiaphas, were gathered together “against the Lord, and against His anointed.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
Read the whole comment“The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 3, 1, 2.
Read the whole comment“At that time “the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things; the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gathered themselves together against the Lord and against His Christ.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
Read the whole comment“…and the people imagined vain counsels;” when “the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ,” in order that thenceforward man might be justified by the liberty of faith, not by servitude to the law, “because the just shall live by his faith.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1, 2.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“This is why the heathen rage and the peoples imagine vain things; why tree is set over against tree, hands against hand, the one stretched out in self indulgence, the others in generosity; the one unrestrained, the others fixed by nails, the one expelling Adam, the other reconciling the ends of the earth.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
Read the whole comment“…the custom of Holy Scripture, not only in respect of the past tense, and of the present; but even of the future, as for instance “Why did the heathen rage?” when they had not yet raged and “they shall cross over the river on foot,” where the meaning is they did cross over.” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1–3.
Read the whole comment“Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away from us their yoke.”” — editor's note: Ps. ii. 1–3.
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Cross-references · 16
Cited together with
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.14.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.14.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.14 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.14 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.14 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Catechism §600.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.120.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.120.
Cross-reference given by the World English Bible's translators.
Quoted in
Acts 4:25 takes up the words of Psalm 2:1 (12 words in common).