In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 2 from the Latin Vulgate. This psalm is one of the royal and prophetic psalms traditionally attributed to King David, the great king of Israel who lived about one thousand years before Christ. In it, the nations and rulers of the earth rise up in rebellion against the Lord and against his anointed one, yet God laughs at their defiance, establishes his king in Sion, and warns all earthly rulers to submit to his rule. This lesson is important for our studies because it teaches us how the Psalms speak at once of historical kingship, divine judgment, and the universal reign of Christ, while also giving us rich practice in understanding Latin poetry, direct speech, and prophetic proclamation.
Text
- Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
- Astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum et adversus christum eius:
- “Dirumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum!”.
- Qui habitat in caelis, irridebit eos, Dominus subsannabit eos.
- Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos:
- “Ego autem constitui regem meum super Sion, montem sanctum meum!”.
- Praedicabo decretum eius. Dominus dixit ad me: “Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.
- Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
- Reges eos in virga ferrea et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos”.
- Et nunc, reges, intellegite; erudimini, qui iudicatis terram.
- Servite Domino in timore et exsultate ei cum tremore.
- Apprehendite disciplinam, ne quando irascatur, et pereatis de via, cum exarserit in brevi ira eius. Beati omnes, qui confidunt in eo.
Exposition
- Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
- Quare: adv = “why”
- fremuerunt: verb, 3rd, pl, perf, ind, act = “they-have-raged”
- gentes: sub, nom, pl, fem = “nations”
- et: conj = “and”
- populi: sub, nom, pl, masc = “peoples”
- meditati sunt: verb, 3rd, pl, perf, ind, dep = “they-have-meditated”
- inania: adj, acc, pl, neut = “vain-things”
Translation: Why have-raged nations, and peoples have-meditated vain-things?
- Astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum et adversus christum eius:
- Astiterunt: verb, 3rd, pl, perf, ind, act = “they-have-stood”
- reges: sub, nom, pl, masc = “kings”
- terrae: sub, gen, sing, fem = “of-earth”
- et: conj = “and”
- principes: sub, nom, pl, masc = “princes”
- convenerunt: verb, 3rd, pl, perf, ind, act = “they-have-come-together”
- in: prep (acc) = “into”
- unum: adj, acc, sing, neut = “one”
- adversus: prep (acc) = “against”
- Dominum: sub, acc, sing, masc = “Lord”
- et: conj = “and”
- adversus: prep (acc) = “against”
- christum: sub, acc, sing, masc = “anointed”
- eius: pron, gen, sing = “of-him”
Translation: Have-stood kings of-earth, and princes have-come-together into one against Lord and against anointed of-him.
- Dirumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum!
- Dirumpamus: verb, 1st, pl, pres, subj, act = “let-us-break”
- vincula: sub, acc, pl, neut = “bonds”
- eorum: pron, gen, pl = “of-them”
- et: conj = “and”
- proiciamus: verb, 1st, pl, pres, subj, act = “let-us-cast-forth”
- a: prep (abl) = “from”
- nobis: pron, abl, pl = “us”
- iugum: sub, acc, sing, neut = “yoke”
- ipsorum: pron, gen, pl = “of-them”
Translation: Let-us-break bonds of-them and let-us-cast-forth from us yoke of-them!
- Qui habitat in caelis, irridebit eos, Dominus subsannabit eos.
- Qui: pron, nom, sing, masc = “he-who”
- habitat: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, act = “dwells”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- caelis: sub, abl, pl, neut = “heavens”
- irridebit: verb, 3rd, sing, fut, ind, act = “he-will-laugh-at”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
- Dominus: sub, nom, sing, masc = “Lord”
- subsannabit: verb, 3rd, sing, fut, ind, act = “he-will-mock”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
Translation: He-who dwells in heavens will-laugh-at them, Lord will-mock them.
- Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos:
- Tunc: adv = “then”
- loquetur: verb, 3rd, sing, fut, ind, dep = “he-will-speak”
- ad: prep (acc) = “to”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- ira: sub, abl, sing, fem = “anger”
- sua: adj, abl, sing, fem = “his”
- et: conj = “and”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- furore: sub, abl, sing, masc = “wrath”
- suo: adj, abl, sing, masc = “his”
- conturbabit: verb, 3rd, sing, fut, ind, act = “he-will-terrify”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
Translation: Then he-will-speak to them in anger his and in wrath his he-will-terrify them.
- Ego autem constitui regem meum super Sion, montem sanctum meum!
- Ego: pron, nom, sing, 1st = “I”
- autem: conj = “however”
- constitui: verb, 1st, sing, perf, ind, act = “I-have-established”
- regem: sub, acc, sing, masc = “king”
- meum: adj, acc, sing, masc = “my”
- super: prep (acc) = “upon”
- Sion: sub, acc, sing, indecl = “Sion”
- montem: sub, acc, sing, masc = “mountain”
- sanctum: adj, acc, sing, masc = “holy”
- meum: adj, acc, sing, masc = “my”
Translation: I however have-established king my upon Sion, mountain holy my!
- Praedicabo decretum eius. Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.
- Praedicabo: verb, 1st, sing, fut, ind, act = “I-will-declare”
- decretum: sub, acc, sing, neut = “decree”
- eius: pron, gen, sing = “of-him”
- Dominus: sub, nom, sing, masc = “Lord”
- dixit: verb, 3rd, sing, perf, ind, act = “said”
- ad: prep (acc) = “to”
- me: pron, acc, sing = “me”
- Filius: sub, nom, sing, masc = “son”
- meus: adj, nom, sing, masc = “my”
- es: verb, 2nd, sing, pres, ind, act = “you-are”
- tu: pron, nom, sing, 2nd = “you”
- ego: pron, nom, sing, 1st = “I”
- hodie: adv = “today”
- genui: verb, 1st, sing, perf, ind, act = “have-begotten”
- te: pron, acc, sing = “you”
Translation: I-will-declare decree of-him. Lord said to me: Son my are you; I today have-begotten you.
- Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
- Postula: verb, 2nd, sing, imp, act = “ask”
- a: prep (abl) = “from”
- me: pron, abl, sing = “me”
- et: conj = “and”
- dabo: verb, 1st, sing, fut, ind, act = “I-will-give”
- tibi: pron, dat, sing = “to-you”
- gentes: sub, acc, pl, fem = “nations”
- hereditatem: sub, acc, sing, fem = “inheritance”
- tuam: adj, acc, sing, fem = “your”
- et: conj = “and”
- possessionem: sub, acc, sing, fem = “possession”
- tuam: adj, acc, sing, fem = “your”
- terminos: sub, acc, pl, masc = “boundaries”
- terrae: sub, gen, sing, fem = “of-earth”
Translation: Ask from me, and I-will-give to-you nations inheritance your and possession your boundaries of-earth.
- Reges eos in virga ferrea et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos.
- Reges: verb, 2nd, sing, fut, ind, act = “you-will-rule”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
- in: prep (abl) = “with”
- virga: sub, abl, sing, fem = “rod”
- ferrea: adj, abl, sing, fem = “iron”
- et: conj = “and”
- tamquam: adv = “just-as”
- vas: sub, acc, sing, neut = “vessel”
- figuli: sub, gen, sing, masc = “of-potter”
- confringes: verb, 2nd, sing, fut, ind, act = “you-will-break”
- eos: pron, acc, pl = “them”
Translation: You-will-rule them with rod iron and just-as vessel of-potter you-will-break them.
- Et nunc, reges, intellegite; erudimini, qui iudicatis terram.
- Et: conj = “and”
- nunc: adv = “now”
- reges: sub, voc, pl, masc = “kings”
- intellegite: verb, 2nd, pl, imp, act = “understand”
- erudimini: verb, 2nd, pl, imp, pass = “be-instructed”
- qui: pron, nom, pl, masc = “who”
- iudicatis: verb, 2nd, pl, pres, ind, act = “judge”
- terram: sub, acc, sing, fem = “earth”
Translation: And now, kings, understand; be-instructed, who judge earth.
- Servite Domino in timore et exsultate ei cum tremore.
- Servite: verb, 2nd, pl, imp, act = “serve”
- Domino: sub, dat, sing, masc = “to-Lord”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- timore: sub, abl, sing, masc = “fear”
- et: conj = “and”
- exsultate: verb, 2nd, pl, imp, act = “rejoice”
- ei: pron, dat, sing = “to-him”
- cum: prep (abl) = “with”
- tremore: sub, abl, sing, masc = “trembling”
Translation: Serve to-Lord in fear and rejoice to-him with trembling.
- Apprehendite disciplinam, ne quando irascatur, et pereatis de via, cum exarserit in brevi ira eius. Beati omnes, qui confidunt in eo.
- Apprehendite: verb, 2nd, pl, imp, act = “take-hold-of”
- disciplinam: sub, acc, sing, fem = “discipline”
- ne: conj = “lest”
- quando: adv = “at-any-time”
- irascatur: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, subj, dep = “he-may-be-angry”
- et: conj = “and”
- pereatis: verb, 2nd, pl, pres, subj, act = “you-may-perish”
- de: prep (abl) = “from”
- via: sub, abl, sing, fem = “way”
- cum: conj = “when”
- exarserit: verb, 3rd, sing, fut, perf, ind, act = “he-will-have-blazed-forth”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- brevi: adj, abl, sing, neut = “brief”
- ira: sub, nom, sing, fem = “wrath”
- eius: pron, gen, sing = “of-him”
- Beati: adj, nom, pl, masc = “blessed”
- omnes: adj, nom, pl, masc = “all”
- qui: pron, nom, pl, masc = “who”
- confidunt: verb, 3rd, pl, pres, ind, act = “trust”
- in: prep (abl) = “in”
- eo: pron, abl, sing = “him”
Translation: Take-hold-of discipline, lest at-any-time he-may-be-angry, and you-may-perish from way, when wrath of-him will-have-blazed-forth in brief. Blessed all, who trust in him.
Idiomatic Translation
- Why have (the) nations raged, and (the) peoples meditated on vain (things)?
- (The) kings of (the) earth have stood forth, and (the) princes have come together as one against (the) Lord and against his Christ:
- “Let us break their bonds and cast their yoke away from us!”
- He who dwells in (the) heavens will laugh at them; (the) Lord will mock them.
- Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his wrath:
- “I, however, have established my king upon Sion, my holy mountain!”
- I will declare his decree. (The) Lord said to me: “You are my Son; I have begotten you today.
- Ask of me, and I will give you (the) nations (as) your inheritance and your possession, (that is,) the boundaries of (the) earth.
- You will rule them with (an) iron rod and break them like (a) potter’s vessel.”
- And now, O kings, understand; be instructed, you who judge (the) earth.
- Serve (the) Lord in fear and rejoice to him with trembling.
- Lay hold of discipline, lest at any time he become angry and you perish from (the) way, when his wrath has blazed forth in (a) short (time). Blessed (are) all who trust in him.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have studied Psalm 2 from the Latin Vulgate. In the Prelection, we learned of the historical context and significance of this psalm. We studied a literal translation of every word of the Latin text and an idiomatic translation. Now, it is time for you to study this lesson for mastery and demonstrate that mastery using the graded assessments provided in the course. If you have questions or need help, please contact us through the Academy website at classicalliberalarts.com. I hope that this lesson has been helpful.
May God bless your studies,
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
