by Greg Kenyon, updated January 17, 2026
II – The First Stanza – Rage against the Messiah – Psalm 2:1-3
III – The Second Stanza – The Lord’s Response – Psalm 2:4-6
IV – The Third Stanza – The King of kings Responds – Ps 2:7-9
V- The Four Stanza – The Righteous Response – Ps 2:11-12
Ps 2:10-12 – The Lord’s instruction.
The Narrator Speaks Again (Boice)
The exhortation of the psalmist (BKC)
A Call to Allegiance (Mentor Commentary)
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges 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,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
This song from the Lord does not end after verse 9, with the dashing in pieces those human vessels or pots which remain bent on rebellion against the anointed potter. 1 Peter 3:9 contains the well known words “the Lord…is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” There is no indication in this passage in 1 Peter that all will be saved but that the Lord is patient and has given a lot of time for those in rebellion against Him to come to see the error of their ways and repent. This same idea is implied in Psalm 2 by the fact the song does not end after verse 9. In 1 Peter, following this teaching of the Lord’s patience, comes the well know teaching that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Let no one be complacent about searching to know the truth of the Lord, as we find declared in the last stanza of Psalm 2.
Now
The NKJV begins this final stanza of Psalm 2 with “now therefore” In the Greek, this is one word, at-tah, meaning at this time, hence forth, now, straight way! Given what has been laid out in the preceding stanzas, given the laughable futility of rising up against the Lord, who sits in the heavens, with no need to stand up, having already established His Anointed King along with His people, His body, making any uprising laughable, and given the declaration that the King, the Lord’s Only Begotten Son will win, and break in pieces the usurpers, given all this, those who stand against Lord have been squarely warned and should now, or straight way, take notice of the instructions which follow.
The Lord does not have to warn them. He could just smash them in pieces and destroy them. Yet, He stops at this point to bring this conclusion. Therefore….be warned….and more than be warned. Be wise. This a testimony of the grace and overflowing compassion of the the Lord.
Now therefore, heed My instruction says the Lord. Those nations, peoples, kings, and rulers, who take counsel together against the Lord, will not easily see the truth of the grace and compassion in this warning and instruction from the Lord. But, in truth, these are living and powerful instructions (Hebrews 4:12). They are perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, more to be desired then any of the stuff (gold) of this world and gloriously sweet. (Psalm 19:7-10) In keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:11) It is in these instructions, we learned in Psalm 1, which the truly blessed man delights in and meditates on day and night, in which are found true fruitfulness and fullness. (Psalm 1:2-3) To ignore these instructions and be without them is like living as an empty shell, like chaff which is blown away by wind. (Psalm 1:4) Let all be wise and heed these instructions of the Lord!
These instructions are directed at kings and judges of the earth. In addressing kings and judges, this Psalm also addresses all the nations and peoples who are subject to the kings and judges. Although it is common for kings and judges to expect the people to obey them, if the people are wise, they will follow the example of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who, now, rather than responding first to the rebellion with a rod of Iron and in furry dashing their rebellion in pieces, reaches out in compassion and mercy, with instruction that they would turn from their rebellion. The King of kings came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:27-28, Mark 10:42-45) and as a servant leader, by example, to encourage nations and peoples to receive and follow wise instruction, rather than continue in foolish rebellion.
These words are not just for the day of the Psalmist, It is a wise word from the King of kings, the Word who was with God and is God (John 1). This word is recorded even for us to hear now, today.
Be wise…
The Hebrew word for “be wise” occurs 5 times the OT. Putting the various translations of this verb together this could be translated, be wise, consider, understand, what is right O kings. Think about and take seriously what has been said so far. To continue in rebellion against the Lord is utterly foolish. You kings consider the King of kings. In Him there is hope. If you instead continue in unrepentant rebellion, you will be completely dashed in pieces.
Be instructed (be warned)
The Hebrew word translated “be instructed” only occurs once in the OT. One Hebrew dictionary give the meaning of the root of the word as “to chastise” and suggests as meaning of the word, to instruct, bind, chasten, chastise, correct, punish, reform, reprove. The first line of verse 10 calls the listener to be wise. That is, quit being fools who are wise in their own eyes, with no need to listen and, instead, hear what has been said so far. The second line of verse 10 goes a step further. Be instructed. One needs to do more than to listen and pay attention. A wise man will receive instruction and be corrected, and will welcome chastening and reproof, that his ways may be reformed. Rather than, as a foolish hardened unmold-able clay pot that can only be smashed in pieces, a wise man will be as mold-able clay which can be squashed and remolded.
Serve…
Is is not enough to listen to hard instruction and to be warned about living in rebellion against God, as we ought not to live. Our gracious Lord gives further instruction, turning from rebellion against the Lord involves doing what the Lord has created us to do. All are instructed to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. We were created to serve the Lord. (Ephesians 2:10) This is not a service of drudgery but service with joy. (1 Thes 5:16-18) One who understands will want to serve the Lord and will find reason to rejoice. It is not uncommon that doing comes before the feeling of desire, service and rejoicing *****Isaiah 34:10, 51:11, Romans 5:1-11
What does it mean “to serve the Lord with fear?” The fear of the Lord is a rich concept developed in the Bible. I do not think one can do justice to it with a word or a sentence. To gain a full understanding warrants much study of the Scriptures. For our purposes here, I refer to a commentary of those who have studied the fear of the Lord. This fear is described as both the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) and the responsibility of all humanity (Eccl 12:13). (LBD) In reference to the LORD, it conveys either devotional piety or the dread of punishment. (LBD). As a sinful people we need both. All people, whether living in rebellion against God or not, need the same thing, to serve the Lord with fear. If living in sin, than fearful dread of the punishment our sins deserve should drive us to repentance. If we know the Lord, it should drive us to worship in in awe or reverent fear.
Rejoice…
In poetic parallelism, common in this Psalm, following “serve the LORD with fear” is “rejoice with trembling.” This psalm connects two similar related ideas together in 2 line couplets a number of times. In this case, indicating that “serving the LORD with fear” goes hand in hand with “rejoicing with trembling.” On the positive side, we have seen this service involves a stance of worshiping the LORD in awe. Proper worship is connected with rejoicing. Ps 32:11, using the same Hebrew word, says, “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” It seems clear, the idea of visible gladness and joy are intended. But what about “trembling?” The same Hebrew word is used only five other times in the OT. Each of these, it is associated with fearfulness (Job 4:14, Ps 48:6, Isaiah 33:14, Exodus 15:15, Ps 55:5), rather than with anything positive. So, it is not likely that this “trembling” is meant to portray a shaking which may occur as a result of the emotion of extreme happiness or joy, such as seen with tears of joy. Instead, it appears the writer of Psalm 2 intended to link these juxtaposed expressions of rejoicing and fearfully trembling. This raises the possibility that the parallel phrase, “serve with fear” is also intended to be understood as bowing service to the Lord and dreadful fear. The context of these parallel thoughts, demands this. The instructions “ to be wise, to be instructed, to serve, and to rejoice” are not given as though preaching to the choir , to those who have already learned and live out these instructions. These instructions are given to those of nations and peoples, to those kings and rulers described in the first stanza of this psalm, who are set in rebellion against the Lord. The writer to the Hebrews shares the same contrast in Hebrews 10:19-31, where after giving the instructions to the people, “let us draw near [to God] with a true heart” (to serve the Lord), he reminds the reader of the consequence of not following these instructions, “a certain fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation.” It is nice to think in terms of serving the Lord with awe and rejoicing with trembling tears of joy, but ,when people are living in rebellion against God, teaching about being in fear of the Lord and dreadfully trembling before Him is more needful. In this instruction is seen the mercy of God who brings warning yet again, not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Does this approach of the Psalmist, to link instruction with warning, have anything to say to us, the people of God, who do desire to serve the Lord? Yes, we too need instruction to be wise, to serve the Lord and to rejoice in the Lord. Does it not also provide an example of how to approach those set on rebellion against the Lord and His anointed? Often our nature is to want to be liked and to bring good news. Are we more likely to quoted John 3:16, “for God so loved the world He gave is only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not perish by have everlasting life,” stopping here and not give the rest of the word Jesus gave, “He who believes is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of god. (John 3:18). As messengers of God, sent into all the world to make disciples, (Matthew 28:19) consider God’s instruction through Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 33, When I (the Lord) say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall died in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” As we go forth to instruct and warn, let us remember our Lord. “‘As I live’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.’” (Ezekiel 33:11 a)
Kiss the Son…
Kings, rulers, nations, people, everyone are next instructed to kiss the Son. To make sense of this, remember what we have been told about the Son. In stanza 3 of Psalm 2, All Nations, the ends of the earth, have been given to the Son. Nothing is left that is not under the Son. The words given to the Son, “You shall break them with a rod of Iron,” when quoted by the New Testament writers say, “You shall rule them with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15) and one English translations of the Septuagint of Psalm 2:9 says, “You will rule them with a steel Rod.” In stanza 3, the Son is presented as the King of Stanza 2, who the Lord has set on His holy hill of Zion. The Son is the Supreme Ruler, the King of kings. All peoples have been given to, and are under the rule of the Son. It is this King, the King of kings, who kings, rulers, nations, peoples are instructed to kiss.
Why kiss? 1 Samuel 10:1, 1Kings 19”18, and Hosea 13:2, reference the kissing of a ruler as a way of demonstrating one’s giving honour to the ruler. So, the instruction to kiss the Son is to outwardly demonstrate one’s honour to the Son of God, the King of kings. It is an outward sign of bowing to the King. Of course, more than just outward homage is called for. Man sees the outward actions “but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Kissing the Son with one’s whole self is an inward and outward posture of honour. It involves one’s thoughts words and deeds.
There is no neutral position with respect to honour. One is either honoring or dishonoring…..
The Psalmist gives two reasons to pay this honour to the Son, the King of kings. Lest He be angry and Lest you perish in the way. These reasons given are negative, that is they are things we ought to want to prevent and thus ought to drive us to honour the Son. What about positive reasons? Why not focus on how worthy the Lord is of this honour? The Psalmist is speaking primarily to those who rage, plot, set themselves and take counsel together against the LORD. Every reason to honour the King is before them. “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (Psalm 19) Yet, rather than honouring Him, they have set themselves against Him. In their precarious position they are in grave danger and they need warning. Thus, the Lord God, in His mercy and grace, gives warning. There are, of course, numerous, if not enumerable, positive reasons to pay honour to the Son. Consider the list in Ps 111: His works are great, honourable and glorious, His righteousness endures forever, His wonderful works He made to be remembered, He is gracious and full of compassion, gives food, is ever mindful of His covenant promises, and more. Behold Him as presented by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40:11-14. Compared to God, the nations, including those who take counsel against Him are “as a drop in a bucket.” (Isaiah 40:15) But those who are set against the Lord have closed their minds to His goodness. They need to be warned. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry.
Lest He be angry...
Those who persist in their position of dishonoring the King will ultimately receive His eternal wrath and punishment. The anger of God is not something to be trifled with. The Hebrew for anger in verse 12 is used 13 times in the OT (Deut 1:37, 4:21, 9:8, 20, 1 Kings 8:46, 11:9, 2 Kings 17:18, Ezra 9:14, Ps 2:12, 79:5, 85:5, Is 12:1) and in all instances is translated as an expression or action of the LORD God toward those who rebel against Him, often toward the persistent rebellion of His people. This is not a small angry expression. In Deuteronomy 4:21 speaking of the time the Israelites set up an idol, in the form of a golden calf, Moses says, “you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.” This anger is representative of the response of the Lord to absolute rebellion against His goodness.
And you perish in the way
Ultimately, if not appeased, this anger will lead to the rebellious perishing in the way before reaching the destination, as expressed in The Revelation 14:9-11, “If anyone worships the beast and his image [rather than the LORD God] and receives the beasts mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image.” Such perishing of the stubbornly rebellious, while they are in the way of their life, will bring to an end their hopes and dreams and leave no way back to the tree of life. Instead, they will perish in eternal death, damnation, eternally separated from all things good. The way back and the way forward will not longer be for them.
When His wrath is kindled but a little
That the reader not take this warning lightly, or thinks it OK to leave until later to honour the Son, the author adds, “when His wrath is kindled but a little.” It is the wrath of the King, the Son, the Judge being referred to. There are no bounds to the anger and wrath of God against sin. His wrath is said to be kindled. Looking at this word translated elsewhere in the Old Testament, one could say, “when His wrath is made to burn, as a fire burns……
This burning will result in the rebellious perishing. Whether this burning is “little in amount” or “little in duration” is not clear, but it will result in perishing. None of us on earth, in our own or collective strength, can survive this wrath, other than the One, the Son of God who partook of the cup of God’s just wrath due to the sins of His people and drank it in its entirety, even to the last drop. We, on earth, have seen but a little of the fullness of God’s wrath. What we are told is to come for those who remain in their rebellion. Today, God’s wrath is restrained, kindled but a little. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to turn in repentance from rebellion to inward and outward honour of the Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Lord, in His mercy and grace, did not ignore or stand silent beside those who are set on rebellion against Him. Keep in mind what the apostle Peter wrote, “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior….But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:1-2, 8-9) Let us “follow the steps of Jesus, our saviour, and counting the cost and, in spite of the cost, willingly risk speaking these warnings to those around who are perishing.
These five instructions in this stanza (be wise, be instructed (warned), serve, rejoice, kiss the Son) are a representation of the whole of scripture, which is filled with instruction and encouragement to hear, read, memorize, meditate upon, and wholeheartedly embrace it. Psalm 1:2 encourages us to “delight in this law, this Word of the Lord, and to meditate on it day and night. In a very real way, in these instructions are found in Word, who was with God and is God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Begotten Son, (John 1) who is the Way the Truth and the Life, the fullness of Life. (John 14:6) With Jesus, the Son, one is like a living thriving tree, planted by the nouraging rivers of water, living water, that will lead to one bringing forth the fruit one was created to bring forth and not withering and in all things prospering. (Psalm 1:3)
Blessed are those – put trust in Him
This is the Messiah’s grand conclustion. Comment on this is in the next section of this commontary