Psalms 1 & 2 E2 — Psalm 2 presents a crisis perpetuated by a long line of corrupt empires in the ancient Near East. Every one of these empires makes a practice of conquering, murdering, raping, and pillaging across the known world, while ancient Israel is just one small nation conquered and occupied again and again. So how do Yahweh and his anointed king respond to this injustice? Surprisingly, a lot like how the evil imperial rulers do: with mocking laughter, hot anger, and by smashing them like pottery! But why? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Psalm 2 as a minority report from an oppressed, ancient people group and an intentionally provocative portrait of God within the broader context of the Hebrew Bible.
FULL SHOW NOTES
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.
CHAPTERS
- Why Do the Nations Rage? (0:00-22:47)
- Yahweh’s Laughter and Decree (22:47-39:28)
- A Warning for the Kings (39:28-55:26)
PSALMS 1 & 2 BIBLEPROJECT TRANSLATION
View our full translation of Psalms 1 & 2.
REFERENCED RESOURCES
- Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.
SHOW MUSIC
- “Pivot” by Styles Davis & Venuz Beats
- “Hypha” by invention_
- BibleProject theme song by TENTS
SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
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