Psalm 2:1
New International Version
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

New Living Translation
Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?

English Standard Version
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Berean Standard Bible
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

King James Bible
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

New King James Version
Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?

New American Standard Bible
Why are the nations restless And the peoples plotting in vain?

NASB 1995
Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?

NASB 1977
Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why do the nations rage And the peoples meditate on a vain thing?

Amplified Bible
Why are the nations in an uproar [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?

Christian Standard Bible
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain?

American Standard Version
Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot futility?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherefore did the heathen rage, and the nations imagine vain things?

Contemporary English Version
Why do the nations plot, and why do their people make useless plans?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?

English Revised Version
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples imagine a vain thing?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why do the nations gather together? Why do their people devise useless plots?

Good News Translation
Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

International Standard Version
Why are the nations in an uproar, and their people involved in a vain plot?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain?

Literal Standard Version
Why have nations assembled tumultuously? And peoples meditate vanity?

Majority Standard Bible
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

New American Bible
Why do the nations protest and the peoples conspire in vain?

NET Bible
Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?

New Revised Standard Version
Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?

New Heart English Bible
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?

Webster's Bible Translation
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

World English Bible
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?

Young's Literal Translation
Why have nations tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Triumphant Messiah
1Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:…

Cross References
Acts 4:25
You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Acts 4:26
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.'

Revelation 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great--and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

2 Kings 18:35
Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

Psalm 21:11
Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail.

Psalm 33:10
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

Psalm 46:6
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.


Treasury of Scripture

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

A.

Psalm 18:42
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

Psalm 46:6
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Psalm 83:4-8
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance…

rage.

Luke 22:1,2,5,22,23
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover…

Acts 16:22
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Acts 17:5,6
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people…

people

Matthew 21:38
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

John 11:49,50
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, …

Acts 5:33
When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

imagine.

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Agitation Assembled Conspire Devising Foolish Heathen Imagine Meditate Moved Mutter Nations Peoples Plot Rage Thoughts Tumultuous Tumultuously Uproar Vain Vanity Violently
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Psalm 2
1. The kingdom of Christ
10. Kings are exhorted to accept it














(1) Why do the heathen rage?--Better, Why did nations band together, or muster? The Hebrew occurs only here as a verb, but derivatives occur in Pss. 4:14, Psalm 64:2: in the first, of a festive crowd; in the second, of a conspiracy allied with some evil intent. This fixes the meaning here, band together, possibly as in Aquila's translation, with added sense of tumult. The LXX. have "grown restive," like horses; Vulg., "have raged."

Imagine.--Better, meditate, or plan. Literally, as in Psalm 1:2, only here in bad sense, mutter, referring to the whispered treasons passing to and fro among the nations, "a maze of mutter'd threats and mysteries." In old English "imagine" was used in a bad sense; thus Chaucer, "nothing list him to be imaginatif" i.e., suspicious. The verb in this clause, as in the next, is in the present, the change being expressive: Why did they plot? what do they hope to gain by it?

Verse 1. - Why do the heathen rage? The psalmist writes with a vision before his eyes. He "sees Jehovah upon his throne, and Messiah entering upon his universal dominion. The enemies of both on earth rise up against them with frantic tumult, and vainly strive to east off the fetters of their rule." Hence his sudden outburst. "What ails the heathen (goim)," he says. "that they rage?" or "make an uproar" (Kay), or "assemble tumultuously" (margin of Authorized Version and Revised,Version)? What are they about? What do they design? And why do the people - rather, the peoples, or "the masses" (Kay) - imagine (or, meditate) a vain thing? It must be "a vain thing;" i.e. a purpose which will come to naught, if it is something opposed to the will of Jehovah and Messiah. The vision shows the psalmist Jew and Gentile banded together against the gospel of Christ. Its scope is not exhausted by the exposition of Acts 4:26, but extends to the whole struggle between Christianity on the one hand, and Judaism and paganism on the other. "The peoples" still to this day "imagine a vain thing" - imagine that Christianity will succumb to the assaults made upon it - will fade, die away, and disappear.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Why
לָ֭מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

do the nations
גוֹיִ֑ם (ḡō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

rage
רָגְשׁ֣וּ (rā·ḡə·šū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7283: To be in tumult or commotion

and the peoples
וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים (ū·lə·’um·mîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3816: A community

plot
יֶהְגּוּ־ (yeh·gū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1897: To moan, growl, utter, speak, muse

in vain?
רִֽיק׃ (rîq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7385: Emptiness, a worthless thing, in vain


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OT Poetry: Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage and (Psalm Ps Psa.)
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