Psalm 2: Davidic

Kingdom’s Royal and

Imperial Ideology

• Katlego Assis
 Introduction

Introduction

It is without exception that Clines (1938: 1)

asks the question of why commentators
visualize a direction of world rule as part of
the Israelite King in Psalm 2? According to
Gersternberger (1988:47), the king himself
claims world dominion. “all of the people are
included in the sons inheritance writes
Anderson (1972:68). Weiser (1962:111)
states that one can gather meaning from
what is being said, that the idea of whole
world dominion is being communicated.
 Motivation and
relevance
Royal psalms hold a special place in the Psalter and the entire Hebrew Bible as a whole (Jacobson
1985:192). These psalms were first written about actual kings of Israel and Judah and communicate
the theology of the Davidic Kingdom (ca 1000-586/7 BCE). Historically when interpreting the
Psalms, they are related to actual King of Israel and Judah. Krusche (2020: 87) draws the meaning that
this relates to God and his people messianically. This study is limited to Psalm2. Hays (1994:33)
description of the royal psalms is as follows: “The King of God, the regent on earth of the Lord’s
reign is the Davidic King designated as the Anointed by the Lord’s covenant. His Kingship is given
the vocation to represent the divine rule of the people of the Lord and the nations”.
 Research problem
This research will venture to answer the
question of royal and imperial ideology and
Davidic kingdom in Psalms 2, its genre as a
Royal psalm and the elements within the text of
Israel’s imperial ideology. It will contribute to
understanding the meaning of the psalm in its
original context by considering the placement of
the psalm within the Book 1 of the Psalter and
relating to the Davidic Kingdom and the
preceding Psalm 1.
 Aims and objectives
The objectives of this study are:

A. To do a synchronic analysis of Psalm 2:

• To do a literary-exegetical analysis of the text;

• To find textual features and understand what a Royal Psalm is;
• To cast light on interpretational disputes with regards to the central themes and structure;
• To aid the interpreter by proposing a structure for the text based on the textual features found.
• To understand the text regarding the genre an Sitz im Leben of the text;

B. To do a diachronic analysis of Psalm 2:

• To evaluate the contribution of contemporary psalm scholarship in order to understand the Royal
Psalms and the history of interpretation;
• Royal and imperial ideology in the psalm and the Old Testament;
• Royal and imperial ideology in the Ancient Near East;
• To shed light on the relationship between Psalm 2 and Psalm 1 in the broader Psalter context;
• To highlight the relationship between Psalm 2 and other psalms in Book 1 of the Psalter;
• To link this study to current trends in psalm research.

C. To incorporate the finding of the above and appropriate them to the research problem and hypothesis.
 Research
methodology
This study is literature and exegetical study with
synchronic and diachronic literary historical analysis.
The focus in this section will mainly be on the textual
features. This analysis will assist in inquiring on the
structure of Psalm 2. Interpretational problems linked to
genre and the setting of the psalm will be integrated in
the synchronic section of the study.

Additionally, a diachronic analysis will be done. An

intertextual perspective analysis will be employed to
probe Psalm 2 and text sharing traditional historical
similar surrounding texts. Further, we will examine what
distinguishes Psalm 2 from other royal pasalms. In this
section of the study the compilation and editing of Book
1 of the Psalter will be investigated to attribute the role
and place of Psalm 2 as royal psalm.
 Hypothesis
Through a holistic analysis guided by means of a synchronic and diachronic methods this study will
reveal the definite structure and strategic placing of Psalm 2 in the royal psalms Book IV-V of the
Psalter and the understanding of royal ideology as communicated in the Psalm. By reason of the
editorial nature the arrangement of the Psalter is connected to the one editor, the placing of the royal
psalm connected to another editor. In understanding Psalms 2 more comprehensively we will then
understand the meaning of the royal psalm in the book as well as its contribution to the meaning of the
Psalter as a whole.
 Chapter division
Chapter division

Chapter 1 consists of the motivation of the study. This will be outlined as well as the
research problem, the research approach, the hypothesis and the division of chapters.
There is also an explanation of terminologies, and orthography that will appear in this
study.

Chapter 2 will contain a literature review summarising and giving description of the
current state of research on Psalm 2 and the royal psalms. Within the literature review
the primary focus will point to scholars who understand the structure and placement
of Psalm 2 at the beginning of the Psalter and Book I-III. Emphasis will be on
scholars who have written on the royal psalms, specifically Psalm 2. Furthermore, the
focus will be to sum up the appropriation of the genre to Psalm 2 by respective
scholars. Lastly this literature will highlight how scholars have viewed Psalms 2 and
its placement within the Psalter in the larger context of Book I-III.

Chapter 3 consists of a synchronic analysis of Psalm 2 forming the point of departure

for this study. Focus of this chapter is on the text on a literary level. To begin a
literal-exegetical model of the chosen text that includes a linguistic, grammatical, and
structural and poetic analysis. Aim of the analysis is to classify the interrelationship
within textual elements. The goal of the literary-exegetical analysis is to determine
the textual characteristics of Psalm 2. A synchronic study therefore serves as the
foundation for the structural understanding and exposition of the applicable Hebrew
text. Moreover, it serves as the ground upon which a more detailed study of literary
components adds to the inquiry for a fortified understanding of the psalm.
 Chapter division
Chapter 4 comprises a diachronic analysis of Psalm 2. The
study will explore the editorial history of Psalm 2. Emphasis is
casted on recent trends in psalm research not just focusing on
the chosen psalm individually, but rather the royal psalms and
the different order of the psalms within the greater context of
the Psalter. It is in this chapter that Psalm 2 is examined from
an intertextual perspective. Specific focus is directed to Psalm
2’s relationship to other texts within its immediate and broader
context. An intertextual analysis will be taken between Psalm
2 and the preceding Psalm. A concise overview of the
intertextual finding between the relevant texts will be
presented. Lastly, the connection of Psalm 2 with the larger
collection will be integrated.

Chapter 5 is a brief overview of the findings made through

this research. This chapter will contain an analytical discussion
of the findings of the study. The conclusion of this study will
be summarised. An answer to the hypothesis of this study will
be outlined. Finally closing remarks and further
recommendations are suggested
 Key words
Royal Psalms

Royal ideology

Imperial Ideology

Davidic Kindom
Thank you!