PSALTERIVM

PSALMVS II — QVARE FREMVERVNT

Why Have the Nations Raged?

Quare fremuerunt gentes is the great Messianic royal psalm, depicting the nations conspiring against God's Anointed One. The verse 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee' is applied to Christ at His baptism, resurrection, and eternal generation from the Father. In the 1962 Breviary it appears at Sunday Matins, paired with Psalm 1, and on Christmas and Epiphany.

LATINE
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: et Dominus subsannabit eos.
Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua, et in furore suo conturbabit eos.
Ego autem constitutus sum Rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum eius, praedicans praeceptum 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, intelligite: erudimini, qui iudicatis terram.
Servite Domino in timore: et exsultate ei cum tremore.
Apprehendite disciplinam, nequando irascatur Dominus, et pereatis de via iusta.
Cum exarserit in brevi ira eius, beati omnes qui confidunt in eo.
ENGLISH
Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?
The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.
Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.
Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.
But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.
Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.
Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.
When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.
NOTA
FONS
Douay-Rheims (1609) / Vulgata
USUS
Christmas, Easter, Kingship of Christ
CONTEXT
V. 7 quoted at Christ's baptism (Matt 3:17) and in Acts 13:33 for the resurrection. The early Church applied vv. 1-2 to the Passion (Acts 4:25-26).