Psalm Number Two!

As we read Psalm two in Alter's translation, it seems to be a plea for help triggered by some conspiracy of other nations to attack Israel. From supplication, however, it quickly turns into a story about what God will do to the wrongdoers and how he will smite them fully. Most of the middle of the psalm has to do with how the writers of the psalms are God's chosen people and how God will protect them from outside enemies. There is a sense of confidence in God's will and protection throughout this part. The last part of the psalm is a caution to those reading it to fear and worship God as best they can. If not, the psalm warns, God's wrath will be transferred to those who go astray from his word. The psalm is mostly a message of assurance mixed in with a plea of supplication.

The second psalm as it appears in the Puritan psalter is a little different. The view here is one of supplication, too, but mostly of joy and exultation at the escape from the tyranny of intolerant Europe. God confers his choice and blessing upon the people, saying that they will be the recipients of much both in Heaven and on Earth, including "utmost coasts abroad," which are taken to mean the shores of America. The Puritans, reading this psalm in the context of their lives, would be inclined to read it as a blessing on their way of life and a good omen for their future in this new strange land. The message of defeat for their enemies would be welcome indeed-- escape from religious persecution, the freedom to worship as they saw fit, would seem a very heaven on earth. The triumph predicted in the psalm is seen as being borne out by their success in the new world. God had indeed chosen them above all others, and this was cause for praise indeed. The psalm ends, however, with the caution to fear and revere God, not getting too cocky or self-assured in their success. It is in effect a reminder for them that they did not succeed by themselves alone, but had the help of God to establish them and keep them alive through the hard winters.

These two interpretations of the same basic text show some startling differences. While the first version (the one in our book) focuses on the smiting of enemies that God will execute, the Puritan version focuses on the fact of being the chosen people of God. Both versions have elements of each, but there is a discrepancy of emphasis-- the stripped-down version Alter gives us goes into a fair amount of depth regarding the damage God will do to the foes, such as smashing of their forces and so on, while the more elaborate version of the Puritans passes over foe-smashing with a glancing mention and dwells on the rewards the Puritans will reap by virtue of being God's chosen. This difference may have a fair amount to do with the context in which each version was printed or written or translated. The Puritans, newly settled in a strange land, sought to reassure themselves that they could and would survive and that they were doing the right thing by fleeing Europe. Alter, however, seeks to strip away as many contextual additions as possible, getting back to the original Hebrew as much as he can. In short, the differing purposes in these two versions account for much of the differing focus and emphasis we find.