The Psalm That Can’t Make Up Its Mind (Psalm 2)
Verse 11 of Psalm 2 contains one of the most debated lines in the entire Psalter: “Serve YHWH with fear and rejoice with trembling.”
“Meditates” Means Something Closer to Muttering
Psalm 1:2 says the righteous person “meditates on [YHWH’s] instruction day and night.” In modern usage, meditation suggests inward silence — a stilled mind, eyes closed. That image is almost certainly wrong here.
“Happy” Is Not the Same as “Blessed” (Psalm 1)
Most English Bibles translate Psalm 1:1 with “Blessed is the man…” But that’s not quite what the terminology means.
