NOTES for Psa 2:7

The second psalm has long been perceived in Christian tradition as messianic. Meanwhile, from the historical point of view it can hardly be considered such: most likely, this hymn is dedicated to the enthronement of one of the kings of Israel or Judah, perhaps even Solomon himself. And the capital letters in the corresponding verses are only the translator's interpretation, for ancient manuscripts in general, and ancient Hebrew ones in particular, do not know the distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters. But does this mean that this hymn has no relation to the messianic tradition? Formally, yes. But perhaps the matter is not so simple. What if the hymn is really dedicated to Solomon? Then it is not only about Solomon; it is also about his father David, and therefore about that union-covenant that God concluded with him, promising him that his descendants would occupy the Jerusalem throne as long as Jerusalem itself existed. Strictly speaking, the idea of the Messiah "from the line of David" is connected precisely with these promises given by God: from where else should one expect a righteous king, if not from the line of David, who himself was a living example of a righteous man on the throne? But originally this Messiah, this Anointed One with a capital letter, was not something special. He was not the Messiah in the sense in which we speak of the Messiah today. He was perceived as an ordinary person with a special calling from above, as a righteous ruler appointed by God, who apart from his blameless righteousness would differ in nothing from other people. His kingdom too was imagined as the most ordinary earthly kingdom, differing from the others only by righteous judgment and correct laws based on the Torah. And perhaps the faithful looked with hidden hope at every ruler who gave reason to hope for his righteousness: is it he? Has the time come for the promises given by God to David to be fulfilled? Only when a new revelation was given to Israel through the great prophets did it become clear that with the Messiah everything was not so simple and that He would not come so soon. But the expectations did not disappear, just as the tradition of perceiving the corresponding hymns as hymns dedicated to the anointed one promised by God did not disappear. From there only one step remained to include them in the messianic tradition, the step taken by the first generation of Christians.