Psalms 2:8

Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

BSB

Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession.

KJV

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

ASV

Ask of me, and I will give [thee] the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

BBE

Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand.

Original Hebrew

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שְׁאַל she·'al ask H7592 מִמֶּנִּי mi·me·ni from me H4480 וְאֶתְּנָה ve·'e·te·nah so let me make H5414 גוֹיִם go·yim nations H1471 נַחֲלָתֶךָ na·cha·la·te·kha inheritance your H5159 וַאֲחֻזָּתְךָ va·'a·chu·za·te·kha and possession your H272 אַפְסֵי־ 'af·sei- [the] ends of H657 אָרֶץ 'a·retz [the] earth H776

The early church

"Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance" [Psalm 2:8]. This has at once a temporal sense with reference to the Manhood which He took on Himself, who offered up Himself as a Sacrifice in the stead of all sacrifices, who also maketh intercession for us; so that the words, "ask of Me," may be referred to all this temporal dispensation, which has been instituted for mankind, namely, that the "nations" should be joined to the Name of Christ, and so be redeemed from death, and possessed by God. "I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance," which so possess them for their salvation, and to bear unto Thee spiritual fruit. "And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession." The same repeated, "The uttermost parts of the earth," is put for "the nations;" but more clearly, that we might understand all the nations. And "Thy possession" stands for "Thine inheritance."
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 7–9

The kingdom of the Messiah is founded upon an eternal decree of God the Father. This our Lord Jesus often referred to, as what he governed himself by. God hath said unto him, Thou art my Son, and it becomes each of us to say to him, Thou art my Lord, my Sovereign'. The Son, in asking the heathen for his inheritance, desires their happiness in him; so that he pleads for them, ever lives to do so, and is able to save to the uttermost, and he shall have multitudes of willing, loyal subjects, among them. Christians are the possession of the Lord Jesus; they are to him for a name and a praise. God the Father gives them to him, when, by his Spirit and grace, he works upon them to submit to the Lord Jesus.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 2 →

Spurgeon · Verse 8

"Ask of me." It was a custom among great kings, to give to favoured ones whatever they might ask. (See Esther 5:6; Matthew 14:7.) So Jesus hath but to ask and have. Here he declares that his very enemies are his inheritance. To their face he declares this decree, and "Lo! here," cries the Anointed One, as he holds aloft in that once pierced hand the sceptre of his power, "He hath given me this, not only the right to be a king, but the power to conquer." Yes! Jehovah hath given to his Anointed a rod of iron with which he shall break rebellious nations in pieces, and, despite their imperial strength, they shall be but as potters' vessels, easily dashed into shivers, when the rod of iron is in the hand of the omnipotent Son of God. Those who will not bend must break. Potters' vessels are not to be restored if dashed in pieces, and the ruin of sinners will be hopeless if Jesus shall smite them.

"Ye sinners seek his grace,

Whose wrath ye cannot bear;

Fly to the shelter of his cross,

And find salvation there."

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 2 →

Cross-references

6

Topics

Jesus, The ChristChurchGentiles

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.