EXPOSITION
This short psalm is one of much beauty, and was sung daily at Matins in the earliest ages of the Church. It is, however, somewhat obscure, especially in its later portion, where a king is spoken of (Psalms 61:6), who may be David, or may represent David's house, or may be the Messiah, the "King" of Psalms 2:6. The Davidical authorship, asserted in the "title," is probable, though some contend for a captive exile of a later date. The psalm consists of an earnest prayer (Psalms 2:1, Psalms 2:2), followed by expressions of trust and confidence (Psalms 2:3-7), and by a burst of praise in conclusion (Psalms 2:8). Metrically, it consists of two strophes of four verses each, separated by the pause mark, "Selah."