A Five-Fold Reading of Psalm 2

This post is a bit less gutsy and controversial but I figured sense I laid out my current thoughts on the hermeneutics of ‘son of man’, I might as well do the same for the hermeneutics of ‘son of God’. Interestingly, the son of man figure appears to have a more exulted status in the Second Temple period than the son of God figure. Ironically, these phrases ‘flip-flopped’ in the later writings of the Apostolic and Church Fathers: Son of Man denoting Jesus’ humanity and Son of God denoting his divine status and filial relationship with God.

A Five-Fold Reading of Psalm 2:

• Historical-Critical: This is not a messianic psalm but is a royal psalm about a coronation of a king.
• Canonical-OT Theology: This text was to be read in conjunction with 2 Samuel 7 concerning the Davidic dynasty. The Prophets longed for its restoration. These promises gave root to earliest messianism in the post-exilic period as other nations ruled over the Jewish people, though God had promised a Davidic dynasty reigning justly.
• Intertestamental: The LXX is beginning to evince an expectation of an eschatological Messiah in their translation of Psalm 2. PsSol 17 combines Psalm 2 and Isaiah 11 to render a messianic reading. SibOr 3 evinces reliance upon Psalm 2, as well. Both of these are moving the son of God figure in a more eschatological direction (cf. Sam Janse, You Are My Son: The Reception of Psalm 2 in Early Judaism and the early Church [Walpole: Peeters, 2009]).
• Apostolic: Mark 1.1, 11; 9.7; 15.39 all apply Psalm 2 to Jesus in a regal, messianic sense. Cf. also Hebrews 1 & 5.
• Christian: Tert. Marc.3.20 sites from Ps 2.1–2 to argue for the divinity of Jesus. Cyril of Alexandria (PG 69:721) and Augustine (FC 92: 149) read this filial language this Ps 2.7 language through a christological lense in a Nicean/Trinitarian manner.

Thoughts? Questions? Outbursts? I do find it rather interesting to development of these terms from their original meaning to their later Christian / Creedal understanding.