Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 2:11
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
11. Serve ] The context indicates that political submission to Jehovah in the person of His representative is primarily intended. Cp. Psa 18:43; Psa 72:11. But the wider meaning must not be excluded. Serve and fear are words constantly used with a religious meaning; and political submission to Israel is only the prelude to that spiritual submission of the nations to Jehovah, which is a constant element in the Messianic expectation of the O.T. Cp. Psa 22:27-28; Psa 67:7; Psa 100:1 ff.; Psa 102:15; &c.
rejoice with trembling ] There is no need to alter the reading to tremble (Psa 96:9) or to look for this meaning in the word rendered rejoice. Joyfulness tempered with reverent awe befits those who approach One so gracious yet so terrible. Cp. Psa 97:1; Psa 100:2; Hos 3:5; Hos 11:10-11; Heb 12:28. P.B.V. adds unto him with LXX and Vulg.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Serve the Lord with fear – With reverence, and with deep apprehensions of the consequences of not serving and obeying him. That is, serve him in not opposing, but in promoting his purpose of establishing a kingdom under the Messiah, with the deep apprehension that if you do not do it, he will arise and crush you in his wrath.
And rejoice – Prof. Alexander renders this shout, and supposes that it refers to the customary recognition of a present sovereign. The word used – gyl – means properly to move in a circle, to revolve; and then to dance in a circle, to exult, to rejoice. Then, according to Gesenius, it means to tremble, to fear, from the leaping or palpitation of the heart Job 37:1; Hos 10:5; Psa 29:6. Gesenius renders it here fear with trembling. The common translation, however, better expresses the sense. It means that they should welcome the purposes of Yahweh, and exult in his reign, but that it should be done with a suitable apprehension of his majesty and power, and with the reverence which becomes the public acknowledgment of God.
With trembling – With reverence and awe, feeling that he has almighty power, and that the consequences of being found opposed to him must be overwhelming and awful. The duty here enjoined on kings and rulers is that of welcoming the purposes of God, and of bringing their influence – derived from the station which they occupy – to bear in promoting the reign of truth upon the earth – a duty binding on kings and princes as well as on other men. The feelings with which this is to be done are those which belong to transactions in which the honor and the reign of God are concerned. They are mingled feelings, derived from the mercy of God on the one hand, and from his wrath on the other; from the hope which his promise and purpose inspires, and from the apprehension derived from his warnings and threatenings.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Antagonistic forces
The scientist tells us that the laws of nature are arranged on the principle of antagonistic forces; and it is somewhat thus with the laws of the Christian life.
I. The two states of feeling referred to.
1. Fear. There are two kinds, servile and filial. The latter is indicated here. A noble sensitiveness, an anxious consciousness, a salutary apprehensiveness.
2. And rejoice with trembling, that is, with diffidence.
II. These two states of feeling are not incompatible. They are only apparently so. How often in nature contradictory materials and forces blend–hydrogen and oxygen, nitrogen and oxygen. Attraction and repulsion are really complementary, and not contradictory.
III. They are essential to the security and development of the Christian life. They not only may, but ought, to exist together.
1. We ought to fear. The brighter the star the more it trembles.
2. And we ought to rejoice. Fear without joy is torment, and joy without holy fear would be presumption. (W. L. Watkinson.)
The reverence due to Divine Providence
Fear, very necessary for us all. Yet not inordinate fear. Religion regulates it and Gods Word cautions us against superstitious terrors (Jer 10:2-3). But we are to take notice of what He does and learn His will thereby. Many fail to do this by the common events of His providence; hence special and extraordinary ones are, at times, sent to us. Men avoid the lessons of them. They say They did not do us harm. But others may come and destroy you. And is not the fact of such forbearance a reason for not despising them? But they are natural, say others, And are not life and death natural? Terror alone is of no use, but generally the first motive of reformation. But our dangers do not proceed from our sins: we are no worse than others–so speak some. Are we sure that we are not greater sinners than others? Think of our national sins. Some would fly away from Gods judgments. Fly from your iniquities, if you would be safe. Some are afraid to express their convictions lest the world despise them. But take care lest our Lords words concerning them who deny Him before men apply to you. You are not called to forsake your proper duties, nor even relaxations, but your absorption in these things. Fear not man. The good will not shun you. Let the rest do so. Examine your state of heart. All is well if that be right with God. If not, humble yourself before Hint. (T. Secker.)
Divine service
I. The universal obligation. No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. We cannot even die without affecting others, much less can we live without influencing to a greater or less degree the condition and character of those by whom we are surrounded. This is not merely a fact, it is a law. There may be individual unwillingness, as in the case of a miser; or the principle may be socially counter-wrought. All classes unite in working for the common good; knowing it or not, whether they be willing or not, all serve the state-unity which they compose. In the language of the text, the business of all created life is to serve the Lord.
II. Particular obedience.
1. To serve God consciously.
2. To serve God reverently. Think how great and how good a Master! Our particular place and work may be humble; yet the whole is sublime. Angels, free from all distraction in the sinless world, are working at the grander parts; our work and theirs are yet to be brought together. Ours, therefore, must be our very best, or better be left undone.
3. To serve God fearfully. As having failed, and yet having been forgiven. As having promised better things, and yet as knowing ourselves weak; and finally, as bearing in mind the testing time. (J. M. Stott, M. A.)
Christian reverence
In a Christians course fear and love must go together. In heaven, love will absorb fear. No one now can love God aright without fearing Him. Self-confident men, who do not know their own hearts, or the reasons they have for being dissatisfied with themselves, do not fear God, and they think this bold freedom is to love Him. Deliberate sinners fear, but cannot love Him. But devotion to Him consists in love and fear, as we may understand from our ordinary attachment to each other. No one really loves another who does not feel a certain reverence towards him. It is mutual respect which makes friendship lasting. So again in the feelings of inferiors towards superiors. Fear must go before love. Till he who has authority shows he has it and can use it, his forbearance will not be valued truly: his kindness will look like weakness. We learn to contemn what we do not fear, and we cannot love what we contemn. So in religion also, We cannot understand Christs mercies till we understand His power, His glory, His unspeakable holiness, and our demerits; that is, until we first fear Him. Not that fear comes first, and then love; for the most part they will proceed together. Fear is allayed by the love of Him, and our love sobered by our fear of Him. Thus He draws us on with encouraging voice amid the terrors of His threatenings. Are we in danger of speaking or thinking of Christ irreverently? We may not be in danger of deliberate profaneness, but we are in danger of this, namely, of allowing ourselves to appear profane, and of gradually becoming irreverent while we are pretending to be so. Careless language cannot be continued without its affecting the heart at last. Men become the cold, indifferent, profane characters they professed themselves to be. (J. H. Newman, B. D.)
Rejoice with trembling.
The mixture of joy and fear in religion
Joy and fear are two great springs of human action. The mixed condition of this world gives scope for both. Each of them possesses a proper place in religion. Under the present imperfection of human nature each of these principles may be carried to a dangerous extreme. When the whole of religion is placed in joy it is in hazard of rising into unwarrantable rapture. When it rests altogether on fear it degenerates into superstitious servility. Joy tempered with fear is the proper disposition of a good man.
I. Joy is essential to religion. Religion inspires joy. It confers the two most material requisites of joy, a favourable situation of things without and a proper disposition of mind within. It infuses those mild and gentle dispositions whose natural effect is to smooth the temper of the soul. Benevolence and candour, moderation and temperance, wherever they reign, produce cheerfulness and serenity, The consciousness of integrity gives ease and freedom to the mind. As religion inspires joy, so what it inspires it commands us to cherish. Religious obedience, destitute of joy, is not genuine in its principle. We serve with pleasure the benefactor whom we love. Exclude joy from religion and you leave no other motives to it, except compulsion and interest. As religion destitute of joy is imperfect in its principle, so in practice it must be unstable. In vain you endeavour to fix any man to the regular performance of that in which he finds no pleasure. Bind him ever so fast by interest or fear, he will contrive some method of eluding the obligation. Estimate, therefore, the genuineness of your religious principles; estimate the degree of your stability in religious practice, by the degree of your satisfaction in piety and virtue.
II. When we rejoice we should rejoice with trembling.
1. Because all the objects of religion which afford ground for joy tend to inspire, at the same time, reverence and fear.
2. As joy, tempered by fear, suits the nature of religion, so it is requisite for the proper regulation of the conduct of man. Let his joy flow from the best and purest source, yet, if it remain long unmixed, it is apt to become dangerous to virtue, It is wisely ordered in our present state that joy and fear, hope and grief should act alternately as checks and balances upon each other, in order to prevent all excess in any of them which our nature could not bear.
3. The unstable condition of all human beings, naturally inspires fear in the midst of joy. Vicissitudes of good and evil, of trials and consolations, fill up mans life. Whether we consider life or death, time or eternity, all things appear to concur in giving to man the admonition of the text, rejoice with trembling. (Hugh Blair, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. Serve the Lord with fear] A general direction to all men. Fear God with that reverence which is due to his supreme majesty. Serve him as subjects should their sovereign, and as servants should their master.
Rejoice with trembling.] If ye serve God aright, ye cannot but be happy; but let a continual filial fear moderate all your joys. Ye must all stand at last before the judgment-seat of God; watch, pray, believe, work, and keep humble.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With fear, i.e. with reverence, and an awful sense of his great and glorious majesty, as very careful and diligent to please him, and afraid to offend him.
Rejoice; do not esteem his yoke your dishonour and grievance; but know that it is a greater glory and happiness to be the subjects of this King, than to be emperors of the greatest empire; and accordingly rejoice in it, and bless God for this inestimable grace and benefit.
With trembling: this is added to express the quality of this joy to which he calls them, and to distinguish it from that carnal and worldly rejoicing which is usually attended with security, and presumption, and licentiousness, and to warn them to take heed that they do not turn this grace of God into wantonness, nor slacken their dread of Gods tremendous majesty, and of his terrible judgments, if they should hereafter revolt from him, or rebel against him; but, on the contrary, work out their salvation with fear and trembling, as it is prescribed, Phi 2:12; compare Mat 28:8.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Serve the Lord with fear,…. Not the creature, neither more, nor besides, nor with the Creator; God and mammon cannot both be served; nor any fictitious and nominal deities, the idols of the Gentiles, who are not gods by nature; but the true Jehovah, the one and only Lord God, he only is to be worshipped and served, even Father, Son, and Spirit. Here it may be understood either of the Lord Christ, the Son of God, who is to be served by the kings and judges of the earth, he being King of kings, and Lord of lords; or rather of Jehovah the Father, since the Son seems to be distinguished from him in Ps 2:12: and the service these persons are called unto lies not in the discharge of any office in the church, as in preaching the word, which is serving God in the Gospel of his Son; and hence the ministers of the word are eminently called the servants of the most high God; for kings and judges are not required hereby to lay aside their crowns and sceptres, and leave their seats of justice, and become preachers of the Gospel; but in acting according to the will of God revealed in his word, and in the whole worship of him, both internal and external: and this is to be done “with fear”, not with fear of man, nor with servile fear of God, but with a godly and filial fear, with a reverential affection for him, and in a way agreeable to his mind and will; with reverence and awe of him, without levity, carelessness, and negligence;
and rejoice with trembling; some reference may be had to the joy in public worship, as at sacrifices and festivals, and the music in divine service under the law; and the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs under the Gospel; and especially to the Gospel dispensation itself, which is a time of joy and rejoicing; the Gospel is good tidings of great joy; the kingdom of God is not in things external, but in joy in the Holy Ghost; and, above all, respect is had to a rejoicing in Christ Jesus, in his person, righteousness, and salvation: and which is consistent with “trembling”; not with a fearful looking for of judgment, but with modesty and humility; in which sense this word, when joined with “fear” as here, is used Php 2:12, and stands opposed to pride, haughtiness, and arrogance; men should so rejoice in Christ as to have no confidence in the flesh, or assume any degree of glory to themselves, or have any rejoicing in themselves, but wholly in Christ, giving all the glory of what they have to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Ver. 11. Serve the Lord with fear ] Timore non servili sed amicali, with reverence and godly fear, Heb 12:28 . Say to Christ, as the people did to Joshua, Jos 1:16 , and as the rulers and elders of Israel did to Jehu, 2Ki 10:5 , “We are thy servants, and will do all thou shalt bid us.”
And rejoice before him with trembling
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the LORD. Hebrew. ‘eth Jehovah. App-4. (objective).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Serve: Psa 89:7, Heb 12:28, Heb 12:29
rejoice: Psa 95:1-8, Psa 97:1, Psa 99:1, Psa 119:120, Phi 2:12, Heb 4:1, Heb 4:2, Heb 12:25
Reciprocal: Gen 22:12 – now 1Sa 15:1 – hearken 2Ch 24:23 – princes Job 41:10 – dare Psa 4:4 – Stand Psa 130:4 – that thou mayest Pro 28:14 – Happy Dan 2:47 – a Lord Dan 6:26 – tremble Hos 11:10 – shall tremble Mat 28:8 – with Luk 8:47 – she came 2Co 7:11 – fear 2Co 7:15 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 2:11. Serve the Lord with fear That is, with reverence and an awful sense of his great and glorious majesty, rendering you careful and diligent to please him, and afraid to offend him. And rejoice Do not esteem his yoke your dishonour and grievance, but know that it is a greater glory and happiness to be the subjects of this King than to be the emperors of the greatest empire; and accordingly rejoice in it, and bless God for this inestimable grace and benefit; with trembling This is added to signify the quality of the joy to which he calls them and to distinguish it from that carnal and worldly rejoicing which is usually attended with security and presumption; and to warn them to take heed that they did not turn this grace of God into wantonness; but, on the contrary, work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
They should respond like the righteous by worshipping (serving), reverencing (fearing), rejoicing, and trembling before Him.