You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Parallel translations
- WEB who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
- KJV Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
- NKJV who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?
- NASB who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why were the nations insolent, And the peoples plotting in vain?
- NLT you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They quote Psalm 2, where the nations rage and peoples plot in vain against God. They see the opposition to Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Overview
Citing Psalm 2, a messianic psalm, the believers recognize that human rebellion against the Lord and his Anointed is futile. They affirm that David spoke by the Holy Spirit, upholding Scripture's divine inspiration. By reading their situation through this psalm, they understand persecution as part of God's foretold plan. The raging of the nations cannot thwart the purposes of the sovereign God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Ps 2:1–6Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
- Acts 1:16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.
- Acts 2:30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.
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Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
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Original language
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