Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
- BSB You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.”
- NKJV You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
- NASB ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
- NLT You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”
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
The King will decisively crush all rebellion with irresistible power. Those who refuse His rule will face His judgment.
Overview
The 'rod of iron' and the shattered pottery picture the King's authority to break stubborn rebellion completely. The image is sobering, underscoring that opposition to God's Anointed is ultimately self-destructive. Revelation applies this very verse to Christ's righteous rule over the nations (Revelation 19:15), holding together His mercy to the repentant and His judgment on the defiant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Rev 2:26–27And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
- Rev 12:5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
- Ps 89:23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
- Rev 19:15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
- Ps 110:5–6The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
- Ps 21:8–9Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
- Isa 30:14And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.
- Jer 19:11And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
- Dan 2:44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
- Isa 60:12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
- Matt 21:44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 2:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.