Acts 4:25

 Acts 4:25

Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

a. ASV: Who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say,

Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things? [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things? [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Who by the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant and child, said through the Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton and insolent and rage, and the people imagine and study and plan vain (fruitless) things [that will not succeed]? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: You are the One who spoke through the Holy Spirit by the mouth of your servant David when he said, Why did the people rage and the nations devise worthless things? [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. 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 quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said…”

a. Who [Strong: 3588. [ho] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

b. by [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

c. [the] mouth [Strong: 4750. stoma stom'-a probably strengthened from a presumed derivative of the base of 5114; the mouth (as if a gash in the face); by implication, language (and its relations); figuratively, an opening (in the earth); specially, the front or edge (of a weapon):--edge, face, mouth.]

d. [of] thy [Strong: 4675. sou soo genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

e. [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tēs] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

f. servant [Strong: 3816. pais paheece perhaps from 3817; a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy), a girl, and (genitive case) a child; specially, a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God):--child, maid(-en), (man) servant, son, young man.]

f. David [Strong: 1138. Dabid dab-eed' of Hebrew origin (1732); Dabid (i.e. David), the Israelite king:--David.]

g. [hast] said [Strong: 2036. epo ep'-o a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); to speak or say (by word or writing):--answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell.]

2. “...Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?”

a. Why [Strong: 2444. hinati hin-at-ee' from 2443 and 5101; for what reason ?, i.e. why?:--wherefore, why.]

b. [did the] heathen [Strong: 1484. ethnos eth'-nos probably from 1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

c. rage [Strong: 5433. phruasso froo-as'-so akin to 1032, 1031; to snort (as a spirited horse), i.e. (figuratively) to make a tumult:--rage.]

d. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

e. [the] people [Strong: 2992. laos lah-os' apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from 1218, which denotes one's own populace):--people.

f. imagine [Strong: 3191. meletao mel-et-ah'-o from a presumed derivative of 3199; to take care of, i.e. (by implication) revolve in the mind:--imagine, (pre-)meditate.]

g. vain [things] [Strong: 2756. kenos ken-os' apparently a primary word; empty (literally or figuratively):--empty, (in) vain.]

1). Psalm 2 though is not only a Messianic Psalm, but also a prophetic warning to the Gentile nations to serve the LORD Jesus Christ IN THE CHURCH AGE! This is established by the fact the passage was quoted by the Apostles in the book of Acts thus placing it in the Church Age and attributing its authorship to David.

a). Psalm 2:1, 2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

b). Acts 4:23-28 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

2). I received the revelation that Psalm 2 was a warning to the Gentile nations in the church age, around 1993 after reading David Barton’s book “The Myth of Separation”. Though I don’t remember David Barton mentioning that aspect in his book, the Holy Spirit began to stir my previous studies of Psalm 2 in my spirit. In the book, “The Myth of Separation”, David Barton detailed America's early leaders dedicating this nation to God. The court case by court case that upheld that dedication and the court case by court case that sought to undermine that dedication. This war against the LORD and against his Christ has been waging in America ever since its beginning but is documented to have accelerated in the 1960’s with court cases. 

3). Mike Bickel said this in a conference in 2014: Psalm 2 is one of the most relevant and descriptive passages in the Bible for what's happening in this hour  of history. I am going to say that again, in this very short passage of scripture King David by the spirit of prophecy, he described I believe what is happening in this very hour and it's going to escalate into the full conflict that David prophesied the full crisis that he describes here but also the full of the glory of God being released in the nations. I believe we are in a very sober season in America. There is a crisis that is in the land that is escalating quickly.