Key verses - poetry that will not submit to a simple rule

I am not surprised that circles aren't everything. Sometimes it is just a unique word, a word that seems out of place in the psalm that makes it stick in the memory. I am going to do Psalm 2 right away (no, I am not in a hurry) because the second psalm belongs with the first as a unit introducing the Psalter as a whole. I am not the first to suggest this.

What stands out for me in Psalm 2? Two verses 4 and 9 have words that do not repeat in the poem. They are mocking and destructive verses - about scorn and smashed pots. The only other use of smashed in the Psalter is the smashed babies of Psalm 137. Memorable because it is not nice. I never said these poems were nice.

Verses 6 and 7 are the centre-piece of this psalm, however, not the verses with no recurrence. And there are circles. (My translation is fun - so the individual glosses are a bit odd). But it is questionable to me whether the circles are significant.

Nonetheless, if you gaze on these poems, if you look and draw, you will be drawn by your looking into the gaze of the psalms.

Now that was a deliberate pair of circles with you in the middle.

The significant memorable aspect of this poem for me (besides everything concerning this king in Zion) is the verb offered as libation, some translate 'set', some have translated 'anoint' as we saw in Robert Lowth's lecture. But I was provocative.

And of course we could have an argument over several verses here - especially verse 11.

לָמָּה רָגְשׁוּ גוֹיִם וּלְאֻמִּים יֶהְגּוּ רִיק	1	Why such a throng of nations? and tribes in empty muttering?
יִתְיַצְּבוּ מַלְכֵי אֶרֶץ וְרוֹזְנִים נוֹסְדוּ יָחַד עַל יְהוָה וְעַל מְשִׁיחוֹ	2	They station themselves, these sovereigns of earth these rule-makers reasoning as one over יהוה and over his anointed
נְנַתְּקָה אֶת מוֹסְרוֹתֵימוֹ וְנַשְׁלִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ עֲבֹתֵימוֹ	3	Let us snap their bonds and kiss good-bye to their cords
יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק אֲדֹנָי יִלְעַג לָמוֹ	4	The one sitting in the heavens, he laughs My Lord derides them
אָז יְדַבֵּר אֵלֵימוֹ בְאַפֹּו וּבַחֲרוֹנוֹ יְבַהֲלֵמוֹ	5	Then he will speak to them in his anger and in his burning vex them
וַאֲנִי נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי עַל צִיּוֹן הַר קָדְשִׁי	6	I myself have offered as libation my own king on Zion, my holy hill
אֲסַפְּרָה אֶל חֹק יְהוָה אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ	7	I will recount the decree of יהוה He promised to me, you are my son I myself this day gave birth to you
שְׁאַל מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶתְּנָה גוֹיִם נַחֲלָתֶךָ וַאֲחֻזָּתְךָ אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ	8	Ask me and I give the nations as your legacy and as yours to hold, the ends of the earth
תְּרֹעֵם בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל כִּכְלִי יוֹצֵר תְּנַפְּצֵם	9	you will injure them with an iron sceptre like fashioned pots, you will smash them
וְעַתָּה מְלָכִים הַשְׂכִּילוּ הִוָּסְרוּ שֹׁפְטֵי אָרֶץ	10	So now, you sovereigns, let there be insight be warned you who judge on earth
עִבְדוּ אֶת יְהוָה בְּיִרְאָה וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָה	11	serve יהוה in fear and rejoice in trembling
נַשְּׁקוּ בַר פֶּן יֶאֱנַף וְתֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ כִּי יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֹ אַשְׁרֵי כָּל חוֹסֵי בוֹ	12	Kiss, each of you - pure lest he be angry and you perish in the way for he kindles as a hint of his anger Happy! all who take refuge in him

Hebrew words: 92. Percentage of Hebrew words that recur in this psalm: 29%. Average keywords per verse: 2.3.

Selected recurring words - showing the four that are used in reverse order.

Word and gloss * first usage	1	2	3	4	5	6	Vs	Root
* מלכי these sovereigns of	░						2	מלך
* ארץ earth		░					2	ארץ
* מוסרותימו their bonds			░				3	יסר
* ממנו bye to				░			3	מן
* באפו in his anger					░		5	אף
* ואני myself						░	6	אני
* מלכי my own king	░						6	מלך
* אני myself						░	7	אני
* ממני me				░			8	מן
* ארץ the earth		░					8	ארץ
* מלכים you sovereigns	░						10	מלך
* הוסרו be warned			░				10	יסר
* ארץ earth		░					10	ארץ
* אפו his anger					░		12	אף