Psalm 2 - verse 6 - Proclamation of Christ the King

From verse 6 onwards the voice of the speaker in Psalm 2 shifts from that of the psalmist to Christ himself.

6	V/R	Ego autem constitútus sum rex ab eo super sion montem sanctum ejus, * prædicans præcéptum ejus
	OR	ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum eius praedicans praeceptum Domini
	NV	Ego autem constitui regem meum super Sion, montem sanctum meum! ”. Praedicabo decretum eius.
	JH	ego autem orditus sum regem meum  super Sion montem sanctum suum adnuntiabo Dei praeceptum .
		ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑ{P'} αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιων ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ

Ego (I, emphasis) autem (but) constitútus sum (I have been appointed) rex (king) ab (by) eo (him) super (over) sion montem (mountain) sanctum (holy) ejus (his), prædicans (preaching) præcéptum (the precept) ejus (his)

autem, adversative conj., but, on the contrary, however.

constituo, stitui, stultum, ere 3 to set, place, put, appoint; make, create.;build, found; to devise, design ;to fix, appoint, mark out.

rex, regis, m. a king, ruler

super, with, on, upon, for, because of.

mons, montis, m., a mountain

sanctus, a, um, adj., holy.  

praedico, avi, atum, are, to proclaim, declare, announce, preach.

praeceptum, i, n. a law, commandment, precept, ordinance

DR	But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
Brenton	But I have been made king by him on Sion his holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord:
MD	But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
RSV	I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill." I will tell of the decree of the LORD
Cover	Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion. I will preach the law,
Knox	Here, on mount Sion, my sanctuary, I enthrone a king of my own choice. Mine to proclaim the Lord’s edict;
Grail	"It is I who have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain."(I will announce the decree of the Lord:)

Christ the king

Christ's kingship, the fourth century commentator Theodoret points out, by virtue of his divinity is eternal, and not appointed by anyone.  

But as Incarnate Son, he has been appointed by the Father to rule the world: 

 …In fact he rules not only over Mount Sion but over all things visible and invisible and over all creation.  But on Mount Sion and in Judea he propounded his divine teachings to those who attended; those who accepted it derived streams flowing into the whole world through their obedience to his divine precepts: Go forth, he says, make disciples of all nations.  Now the verse I have been established as king by him is expressed in human fashion: as God he possesses his kingship by nature, as human being he receives it by election…

Mt Sion is the Church

Sion, the holy mountain has a wide variety of meanings in Scripture, including signifying the Church and heaven.  In this case, though, the Fathers argue that it clearly means the Church.  St Augustine, for example, instructs that:

we must not understand it of anything rather than of the Church, where daily is the desire raised of beholding the bright glory of God, according to that of the Apostle, but we with open face beholding the glory of the Lord.  Therefore the meaning of this is, Yet I am set by Him as King over His holy Church; which for its eminence and stability He calls a mountain.  

Preaching the Gospel

The final phrase of the verse, teaching the commandments or law of the Lord, is generally interpreted as referring to the Gospel.

Psalm 2: Quare fremuérunt Gentes

Vulgate	Douay Rheims
Quare fremuérunt Gentes: * et pópuli meditáti sunt inánia?	Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?
2  Astitérunt reges terræ, et príncipes convenérunt in unum * advérsus Dóminum, et advérsus Christum ejus.	The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.
3  Dirumpámus víncula eórum: * et projiciámus a nobis jugum ipsórum.	Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
4. Qui hábitat in cælis, irridébit eos: * et Dóminus subsannábit eos.	He that dwells in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.
5  Tunc loquétur ad eos in ira sua, * et in furóre suo conturbábit eos.	Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and troubled them in his rage.
6  Ego autem constitútus sum Rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum ejus, * prædicans præcéptum ejus.	But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
7  Dóminus dixit ad me: * Fílius meus es tu, ego hódie génui te.	The Lord has said to me: You are my son, this day have I begotten you.
8  Póstula a me, et dábo tibi Gentes hereditátem tuam, * et possessiónem tuam términos terræ.	Ask of me, and I will give you the Gentiles for your inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for your possession
9  Reges eos in virga férrea, * et tamquam vas fíguli confrínges eos.	You shall rule them with a rod of iron, and shall break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10  Et nunc, reges, intellígite: * erudímini, qui judicátis terram.	And now, O you kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.
11  Servíte Dómino in timóre: * et exsultáte ei cum   tremóre.	Serve the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.
12  Apprehéndite disciplínam, nequándo irascátur Dóminus, * et pereátis de via justa.	Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.
13  Cum exárserit in brevi ira ejus: * beáti omnes qui confídunt in eo.	When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

And you can find the next set of notes on this psalm here.