Psalms 2:11
in Psalms 2Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
KJV
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
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This verse in Psalms 2
Commentary
18 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Serve the Lord with fear - With reverence, and with deep apprehensions of the consequences of not serving and obeying him. That is, serve him in not opposing, but in promoting his purpose of establishing a kingdom under the Messiah, with the deep apprehension that if you do not do it, he will arise and crush you in his wrath. And rejoice - Prof. Alexander renders this “shout,” and supposes that it refers to the customary recognition of a present sovereign.
This site's exposition
Therefore be wise, O kings
on Psalms 2:10-12
The kings and judges of the earth are called to fear the LORD and to rejoice with trembling. John Gill read bar in Kiss the Son as the word rendered son at Proverbs 31:2. The blessing rests on all who take refuge in Him.
This site's exposition
Serve the LORD with fear
Serve answers verse 3, where the kings wanted to throw off the LORD's cords. Charles Spurgeon held fear and joy together, since fear without joy torments and joy without holy fear presumes. Philippians 2:12 joins fear and trembling.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"Serve the Lord with fear;" lest what is said, "You kings and judges of the earth," turn into pride: "And rejoice with trembling" [Psalm 2:11]. Very excellently is "rejoice" added, lest "serve the Lord with fear" should seem to tend to misery. But again, lest this same rejoicing should run on to unrestrained inconsiderateness, there is added "with trembling," that it might avail for a warning, and for the careful guarding of holiness. It can also be taken thus, "And now you kings understand;" that is, And now that I am set as King, be not sad, kings of the earth, as if your excellency were taken from you, but rather "understand and be instructed." For it is expedient for you, that you should be under Him, by whom understanding and instruction are given you. And this is expedient for you, that you lord it not with rashness, but that you "serve the Lord" of all "with fear," and "rejoice" in bliss most sure and most pure, with all caution and carefulness, lest you fall therefrom into pride.
He who remains in the fear of God remains in holiness.
He wants devotion, not coercion … because to obey is more sublime than to yield simply to duty.
If you remember the Judge only when you are in difficulties as one who inspires fear and who is incorruptibly honest, then you have not as yet learned to "serve the Lord in fear and to rejoice in him with trembling." For understand this point …
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 5:2.10 · Written before 380.
proposed
Even your very rejoicings therefore ought to be done with fear and trembling, for a Christian who is faithful ought to repeat neither a heathen hymn nor an obscene song, because he will be obliged by that hymn to make mention of the idolatrous names of demons; and instead of the Holy Spirit, the wicked one will enter into him.
10 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The fear of God avails for introducing the rectitude of divine justice. "The fear of the Lord drives out sin. For he who is without fear cannot be justified." Injustice does not enter the soul except through sin: but the first justification of the soul …
Then when he says, "serve": after understanding, he fittingly sets forth service, because the service of God, which is latria, is the profession of faith. And therefore one must first believe, and afterward confess and serve: Rom. 10: "With the heart one believes unto justice, …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Fear - With an awful sense of his great and glorious majesty. Rejoice - Do not esteem his yoke your dishonour and grievance; but rejoice in this inestimable grace and benefit. Trembling - This is added to warn them of taking heed that they do not turn this grace of God into wantonness.
Our salvation must be wrought out with fear and trembling, Phil. ii. We ought to rejoice in the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, but to rejoice with trembling, with a holy awe of him, a holy fear for ourselves, lest we come short, and a tender concern for the many precious souls to whom his gospel and kingdom are a savour of death unto death.
Serve the Lord with fear,.... Not the creature, neither more, nor besides, nor with the Creator; God and mammon cannot both be served; nor any fictitious and nominal deities, the idols of the Gentiles, who are not gods by nature; but the true Jehovah, the one and only Lord God, he only is to be worshipped and served, even Father, Son, and Spirit.
This psalm, as the former, is very fitly prefixed to this book of devotions, because, as it is necessary to our acceptance with God that we should be subject to the precepts of his law, so it is likewise that we should be subject to the grace of his gospel, and come to him in the name of a Mediator.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
kings . . . judges--For rulers generally (Ps 148:11), who have been leaders in rebellion, should be examples of penitent submission, and with fear for His terrible judgments, mingled with trust in His mercy, acknowledge--
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The scene again changes, and counsel is given to those who have taken counsel to rebel. They are exhorted to obey, and give the kiss of homage and affection to him whom they have hated. "Be wise." —It is always wise to be willing to be instructed, especially when such instruction tends to the salvation of the soul. "Be wise now, therefore;" delay no longer, but let good reason weigh with you. Your warfare cannot succeed, therefore desist and yield cheerfully to him who will make you bow if you refuse his yoke. O how wise, how infinitely wise is obedience to Jesus, and how dreadful is the folly of those who continue to be his enemies! "Serve the Lord with fear;" let reverence and humility be mingled with your service. He is a great God, and ye are but puny creatures; bend ye, therefore, in lowly worship, and let a filial fear mingle with all your obedience to the great Father of the Ages. "Rejoice with trembling, "—There must ever be a holy fear mixed with the Christian's joy. This is a sacred compound, yielding a sweet smell, and we must see to it that we burn no other upon the altar. Fear, without joy, is torment; and joy, without holy fear, would be presumption. Mark the solemn argument for reconciliation and obedience. It is an awful thing to perish in the midst of sin, in the very way of rebellion; and yet how easily could his wrath destroy us suddenly. It needs not that his anger should be heated seven times hotter; let the fuel kindle but a little, and we are consumed. O sinner! Take heed of the terrors of the Lord; for "our God is a consuming fire." Note the benediction with which the Psalm closes:— "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Have we a share in this blessedness? Do we trust in him? Our faith may be slender as a spider's thread; but if it be real, we are in our measure blessed.
The scene again changes, and counsel is given to those who have taken counsel to rebel. They are exhorted to obey, and give the kiss of homage and affection to him whom they have hated. "Be wise." —It is always wise to be willing to be instructed, especially when such instruction tends to the salvation of the soul. "Be wise now, therefore;" delay no longer, but let good reason weigh with you. Your warfare cannot succeed, therefore desist and yield cheerfully to him who will make you bow if you refuse his yoke.
Serve the Lord with fear - A general direction to all men. Fear God with that reverence which is due to his supreme majesty. Serve him as subjects should their sovereign, and as servants should their master. Rejoice with trembling - If ye serve God aright, ye cannot but be happy; but let a continual filial fear moderate all your joys. Ye must all stand at last before the judgment-seat of God; watch, pray, believe, work, and keep humble.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
and rejoice with quaking When the quaking, about which it is written (Isa.:14): “Trembling seized the flatterers,” comes, you will rejoice and be happy if you have served the Lord.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And now, [you] kings, be wise The Jewish prophets are merciful people. They reprove the heathens to turn away from their evil, for the Holy One, blessed be He, extends His hand to the wicked and to the righteous.
Arm yourselves with purity Arm yourselves with purity of the heart. Some explain נשקו as garnimont in Old French, equipping. (This is from the verb, garnir. Garnimont means to provide, as in Gen.:40). Menachem (p.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עִבְד֣וּ | ʾivdu | serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּיִרְאָ֑ה | beyirah | with fear | H3374 → | 45 times |
| וְ֝גִ֗ילוּ | vegilu | and rejoice | H1523 → | 45 times |
| בִּרְעָדָֽה׃ | biradah | with trembling | H7461 → | 6 times |
עִבְד֣וּserve
ʾivduH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּיִרְאָ֑הwith fear
beyirahH3374 →45 times
וְ֝גִ֗ילוּand rejoice
vegiluH1523 →45 times
בִּרְעָדָֽה׃with trembling
biradahH7461 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 2:12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 1:5–10
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
- Luke 13:23–24
“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Hebrews 4:11
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- 2 Peter 1:5–10
Through
Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if…
it leads to
- Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- Hebrews 8:5
Through
Psalms 89:7In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared, and awesome above all who surround Him.
it leads to
- Psalms 47:2
How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!
- Psalms 76:7–11
You alone are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You?
- Psalms 47:2
Where this verse is studied
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About Psalms
This page draws on 17 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 5:2.10; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 2; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Evagrius Ponticus, CHAPTERS ON PRAYER 143; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Peter Chrysologus, SERMON 80; Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 2:11 and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.