Tehillim
ב
לָמָּה רָגְשׁוּ גוֹיִם וּלְאֻמִּים יֶהְגוּ־רִֽיק: יִתְיַצְּבוּ ׀ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ וְרוֹזְנִים נֽוֹסְדוּ־יָחַד עַל־ה' וְעַל־מְשִׁיחֽוֹ: נְֽנַתְּקָה אֶת־מֽוֹסְרוֹתֵימוֹ וְנַשְׁלִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ עֲבֹתֵֽימוֹ: יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק אֲדֹנָי יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ: אָז יְדַבֵּר אֵלֵימוֹ בְאַפּוֹ וּבַֽחֲרוֹנוֹ יְבַֽהֲלֵֽמוֹ: וַֽאֲנִי נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי עַל־צִיּוֹן הַר־קָדְשִֽׁי: אֲסַפְּרָה אֶל חֹק ה' אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ: שְׁאַל מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶתְּנָה גוֹיִם נַֽחֲלָתֶךָ וַֽאֲחֻזָּתְךָ אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ: תְּרֹעֵֽם בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל כִּכְלִי יוֹצֵר תְּנַפְּצֵֽם: וְעַתָּה מְלָכִים הַשְׂכִּילוּ הִוָּסְרוּ שֹׁפְטֵי אָֽרֶץ: עִבְדוּ אֶת־ה' בְּיִרְאָה וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה: נַשְּׁקוּ־בַר פֶּן־יֶאֱנַף ׀ וְתֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ כִּֽי־יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֹ אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חוֹסֵי בֽוֹ:
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Hashem and against his anointed, saying “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: Ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned o rulers of the earth. Serve Hashem with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
One of the most controversial tehillim between Christians and Jews for a long time is Tehillim perek
ב
, most specifically posek
יב
. Modern Judaism has consistently held to its position that the two Hebrew words in posek
יב
, “Nashku Bar” [
נשקו בר
] can only be rendered as “worship in purity” or a variation thereof, and is thus so translated in all Tenachim that are published under traditional Jewish authority and supervision.
At the heart of this controversy, is the translation of the word Nashku from the Hebrew root
נ-ש-ק
(to kiss). A consultation with any Hebrew dictionary or Biblical lexicon makes clear that Nashku means, “to kiss” and never anything else. The traditional Jewish rendering of Nashku as “worship” is not the Pshat translation [simple, literal meaning] but is in actuality a Perush (an exegesis). Although a translation commentary does have its place in Biblical exegesis such as the Targums and the various Midrashic collections, it is not a proper or correct substitution for an accurate literal word-by-word rendering of the Hebrew text.
Now that the meaning of Nashku has been firmly established, we will now carefully scrutinize the following word in the clause in question, “Bar” [
בר
]. While “Bar” in Hebrew means purity and nothing else, there is no reason to assume that “Ben” [
בן
], the Hebrew word for son and “Bar,” the Aramaic word for son, were not both in contemporary usage in Eretz Yisroel. This assumption can be made most safely in light of the numerous uncertainties in our knowledge of the spread and usage of Aramaic, especially since this perek was probably written after the return from Bavel, where Aramaic became the daily Jewish language. Notwithstanding, in Mishlei, a relatively contemporary literary production to the Tehillim, the Aramaic “Bar” is used for son three times in one posek (Mishlei
לא, ב
). Furthermore, there is a strictly literary consideration involved here. If the author of this perek in Tehillim had used the Hebrew word for son, “Ben”, rather than the Aramaic “Bar,” there would have arisen a problem in alliteration and dissonance because the next word in the posek following “Ben” would have been “Pen [
פן
],” thus producing the linguistically awkward “Ben Pen!”
Furthermore, the entire perek of Tehillim
ב
is regarded by Jews as Messianic, being that this prophetic Tehillim pertains to the Moshiach and specifically designates him “G-d’s Son” in verse seven. (Corroborated the Talmud, Sukkah 52A). “Our Rabbis taught, ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu will say to the Moshiach ben Dovid, may he reveal himself speedily in our days: ‘Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee,’ as it is said, ‘I will tell the decree, this day have I begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance…’” It is both logical and consistent to assume that he is also referred to as “Son” in posek
יב
. Ibn Ezra, the renowned medieval exegete, expounds the passage with the following words: “‘Serve ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu’ refers to Hashem and ‘Kiss the Son’ refers to the Moshiach; and the signification ‘Bar,’ Son, is as we find it in Mishlei
לא, ב
, ‘what my Son, etc.’”
Also we find in the Zohar, vol. 3, p. 307 (Amsterdam Edition): “Thou are the faithful Shepherd, concerning thee it is said ‘kiss the Son,’ thou are the mighty one of the earth, the G-d of Israel, the master of the serving Angels, the son of the Highest, the son of ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu, yea, the Shechinah. It is said with reference to Dovid, in Shmuel
ב
perek
יב
posek
יג
: ‘Ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu has put away your sin; you will not die.’ Through the Redeemer from destruction, was David reconciled to ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu.”
Although it may be difficult for us to swallow our pride and admit that our people have been missing the idea that Hashem could have a son, we have to take the truth we learn from this perek from Tehillim and consider it carefully. It clearly tells us that if ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu has a son, then we are obligated to believe in, worship, and serve him. Yeshua both claimed and proved himself to be the Son of ha-Kodesh Baruch Hu, so we must take this claim very seriously.
