“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 2:12 Mean?
Psalm 2 concludes with a command: kiss the Son. The kiss is an act of submission, allegiance, and worship. In the ancient world, kissing the feet or hand of a ruler was a sign of loyalty and surrender.
"Lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way" — the anger is real. The Son — the anointed king of verse 6 — has authority that, if resisted, leads to destruction. The perishing is from the way — losing your path entirely.
"When his wrath is kindled but a little" — even a small kindling of divine wrath is devastating. The warning is: you do not want to experience even a fraction of what his anger can do.
"Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" — the psalm ends not with threat but with blessing. The command to kiss the Son is not just warning. It is invitation. Those who trust him are blessed. The submission produces not oppression but blessing.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'kissing the Son' mean as an act of submission and allegiance?
- 2.How does 'even a little' of divine wrath serve as a serious warning?
- 3.How does the psalm moving from warning to blessing describe the choice before every person?
- 4.Where are you resisting the Son rather than trusting him — and what would trust look like?
Devotional
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry. The command is ancient and straightforward: submit. Honor. Pledge allegiance. The Son — the anointed king set upon Zion's hill — demands a response. Ignoring him is not neutral. It is rebellion.
Lest ye perish from the way. The consequence of refusing the Son is not just inconvenience. It is perishing — losing your direction entirely. Walking off the path into destruction.
When his wrath is kindled but a little. A little. Even a small expression of divine wrath is enough to destroy. You do not want to find out what full wrath looks like. The warning is proportional: even a little is too much.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. The psalm ends with blessing — not threat. The same Son whose wrath is fearful is the Son whose shelter is blessed. The choice is simple: resist and perish, or trust and be blessed.
The psalm that began with raging nations ends with a quiet benediction. The noise of rebellion gives way to the peace of trust. The kings who plotted are warned. The humble who trust are blessed.
Kiss the Son. It is not servile. It is wise. The one you submit to is the one who blesses. The wrath is for the rebellious. The blessing is for those who trust.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Kiss the Son,.... The Son of God, spoken of in Psa 2:7; the word used is so rendered in Pro 31:2; and comes from another…
Kiss the Son - Him whom God hath declared to be his Son Psa 2:7, and whom, as such, he has resolved to set as King on…
We have here the practical application of this gospel doctrine concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, by way of…
Kiss the Son According to this rendering the exhortation to serve Jehovah is followed by an exhortation to pay homage to…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture