Psalm II

I think the second psalm generates a similar feeling for its original readers and for the early Americans that of assurance, "God is on their side". The Jews and early Americans faced slightly different problems and that is where I think the psalm could take on a different meaning from each group. America was fighting over land with the Native Americans, but there is also the tension between the Americans and British over independence.

In our translation the psalm uses the word nations, but the Bay Psalm Book the word used is heathen. Now heathen has a negative connotation, and I think of it as something like savage; however, heathen originally meant a person who isn't Christian or of any religion. I think in this cause we can guess that heathen refers to anyone not Christian. The Native Americans were not Christian, and with this psalm the Americans could have rationalized their taking of the Indians land. In the psalm God says "Aske thou of me, and I will give the Heathen for thy lot." It's as if god has said "Go and take their land. I'm giving to you."

Another change that generates feelings relevant to the American Revolution is the wording of line three. This line in my opinion is very ambiguous, but the the Bay Psalm Book seems less so. When it states "their cords bee from us throwne", I get the impression the "us" has been imprisoned, and God's power will help to them escape. Similarly the Americans have been subjugated by the British and hope that God will be on their side and help to save them.

Finally on line 12 of the Bay Psalm Book it says "kisse yee the Sonne", which I think may refer to Jesus the son of God. If this is the case, it illustrates Christianity's rise and also gives us an idea of the beliefs held by the Americans at this time.

This feeling of assurance I think can also be seen in other early American ideas such as Manifest Destiny. These ideas about God persist even today as evident in Bob Dylan's song "With God on Our Side" which is posted below with the lyrics, and also in George Carlin's routine "God Bless America", also posted below.



With God On Our Side
Oh my name it is nothin'/ My age it means less/The country I come from/ Is called the Midwest/ I's taught and brought up there/ The laws to abide/ And that land that I live in/ Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it/ They tell it so well/ The cavalries charged/ The Indians fell/ The cavalries charged/ The Indians died/ Oh the country was young/ With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American/ War had its day/ And the Civil War too/ Was soon laid away/ And the names of the heroes/ I's made to memorize/ With guns in their hands/ And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys/ It closed out its fate/ The reason for fighting/ I never got straight/ But I learned to accept it/ Accept it with pride/ For you don't count the dead/ When God's on your side.

When the Second World War/ Came to an end/ We forgave the Germans/ And we were friends/ Though they murdered six million/ In the ovens they fried/ The Germans now too/ Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians/ All through my whole life/ If another war starts/ It's them we must fight/ To hate them and fear them/ To run and to hide/ And accept it all bravely/ With God on my side.
But now we got weaponsOf the chemical dustIf fire them we're forced toThen fire them we mustOne push of the buttonAnd a shot the world wideAnd you never ask questionsWhen God's on your side.

In a many dark hour/ I've been thinkin' about this That Jesus Christ/ Was betrayed by a kiss/ But I can't think for you/ You'll have to decide/ Whether Judas Iscariot/ Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'/ I'm weary as Hell/ The confusion I'm feelin'/ Ain't no tongue can tell/ The words fill my head/ And fall to the floor/ If God's on our side/ He'll stop the next war.