How a Medieval Commentary Reimagined the Psalms to Counter Christian Readings

For a millennium, the way Jews have read the Hebrew Bible has been shaped above all by the commentary of Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac, known by the acronym Rashi, who lived in France from about 1040 until 1105. In standard editions, Rashi’s gloss on Psalms 2:1 begins, “Our rabbis interpreted this passage as referring to the king Messiah.” This reading, however, appears to be the work of medieval Christian censors; the original likely began, “Many of the students of Jesus interpreted. . . .” Naturally, Rashi rejects this interpretation, found in the New Testament book of Acts, in favor of a more literal reading.