Psalm 2/Notes/Verbal.v. 7.379233
Modern English translations agree that the qatal verb יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ refers to an event which, from the perspective of the speaker (YHWH), is past and has continuing relevance in the present: "I have fathered you today." But the qatal could instead be a performative: "I hereby bring you forth / become your father."[1] With performative qatal, "the fact of uttering a given proposition with the verb in the qatal triggers a new state in the speaker’s reality."[2] The meaning would be similar to what we find in 2 Kgs 9:3—"Thus says the LORD, I anoint you (מְשַׁחְתִּיךָֽ) king over Israel" (ESV, cf. NIV, NLT). The adverbial "today," which is often used with qatal verbs to indicate a performative speech act, supports this interpretation (cf. Deut 8:19; 30:18; Jer 40:4).