Psalms 62:1

Truly my soul waiteth upon God,.... In the use of means, for answers of prayer, for performance of promises, and for deliverance from enemies, and out of every trouble: or "is silent" (e), as the

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. Psalms 62:1-12.-Three strophes, marked by Selah at Psalms 62:4; Psalms 62:8. Each begins with "Only;" (Psalms 62:1, margin; Psalms 62:5; Psalms 62:9).

Psalms 62 This Psalm was made in a time of great danger and distress, or at least with respect to it, as is manifest from ,4. To Jeduthun, a famous musician; of whom see 16:42. Heb. upon Jeduthun; which might be the name of a musical instrument or tune, invented by that Jeduthun, and therefore called by his name. David testifieth his safety and quietness in God, to the discouragement of his enemies, , but to the encouragement of the godly, . No trust to be put in man, or worldly things; but in God, ,10, to whom power, mercy, and justice belong, ,12. Truly, or surely. This is my certain and fixed resolution. Or, nevertheless, as this particle is oft rendered. So the beginning of this Psalm is abrupt, as it is in some and hard conflict, which David had within himself, as he often had, what course he should take to get out of his trouble. Waiteth, Heb. is silent, as it is also , i.e. silently. quietly, and patiently looks up to God for deliverance, and that in his time and way without murmuring or despair, or using indirect and sinful practices. From him cometh my salvation; I have no hope hope of deliverance but from and by him.

Psalms 62:1 « To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. » Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him [cometh] my salvation.A Psalm of David] Who being well assured that his prayers in the former psalm were heard, and should be answered, breaketh forth into his triumphant profession of his faith. Lo, here the happy fruit of faithful and fervent prayer. Ver. 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God] Waiting is nothing else but hope and trust lengthened; and hereof David giveth us an excellent example in his own person, Idque tanta tamque vegeta cum magnitudine animi, cui ipsae quoque sententiae et voces respondent, and with so good a courage set forth in suitable expressions, that he who hath this psalm by heart, and hath laid it to his heart, cannot but be transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 3:18. From him cometh my salvation] Take it in the full extent, not only as it signifieth the privative part of man’ s happiness, but the positive part also, and preservation therein.

(1) Waiteth upon God.—Literally, unto God (is) silence my soul. (Comp. Psalms 22:2; Psalms 39:2; Psalms 65:1.) The LXX. and Vulg., “shall be in subjection to,” which no doubt gives one side of the feeling; but another may be illustrated by Wordsworth’s— “The holy time is quiet as a nun Breathless with adoration.”

PSALM LXII David, in imminent danger, flees to God for help and safety, 1, 2; points out the designs of his adversaries, 3, 4; encourages his soul to wait on God, 5-8; shows the vanity of trusting in man, and of trusting in riches, 9, 10; and concludes with asserting that power and mercy belong to God, and that he will give to every man according to his works, 11, 12. NOTES ON PSALM LXII The title, "To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun," may mean that the Psalm was sent to him who was the chief or leader of the band of the family of Jeduthun. It appears that Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, were chief singers in the time of David; that they, with their families, presided over different departments of the vocal and instrumental worship in the tabernacle, 1 Chronicles 25:1, c. that they were holy men, full of the Divine Spirit, (a thing very rare among singers and performers in these latter days,) and that they prophesied with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals; that Jeduthun had six sons thus employed; that himself prophesied with a harp to give thanks and praise to God, 1 Chronicles 25:3; and that the sons of Jeduthun were appointed by lot to the different courses. The eighth course fell to his son Jeshaiah, 1 Chronicles 25:15; the twelfth, to Hashabiah, 1 Chronicles 25:19; and the fourteenth, to Mattithiah, 1 Chronicles 25:21. Will our modern performers on instruments of music in churches and chapels, pretend to the prophetic influence? If they do not, and cannot, how dare they quote such passages in vindication of their practice, which can be no better than a dulcet noise without its original meaning, and alien from its primary use? Do they indeed prophesy with harps, and psalteries, and cymbals? or with their play-house aggregate of fiddles and flutes, bass-viols and bassoons, clarionets and kettle-drums? Away with such trumpery and pollution from the worship and Church of Christ! Though it is not very clear from the Psalm itself on what occasion it was composed, yet it is most likely it was during the rebellion of Absalom; and perhaps at the particular time when David was obliged to flee from Jerusalem. Verse 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God] I do not think that the original will warrant this translation, אך אל אלהים דומיה נפשי ak el Elohim dumiyah naphshi, "Surely to God only is my soul dumb." I am subject to God Almighty. He has a right to lay on me what he pleases; and what he lays on me is much less than I deserve: therefore am I dumb before God. The Vulgate, and almost all the Versions, have understood it in this sense: Nonne Deo subjecta erit anima mea? Shall not my soul be subject to God? In other words, God alone has a right to dispose of my life as he pleases.

1–4. Patiently the Psalmist awaits God’s help, and remonstrates with his enemies for their malice and hypocrisy.

Truly - Indeed; really. The state of mind indicated by this particle is that of one who had been seriously contemplating a subject; who had looked round on his own actual condition; who had taken an

1. Truly—The word occurs six times in this psalm, and is translated truly, Psalms 62:1; only, Psalms 62:2; Psalms 62:4-6; and surely, Psalms 62:9.