Psalms 62

David, pressed by enemies who want to topple him, declares that God alone is his rest, rock and refuge. He turns to urge the people to trust God at all times and not to lean on human greatness or wealth. The psalm closes with the truth that power and steadfast love both belong to God, who judges fairly.

Psalms 62:1

David begins with a quiet confidence: his soul rests in God alone. The rest is not a mood he produces. It is a stillness before God, and his rescue comes from Him. Everything else in the psalm grows out of this opening.

BSA: rest (“waiteth in silence, keeps still”): The rest is a hushed waiting on God, where the restless soul stops striving and listens. alone (“the only true deity, my Rock”): God is the only one who can bear the weight of the soul’s trust.

Hebrew: דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, H1747) — “silence, stillness.” The Hebrew word suggests a silent, quiet waiting. David’s soul is hushed before God, not anxious or complaining.

See also: Psalm 37:7.

Psalms 62:2

David piles up pictures of safety: a rock, a salvation, a fortress. Each says that God is solid, high and out of the enemy’s reach. Because God is steady, David can say he will never be shaken in the final sense.

BSA: fortress (“defense, shelter”): God is a stronghold set high above attackers, a place to be safe in. shaken (“greatly moved, defeated”): David may be rattled, but he will not be overthrown, since his footing is God.

Psalms 62:3

David turns to his attackers and asks how long they will keep it up. They treat him as a wall already leaning, one more shove from falling. Their pressure is real, and the question shows he feels it.

BSA: threaten (“imagine mischief against, design evil”): The attack begins in the mind, with scheming before any blow lands.

Psalms 62:4

The plot is to pull David down from his high position. His enemies enjoy lying, and they hide hatred behind kind words. They bless with the mouth and curse in the heart. David names plainly the double-faced talk he faces.

BSA: lofty perch (“his high position, his dignity”): They resent the place God gave him and want to ruin his standing. inwardly (“in their hearts, secretly”): Their real feelings are hidden behind pleasant speech.

See also: Psalm 28:3.

Psalms 62:5

David repeats verse 1 and speaks to his own soul, telling it to rest in God. Faith is sometimes a decision we preach to ourselves. His hope does not come from circumstances but from God, who is its source.

BSA: hope (“expectation, confidence”): It is a settled expectation of good from God, more than wishful thinking. Rest (“wait in silence, be still”): He commands his soul to hush its worries and wait on God.

See also: Psalm 42:5.

Psalms 62:6

The refrain returns almost word for word, with one small change. In verse 2 David said he would never be shaken. Here he simply says he will not be shaken. His confidence is humbler, yet still firm, as he rests again on God.

BSA: rock (“high tower, defense”): God is a place of height and strength where an enemy cannot reach.

Psalms 62:7

David now says that even his honor rests on God. His salvation and his good name are not guarded by his own strength. He piles up the words rock and refuge, so that everything he has is placed on God’s care.

BSA: honor (“glory, dignity”): His standing before others, which enemies attack, is kept safe by God. refuge (“high tower, place of safety”): God is a lofty shelter to run into.

Psalms 62:8

David’s private trust becomes a call to everyone. Trust God at all times, not just when things are easy. We may pour out every feeling, fear and complaint before Him, because He is a refuge for us all.

BSA: pour out (“freely express, fully surrender”): Honest prayer holds nothing back and empties the heart into God’s hands. at all times (“in every situation, always”): Trust is not for crises only but for every season.

Hebrew: שִׁפְכוּ (shifkhu, H8210) — “pour out.” This is the word for pouring water out of a vessel. Prayer here means emptying the heart completely before God.

See also: 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 142:2.

Psalms 62:9

Over against God, David sets human beings, rich or poor. Both are only a breath. Put on a scale, they weigh less than nothing. Neither the common man nor the great one can carry the trust that belongs to God.

BSA: vapor (“a breath, something fleeting”): People are brief and light, here one moment and gone the next. lie (“unreliable, false”): The great promise support, but they fail those who lean on them.

Hebrew: הֶבֶל (hevel, H1892) — “breath, vapor.” This is the same word Ecclesiastes translates as vanity. It pictures breath fogging in the cold air and then gone.

See also: Psalm 146:3; James 4:14.

Psalms 62:10

David warns against gaining wealth by crime and then trusting it. Money can also become a false security when honestly earned. Even when riches grow, the heart must not fasten itself to them.

BSA: extortion (“oppression, wrongful gain”): Wealth taken by force from others is both sinful and unreliable. set (“fix, establish”): The warning is against anchoring the heart on riches as if they could hold it.

See also: 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 6:19-21.

Psalms 62:11

David speaks of something he has taken in deeply. God said it once, and David heard it twice, as though it was driven home. The message is that power belongs to God. He, not any enemy or rich man, is the one in control.

BSA: power (“strength, might, and authority”): All real strength is God’s, whatever strength others seem to have. twice (“repeatedly and emphatically”): The truth was pressed home so it could not be missed.

See also: Psalm 59:17.

Psalms 62:12

Power alone might frighten us, but David adds that loving devotion is also God’s. He is both strong and kind. He also repays each person by what he has done, so justice is certain. The oppressed can trust Him and the wicked should take heed.

BSA: loving devotion (“merciful kindness, faithful love”): God’s strength is joined to a faithful love that does not let go. repay (“render, reward”): God sets things right, giving each person what their deeds deserve.

Hebrew: חֶסֶד (chesed, H2617) — “steadfast love, covenant loyalty.” This word means love that keeps its promises. It is God’s loyal, faithful kindness toward His people.

See also: Romans 2:6; Proverbs 24:12.