When Saul was seeking David’s life, Jonathan went to him secretly, and “strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16); and when David’s followers in a fit of blind exasperation threatened to stone him, he “strengthened himself in Jehovah his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). In the face of treacherous plots against his honour and perhaps his life, when his followers are in danger of being carried away by the power of position and wealth, this Psalmist “strengthens himself in God.” With triumphant reiteration he dwells upon the thought of all that God is to him—his rock, his strong rock, his high tower, his refuge, his salvation, his hope; and with this trust in God he contrasts the folly of trusting to man and material resources, and the futility of opposing the will of God.

The trustful confidence and courage of the Psalm is worthy of David. If it is his, it may best be referred to the time of Absalom’s rebellion. It has affinities with Psalms 4, which seems to belong to that time. We might indeed have expected more definite allusions to the rebellion; but at any rate the situation of the Psalmist is not wholly dissimilar. Unscrupulous and hypocritical enemies are seeking to depose him from a position of dignity (3, 4); he has a party of followers to whom he can appeal (8), but some of them, in common with many others who are still wavering, are in danger of being seduced by the show of power and the fair promises of his enemies (cp. Psalm 4:6).

Like Psalms 39 to which it has several points of resemblance, though the situation is wholly different, this Psalm has the name of Jeduthun in the title, but with a different preposition, which seems to mean after the manner of Jeduthun (R.V.), or possibly, set to some melody composed by or called after Jeduthun. Cp. the title of Psalms 77. Jeduthun, who appears to have been also called Ethan (1 Chronicles 15:17 ff), is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16:41 f; Psalm 25:1 ff; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 2 Chronicles 35:15, along with Heman and Asaph, as one of the directors of the Temple music.

The structure of the Psalm is regular. It consists of three equal stanzas.

i. God alone is the Psalmist’s defence. How long will his enemies plot to ruin him (Psalm 62:1-4)?

ii. With slight but significant variations the opening verses are repeated, and those who are on the Psalmist’s side are exhorted to trust in God (Psalm 62:5-8).

iii. It is vain to trust in man and brute force and material wealth. God is a God of strength and love, which are manifested in the justice of His government (Psalm 62:9-12).

1. Truly] The particle ak is characteristic of this Ps., in which it occurs six times, and of Psalms 39, in which it occurs four times. It stands at the beginning of Psalm 62:1-2; Psalm 62:4-6; Psalm 62:9. It may be affirmative, ‘truly,’ ‘surely,’ or restrictive, ‘only.’ Either sense will suit, and possibly the shade of meaning may not always be the same; but ‘only’ appears to be preferable throughout. Literally the line means: Only unto God is my soul silence; unto God alone does my soul look in patient calmness, waiting for the deliverance which will surely come, and can come from Him alone. For such ‘silent’ waiting cp. Psalm 62:5; Psalm 37:7; Psalm 39:2; Lamentations 3:26.

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

2. The same titles my rock, my salvation, my high tower, are combined in Psalm 18:2. The title Rock is frequently used to symbolise the strength, faithfulness, and unchangeableness of Jehovah: here (cp. Psalm 61:7) with the special thought of an asylum in danger.

I shall not be greatly moved] In other words, “though he may fall he shall not lie prostrate” (Psalm 37:24; cp. Proverbs 24:16).

3. How long] For the indignant remonstrance cp. Psalm 4:2, noting also the connexion of that verse with Psalm 62:4; Psalm 62:7; Psalm 62:9 of this Psalm. God is on his side; they cannot harm him; how long will they persist in the futile attempt?

will ye imagine mischief against a man?] This rendering, adopted from Jewish authorities by the scholars upon whom Coverdale largely relied, and passing on from him to the later versions, rests upon an impossible derivation. Render with R.V., following LXX and Vulg., will ye set upon a man. The corresponding Arabic word is said to be still used in Damascus in the sense of ‘to intimidate,’ ‘to threaten with violence.’

ye shall be slain] This is the reading of R. Aaron ben Asher, a famous Jewish scholar of the 10th century, whose authority was generally followed in the West. But the reading of his rival, R. Moses ben Naphtali, which makes the verb active (the difference is one of vowel points only) suits the context better. Render with R.V., that ye may slay him, or better still, returning to the primary meaning of the verb in connexion with the metaphor of the next line,

Battering him, all of you,

Like a toppling wall, like a tottering fence.

The blows of calamity have already taken effect, and they are eager to complete his ruin. Wycliffe gives a graphic rendering of the Vulg.; ‘a wal bowid, and a wal of stoon with out morter cast down.’ “The metaphor of the falling wall is common in Eastern proverbs. ‘The wall is bowing,’ is said of a man at the point of death. ‘By the oppression of the headman the people of that village are a ruined wall.’ ” (Aglen.)

all of you] In contrast to ‘a man’; fur though the Psalmist was not alone (Psalm 62:8) he was the principal object of attack. Cp. 2 Samuel 17:1 ff.

4. Only to thrust him down from his dignity have they taken counsel, delighting in a lie:

With his mouth doth each of them bless, but inwardly they curse.

Their plot is ‘a lie,’ false in its principle and in its aim (Psalm 4:2, note); and they have been guilty of the grossest hypocrisy and duplicity in promoting it. Cp. Psalm 12:2; Psalm 28:3; Psalm 55:21.

5. Only unto God be thou silent, my soul,

For from him cometh my hope.

It is only by constant self-exhortation that the calmness of Psalm 62:1 can be maintained, especially when the recollection of his enemies’ double-faced behaviour stirs his indignation. Cp. Psalm 37:7. ‘My hope’ = ‘my salvation’ (Psalm 62:1), the deliverance which I look for.

5–8. The opening verses are repeated, with slight variations, leading up to an exhortation to the Psalmist’s sympathisers to trust in God.

6. my defence] My high tower, as in Psalm 62:2.

I shall not be moved] Perhaps the omission of ‘greatly’ (Psalm 62:2) marks a growing faith.

7. In God] R.V., With God, lit, upon God (cp. Psalm 7:10, note). It rests with God to deliver him and defend his honour;—his personal reputation and (if the speaker is David) his royal dignity. See Psalm 4:2, note.

is in God] Or, consists in God, is God (Psalm 62:6; Psalm 62:8). Cp. Isaiah 26:4.

8. Render in accordance with the Massoretic punctuation, Trust ye in him at all times, O people. He exhorts his faint-hearted followers, who were in danger of being carried away by the show of power on Absalom’s side. Cp. 2 Samuel 17:2 ff for ‘people’ used of David’s adherents. It is unnecessary to follow the LXX in reading, Trust ye in him, O whole assembly of the people.

pour out your heart] Give free vent to your anxieties: make them all known to God. Cp. Psalm 42:4.

9. Surely] Lit., as before, only. Nought but vanity are men, (nought but) a lie are great men. Only a mere breath which vanishes, an imposture which deludes those who trust them, are all men, whatever may be their rank. For the phrases bnç âdâm, bnç îsh, ‘low’ and ‘high,’ see Psalm 49:2. In Psalm 4:2 Absalom’s followers are termed bnç îsh: waverers would be influenced by seeing the number of leading men on his side. The same phrase nought but vanity is used in Psalm 39:5; Psalm 39:11, to describe the transitoriness and unsubstantiality of man, but the point is wholly different.

to be laid in the balance &c.] In the balances they will go up, they are altogether of vanity. They spring from and consist of mere breath (Isaiah 41:24): put them in the scale, it flies up, for they have no weight or substance. The rendering ‘lighter than vanity’ is possible but less probable.

9–12. Trust in God, I say, and not in man or in material force. God’s strength and love are the guarantee for the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous.

10. The first two lines (cp. Psalm 62:9 a, 11 a, b) are a rhythmical division of what is logically one sentence: put not vain trust in oppression and robbery.’ Do not rely, for you will only be deceived, upon wealth and material resources amassed by violence and wrong, instead of trusting in God (Psalm 62:8). It is a warning against the old temptation to follow might rather than right. ‘Oppression and robbery’ are often coupled. See Leviticus 6:2; Leviticus 6:4; Ezekiel 22:29; and cp. Isaiah 30:12.

if riches increase &c.] Lit. if riches grow, pay no regard. The Psalmist addresses those who were in danger of being tempted to covet the power which wealth brings, no matter what might be the means used for obtaining it. There are indications that social discontent was a factor in the momentary success of Absalom’s rebellion (Psalm 4:6).

11, 12. Once, yea twice, i.e. repeatedly (Job 33:14; Job 40:5) has God spoken and the Psalmist heard (Psalm 85:8) the double truth which supplies the answer to such temptations;

That strength belongeth unto God,

And that unto thee, O Lord, belongeth lovingkindness.

He has the power and He has the will; therefore those who fear Him have nothing to fear. This he emphatically declares to be a truth of revelation, which he has learnt himself from God. “Scit, potest, vult; quid est quod timeamus?”

The sense will be the same if we render, One thing hath God spoken, two things there are that I have heard, and compare for the form of the sentence the numerical proverbs, e.g. Proverbs 6:16 ff; Proverbs 30:15 f.

for thou renderest &c.] The punishment of the wicked and the reward of the faithful attest God’s power and love. See Romans 2:6 ff, where St Paul quotes the words and expands their meaning.