Psalms 62:1

PSALM 62

GOD, THE ONLY REFUGE FROM TREACHERY AND FALSEHOOD

SUPERSCRIPTION: FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN; AFTER THE MANNER OF JEDUTHUN.

A PSALM OF DAVID.

Jeduthun. In 1 Chronicles 25:1-4, we learn that Jeduthun and five of his sons were among the honored singers of Israel, having charge of the music.

A Psalm of David. As Leupold said, "There is nothing in the psalm which makes it difficult to accept the authorship of David."[1] As a matter of fact, we would recognize David as the writer of this psalm, even if there was no superscription. The entire psalm reads like an anthology of David's favorite expressions, metaphors and other characteristic word and images found in his writings.

Note the following: "my rock," "my salvation," "my high tower" (Psalms 62:2); and again, "my rock," "my salvation," and "my high tower" (Psalms 62:6); "my strength," "my refuge" (Psalms 62:7); "trust in him (God) at all times" "God is a refuge for us" (Psalms 62:8); "men are vanity ... vanity" (Psalms 62:9); "oppression of enemies," "riches not to be trusted," (Psalms 62:10), and "To the Lord belongeth lovingkindness" (Psalms 62:12). Any of these words and expressions constitutes what almost amounts to a Davidic signature; and all of them together appearing in a single short psalm makes it practically impossible to deny the production as Davidic.

It seems quite impossible to pinpoint any particular occasion which might have prompted these lines.

"There is an element of lamentation in the psalm at the beginning, and a didactic purpose at the end; but the dominant note of trust and confidence is evident throughout the psalm."[2] It is one of the few psalms in which there is no prayer or petition.

The organization of the psalm is that of Leupold.

I. Resigned to God, Despite Cruel assailants (Psalms 62:1-4).

II. Resigned, and Others Invited to Resign to God (Psalms 62:5-8).

III. Futility of All Help, Other than God's (Psalms 62:9-12).

RESIGNATION IN THE FACE OF CRUEL ASSAILANTS

Psalms 62:1-4

"My soul waiteth in silence for God only;

From him cometh my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation:

He is my high tower; I shall not be greatly moved.

How long will ye set upon a man,

That ye may slay him, all of you,

Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

They only consult to thrust him down from his dignity;

They delight in lies;

They bless with their month, but they curse inwardly.

(Selah)"

The recurrence of the word "only" is of interest in this psalm (Psalms 62:1,2,4,5.6, and 9). This word also distinguishes Psalms 39, where it occurs four times, stressing the similarity of these psalms, which Delitzsch designated "twins."

Jones has this to say about the use of "only" here.

"Only with God does the soul find rest (Psalms 62:1), because God only is the rock (Psalms 62:2), from which the psalmist can designate as vain those whose only desire is to cast him down (Psalms 62:4); this is the foundation from which he turns to God only (Psalms 62:5), because God only is his reliable helper (Psalms 62:6), all men are only a vapor (Psalms 62:9)."[3]

Kidner stated that the word "only" stands at the head of no less than five verses. "This emphasizes, or underlines the word; and the persistent repetition of it gives the psalm a tone of special earnestness."[4]

"My soul waiteth for God only" (Psalms 62:1). Fully in keeping with what David has frequently written, he considered the help of man as worthless. Without God, all the human help on earth could avail nothing.

This first verse is almost impossible to translate, as witnessed by the disagreement of the versions. Leupold stated that the Hebrew is literally, "Only unto God silence my soul."[5]

Only in God does my soul rest. (The Douay Version)

For God alone my soul waits in silence. (RSV)

Truly my soul waiteth upon God. (KJV)

I wait patiently for God to save me. (The Good News Bible)

My soul finds rest in God alone. (NIV)

Only in God do I encounter peace. (translated from Dios Habla Hoy)

Shall not my soul be subjected to God? (LXX)

We like the Douay Version of the Bible as perhaps the most meaningful, a meaning which is almost repeated in the NIV, and similarly expressed in the Spanish Version. This is actually the thought behind Augustine's famous words, "Our souls, O God, were made for thee; and never shall they rest until they rest in thee."

"I shall not be greatly moved" (Psalms 62:2). This does not say that the psalmist shall not be `moved,' but that he shall not be `greatly moved.' As Spurgeon put it, "He might be `moved,' but not `removed.'"[6]

"How long will you set upon a man" (Psalms 62:3)? "This means `to storm in upon a man with threatening gestures.' The same words in the Arabic imply `coming in with cries and raised fists.'"[7]

"That ye may slay him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence" (Psalms 62:3). We find ourselves in disagreement here with most of the scholars whose works we have consulted, the general view being that David here likens himself to "a leaning wall or tottering fence." However, the proximity of this metaphor to "all of you" simply does not indicate that application. We think the opponents of the psalmist are here compared to a leaning wall or tottering fence. In a psalm so expressive of trust and confidence in God, it is totally unreasonable to place this metaphor in David's mouth. We appreciate Ash's comment on this:

"The wall could refer to the enemies."[8] Jamieson also agreed that this application of the words to the psalmists enemies, "makes good sense."[9]

"Their only (purpose) was to thrust him down from his dignity" (Psalms 62:4). In language appropriate in the mouth of a king, the psalmist shifts to the third person in speaking of himself, the word `dignity,' indicating a position of high honor and authority.