Skip to content
Bible Studies

PSALMS 62

Old Testament Studies
Table of Contents
Previous Section
Next Section

 

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB NKJV NRSV TEV NJB
God Alone A Refuge From Treachery
MT Intro

For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.		 A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God Confidence in God’s Protection Confidence in God’s Protection Hope in God Alone
62:1-2 62:1-2 62:1-2 62:1-2 62:1-2
62:3-4 62:3-4 62:3-4 62:3-4 62:3-4
62:5-8 62:5-7 62:5-7 62:5-7 62:5-7b
        62:7c-8
  62:8 62:8 62:8  
62:9-10 62:9-10 62:9-10 62:9-10 62:9
        62:10
62:11-12 62:11-12 62:11-12 62:11-12 62:11-12

READING CYCLE THREE (see
“Bible
Interpretation Seminar”)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which
means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the
light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not
relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare
your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is
the key to following the original author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every
paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Third paragraph, etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 62:1-2
 1My
soul waits in silence for God only;
 From Him is my salvation.
 2He only is my rock and
my salvation,
 My
stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

62:1-2 This strophe describes the God for whom the psalmist waits in silence (notice
how Ps. 62:1-2 are almost the same as Ps. 62:5-6). He waits patiently for God to act on his behalf
(cf. Ps. 131:2).

  1. from God is his salvation (BDB 447), Ps. 62:1
  2. God only is his rock (BDB 849), Ps. 62:2,6, see note at Ps. 61:2
  3. God only is his salvation, Ps. 62:2,6
  4. God is his stronghold, Ps. 62:2

Because of this God, he shall not be shaken (BDB 556, KB 555, Niphal IMPERFECT,
cf. Ps. 62:6). The phrase in Ps. 62:2 is repeated in 62:6, but 62:2 has added the term “greatly.”
The TEV, NRSV, and JPSOA translate it as “never.”

62:1 “soul” This is nephesh (BDB 659) which denotes the whole person. See
notes at Ps. 13:2; 16:9; and Gen. 35:18 online.

▣ “only” This ADVERB (BDB 36) appears first in the MT in
Ps. 62:1,2,4,5,6,10 for emphasis and a literary way to tie the Psalm together. There is exclusivism
in a faithful lifestyle and a sinful lifestyle (cf. Ps. 62:4,9).

The JPSOA translates it as “truly.” NKJV translates only the first occurrence
as “truly.”

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 62:3-4
 3How
long will you assail a man,
 That
you may murder him, all of you,
 Like
a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
 4They
have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position;
 They delight in falsehood;
 They bless with their mouth,
 But inwardly they curse.  Selah.

62:3-4 This strophe describes the faithless adversaries.

  1. they assail (lit. shout at) ‒ BDB 223, KB 243, Polel IMPERFECT, PLURAL;
    this VERB is found only here in the OT and the meaning is derived from
    an Arabic root
  2. they attempt to murder (lit. scatter) ‒ BDB 953, KB 1283, Pual IMPERFECT;
    NET Bible thinks the VERB should be Piel, “all of you are murderers”
    (p. 927)
  3. they are like (several English translations have Ps. 62:3c refer to the psalmist; NRSV, TEV, NJB,
    JPSOA, REB)

     

    1. a leaning wall ‒ BDB 639, KB 692, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE
    2. a tottering fence ‒ BDB 190, KB 218, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE
  4. they counsel (BDB 419, KB 421, Qal PERFECT) only to thrust another
    down from his high position ‒ BDB 632, KB 673, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT
  5. they delight in falsehood ‒ BDB 953, KB 1280, Qal IMPERFECT
  6. they bless (BDB 138, KB 159, Piel IMPERFECT) with their mouth but
    inwardly curse ‒ BDB 886, KB 1103, Piel IMPERFECT; one wonders if
    James 3:10 comes from this Psalm

By their fruits (Matt. 7:16-20) and words (Matt. 12:34-37) you shall know them.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 62:5-8
 5My
soul, wait in silence for God only,
 For
my hope is from Him.
 6He
only is my rock and my salvation,
 My
stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
 7On
God my salvation and my glory rest;
 The rock of my strength, my refuge
is in God.
 8Trust
in Him at all times, O people;
 Pour
out your heart before Him;
 God
is a refuge for us.  Selah.

62:5-8 Psalm 62:5 and 6 are almost exactly like Ps. 62:1-2. The psalmist describes his actions
as a faithful follower as compared to the faithless followers.

  1. he rests in God’s salvation and glory (“honor,” BDB 458)
  2. he rests (assumed) on God as his rock and strength
  3. he makes God his refuge

Psalm 62:8 changes from an individual focus to a corporate focus (several English
translations make it a separate strophe). It starts out with two IMPERATIVES addressing
the community of faithful followers.

  1. trust in Him at all times ‒ BDB 105, KB 120, Qal IMPERATIVE,
    cf. Ps. 37:3,5; 52:8; Isa. 26:4. The hard part is the phrase, “at all times,” but
    it is the key to real peace and confidence (cf. Ps. 34:1).
  2. pour out your heart before Him ‒ BDB 1049, KB 1629, Qal IMPERATIVE,
    cf. 1 Sam.1:15; Lam. 2:19 (i.e., be honest about your feelings and problems when praying to God; this
    is quite different from “silence” of Ps. 62:1 and 5. Psalm 62:1 and 5 are waiting for God
    to act after prayer and Ps. 62:8 is a call to prayer.)
  3. God is our refuge ‒ God is not only the individual’s source/place of safety, He is the
    community of faith’s source/place of safety!

▣ “Selah” See note at Ps. 3:2; also Intro. to Psalms, VII.

62:5 “for God” In Ps. 62:1 this translation is accurate but here there is an
added initial lamed (not a PREPOSITION), which is emphatic, “God Himself.”

▣ The IMPERATIVE of “be silent” (BDB 198, KB 226, Qal
IMPERATIVE) is used here where the NOUN (BDB 189) is used in Ps. 62:1.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 62:9-10
  9Men
of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie;
 In the balances they go up;
 They are together lighter than
breath.
 10Do
not trust in oppression
 And
do not vainly hope in robbery;
 If
riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

62:9-10 This strophe addresses all humans from different levels of society
(i.e., low degree. . .rank). Without faith/trust in God they are vanity (BDB 210 I) and lies
(BDB 469). The MT has “sons of men” twice. The translations get “low degree”
and “rank” from a similar phrase in Ps. 49:2. The JPSOA has “Men are mere breath;
mortals (BDB 35), illusion,” which rejects the link to Ps. 49:2 as a parallel and interpret
the “sons of Adam” (BDB 9) and “sons of Ish” as parallel and referring
to all humans. To me it does seem that Ps. 62:10 refers to the exploitation of the poor and powerless
by the socially elite of Israel, and Psalm 49 would be a good parallel.

The second statement uses the imagery of commercial scales. In Hebrew that which is heavy
is honorable/valuable; that which is light (i.e., breath, BDB 210 I used twice) is dishonorable.

Psalm 62:10 has three JUSSIVES admonishing the faithless followers.

  1. do not trust in oppression ‒ BDB 105, KB 120, Qal IMPERFECT NEGATED
    used in a JUSSIVE sense
  2. do not vainly hope in robbery ‒ BDB 211, KB 236, Qal IMPERFECT NEGATED
    used in a JUSSIVE sense
  3. do not set your heart on increasing wealth ‒ BDB 1011, KB 1483, Qal
    IMPERFECT NEGATED used in a JUSSIVE sense

Based on this strophe and Ps. 62:4, the people being addressed are members of Israel’s elite
class (i.e., civil, military, commerce).

62:9 “vanity. . .breath” These are both translations of the Hebrew term (BDB 210 I). This
is one of two key terms in Ecclesiastes. See my notes on the word at Eccl. 1:2 online at
www.freebiblecommentary.org.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 62:11-12
 11Once
God has spoken;
 Twice I
have heard this:
 That
power belongs to God;
 12And
lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,
 For
You recompense a man according to his work.

62:11-12 This last strophe addresses the theological issue of how it is that the unrighteous
prosper (cf. Job; Psalms 37 and 73). The Mosaic law attributed wealth, health, and success to covenant
obedience (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-30). The “two ways” (cf. Psalm 1; Deut. 30:15,19)
also asserts the same. However, in reality, often the wealthy are exploitative, greedy, ruthless,
devious manipulators who embody the essence of the Fall: more and more for me at any cost!

We live in an unfair world. God has promised to set it straight. There is a judgment day. One
day we will reap what we have sown (cf. Job 34:11; Ps. 28:4; Proverbs 24:12; Eccl. 12:14; Jer. 17:10;
32:19; Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; 1 Cor. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7-10; 2 Tim. 4:14;
1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 2:23; 20:12; 22:12)! A book that has helped me in this area is Hannah Whithall Smith’s
The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.

62:11 This is an idiom for a well known, often expressed, truth in three parts (i.e., power,
covenant loyalty, and recompense). Because of the Fall, some humans will experience YHWH’s power; some
His lovingkindness! Our actions show who our Father is!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own
interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation.
You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

 

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of
the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. How are Ps. 62:1 and 5 different from Ps. 62:8?
  2. Who is Ps. 62:3c referring to?
  3. Why should Ps. 62:8 be a separate strophe?
  4. Who does Ps. 62:9 address? How is it related to Ps. 49:2?
  5. List the points of what God has spoken and the psalmist has heard several times.

 

Copyright © 2014 Bible
Lessons International

 

Old Testament Studies
Table of Contents
Previous Section
Next Section