Skip to content

Psalms 62

Chapter Text

My Soul Finds Rest in God

Summary

Psalm 62 is a psalm of quiet trust and patient waiting. David declares that his soul waits only upon God, from whom comes his salvation. God alone is his rock, salvation, and defense; he shall not be greatly moved. His enemies conspire to cast him down, blessing with their mouths but cursing inwardly.

David repeats his confession of trust: 'My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.' He counsels all people to pour out their hearts before God, warns against trusting in oppression, riches, or robbery, and declares that power and mercy belong unto the Lord.

Meaning

The repeated word 'only' in this psalm is its theological key. David's trust is not in God plus human strategies but in God alone. This exclusive dependence is the hallmark of mature faith.

The warning against trusting in wealth or power teaches that even legitimate blessings become idols when they compete with God for the heart's ultimate confidence. The psalm's closing affirmation that power and mercy both belong to God resolves a tension humans often feel: the God of justice is also the God of compassion.

Background

Attributed to David and directed to Jeduthun, one of the chief temple musicians. The psalm's meditative, almost silent quality ('truly my soul waiteth upon God') suggests deep contemplation rather than public lament.

Its emphasis on waiting in silence before God has made it a treasured resource for contemplative prayer and a corrective to anxious, striving spirituality.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-2The Soul's Silent Trust in God
  2. vv. 3-4The Treachery of Enemies
  3. vv. 5-7Renewed Confession of God as Rock
  4. vv. 8Invitation to Pour Out the Heart
  5. vv. 9-10The Vanity of Men and Riches
  6. vv. 11-12Power and Mercy Belong to God

Key Verses

“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.”— 62:1

Sets the keynote of the psalm — silent, restful trust in God alone. The Hebrew suggests the soul is 'silent' before God, a posture of complete dependence.

“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.”— 62:2

A core confession of God's exclusive sufficiency, echoing the rock imagery of Deuteronomy 32. The refrain is repeated in verse 6 for emphasis.

“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”— 62:8

A pastoral invitation extending David's personal trust to the whole community, frequently quoted in calls to honest, unguarded prayer.

“God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”— 62:11

A wisdom-style numerical saying affirming that strength is God's alone, paired in verse 12 with mercy — a rare doctrinal coupling of divine power and steadfast love.

People & Places

People

  • David — The psalmist and king of Israel, writing under pressure from enemies who plot his downfall.
  • Jeduthun — One of David's chief musicians appointed over temple worship, to whom this psalm is dedicated.

Devotional

Psalm 62 invites a quiet kind of strength. David is surrounded by people who flatter to his face and curse behind his back, yet his first move is not to defend himself but to grow still before God. That stillness is not passivity — it is the deep certainty that God alone is rock, refuge, and reward.

Verse 8 turns the lesson outward: pour out your heart before him. Honest prayer, not polished prayer, is what God invites. When riches rise or enemies press, the anchor holds because it is fastened to the One who is both powerful and merciful.

Literary Style

Hebrew devotional lyric poetry with wisdom overtones, marked by repeated refrains (vv. 1–2, 5–7), the liturgical pause 'Selah,' and a closing numerical saying ('once... twice') characteristic of wisdom literature. Parallelism and rock-imagery dominate.