Bible Commentaries
Psalms 62

Introduction

BOOK II.— PSS. XLII.– LXXII.

Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic, i.e. they use the word God (Elohim) and avoid the proper name Yahweh, probably from motives of reverence. Here and there, however, the name Yahweh has crept into the text by a natural slip of the scribes.

Verses 1-12

LXII. Rest in God.— The Psalmist, who is closely allied in thought and style to the author of Psalms 4, exhorts to complete trust in God. He expresses his trust in Psalms 62:1 f., his rest in Psalms 62:3; in Psalms 62:4 he denounces sinners; in Psalms 62:5-12 he reverts to his original theme, which he states with greater fullness. All other trust is vain. He repeats Psalms 62:1 f. in Psalms 62:5 f., probably as a refrain, though the words may be variants of the same text.

Psalms 62:1 . Read the imperative as in Psalms 62:5, “ Wait in stillness upon God” ( cf. mg.) .

Psalms 62:3 . Omit “ against a man,” which is an erroneous gloss, and read, How long will they cry out and exclaim, as if at a burning wall, a tottering fence?”

Psalms 62:4 . From his excellency: another erroneous gloss. Translate, “ They only consult to throw down,” i.e. the wall. The tottering wall represents the tottering state or community. For this condition of things, his enemies blame the Psalmist, while they themselves are bringing on the catastrophe.