Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 62:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 62:8. Trust in him - ye people — All ye who are faithful to your king, continue to trust in God. The usurper will soon be cast down, and your rightful sovereign restored to his government. Fear not the threatenings of my enemies, for God will be a refuge for us.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 61-64 Longing for God

Far from home, weary, depressed and in danger, David seeks refuge and refreshment with God. He trusts that God will bring him safely back to Jerusalem and give him the strength to carry out his promise to lead God’s people in God’s ways (61:1-5). The people with him add their support to his request (6-7), and David responds that he will always remain faithful to his task (8).
God alone is the strength of David’s assurance (62:1-2). David’s enemies think they can ruin him. They think he is as unstable as a leaning wall, as easy to push over as a broken-down fence (3-4). Actually, he is as strong and secure as a fortress, for he is built on God. All God’s people should therefore take courage and realize that they can trust in God through all circumstances (5-8). The unstable ones are those who live as if God does not matter. Life is uncertain, but they put their trust in wealth, even though that wealth must soon be lost (9-10). The only ones who have true security are those who take God into account and build their lives according to his values (11-12).
At times David experiences weakness and thirst in the dry Judean wilderness, but they are nothing compared with the spiritual thirst he has to worship at Israel’s sanctuary again (63:1). He praises God as he recalls the power and glory of God that he experienced at the sanctuary in former days. He looks forward to a life of continuing praise because of God’s continuing love (2-4). As he lies on his bed he thinks back with much satisfaction at all God’s goodness to him over the years (5-8). This gives him the confidence to believe that God will punish his enemies and bring him safely back to Jerusalem (9-11).
Again David cries to God to save him from enemies who by cunning and lying seek to kill him (64:1-4). They plot their evil carefully, thinking that God cannot see them (5-6). However, they are deceiving themselves. God will act against them suddenly and certainly, bringing shameful defeat upon them. God’s decisive action will be a warning to others, and at the same time bring honour to his name (7-10).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE PEOPLE WERE INVITED TO ADOPT AN ATTITUDE
LIKE THAT OF THE PSALMIST

"My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved. With God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye people; Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us."

Psalms 62:5-6 here are almost a verbatim repeat of Psalms 62:1-2, with three variations. (1) Whereas, in Psalms 62:1 the psalmist's soul is said to rest in God; here it is commanded to do so. (2) The strong assurance of Psalms 62:2 seems to be slightly downgraded to "expectation" in Psalms 62:5. (3) "I shall not be greatly moved" (Psalms 62:2) becomes "I shall not be moved" (Psalms 62:6), meaning, "I shall not be moved at all."

"Trust in him at all times, ye people" The significant thing here is that David usually addressed his subjects as "my people," but if this psalm was written in the time of Absalom's rebellion, a great part of Israel had fallen into apostasy and rebellion. This might account for the use of "ye people" here. The ones addressed, of course, were those faithful to God and to David. "Even at the worst times, God always had some faithful ones in Israel, `a remnant' (Isaiah 1:9); and men of this sort always clung to David through all of his perils and were sufficiently numerous to be `a people' (2 Samuel 18:1-6)."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 20.

In a number of the psalms we have noticed David's inclination always to include the people of Israel in his praise, petitions and prayers. Here he desires that all of God's "chosen" may share in the trust and confidence which God has enabled him to achieve in this psalm.

Without doubt, this invitation for the true Israel to join in this confidence and trust in God must be understood as the climax and topic sentence of this second paragraph.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Trust in him at all times - This exhortation, addressed to all persons, in all circumstances, and at all times, is founded on the personal experience of the psalmist, and on the views which he had of the character of God, as worthy of universal confidence. David had found him worthy of such confidence; he now exhorts all others to make the same trial, and to put their trust in God in like manner. What he had found God to be, all others would find him to be. His own experience of God’s goodness and mercy - of his gracious interposition in the time of trouble - had been such that he could confidently exhort all others, in similar circumstances, to make the same trial of his love.

Ye people, pour out your heart before him - All people. On the meaning of the phrase “pour out your heart,” see the notes at Psalms 42:4. The idea is, that the heart becomes tender and soft, so that its feelings and desires flow out as water, and all its emotions, all its wishes, its sorrows, its troubles, are poured out before God. All that is in our hearts may be made known to God. There is not a desire which he cannot gratify; not a trouble in which he cannot relieve us; not a danger in which he cannot defend us. And, in like manner there is not a spiritual want in which he will not feel a deep interest, nor a danger to our souls from which he will not be ready to deliver us. Much more freely than to any earthly parent - to a father, or even to a mother - may we make mention of all our troubles, little or great, before God.

God is a refuge for us - For all. For one as well as another. He is the only refuge; he is all the refuge that we need.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 62:1-12

Psalms 62:1-12 , another psalm of David.

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: and from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock ( Psalms 62:1 )

So remember the last one, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." Now David declares, "He only is my Rock."

and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you imagine mischief against a man? You shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall ye shall be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved ( Psalms 62:2-6 ).

Now verse Psalms 62:2 and verse Psalms 62:6 are very similar. In fact, they are exactly the same with the exception of one word. But that one word makes a vast difference in the two psalms, and it shows that just in that space of time there was a great increase in the faith of David. It is amazing how that when we begin to bring to God our problems, that even through prayer our faith in increased. Even while in prayer we begin to gain faith and begin to be victorious, and begin to experience that victory of the Lord. And this is expressed here in David's psalm.

Between verse Psalms 62:6; Psalms 62:6, "He only is my Rock and my salvation. He is my defense." And in verse Psalms 62:2 he said, "I shall not be greatly moved." And then he repeats the same thing in verse Psalms 62:6 , but he leaves out the "greatly." "I shall not be moved." He didn't have enough faith in verse Psalms 62:2 , "Well, he might move me, but not very far." But as his faith is increased in the Lord, "They are not going to move me at all. I shall not be moved."

Oh, how glorious it is when we finally bring things to God in prayer, and how God can immediately just bring a change of our own attitude concerning the situation. There have been many times when as the pastor of Calvary Chapel I have been absolutely terrified at what God was doing. I stood in fear and in amazement of the work of the Lord. It was necessary for us to step out in faith a few times that just absolutely frightened me. When we had to move from the chapel a block away, and when we purchased this ten acres here, and when I was contemplating the cost of putting up all of these buildings, I was absolutely terrified. The cost of the improvement of the property, putting up the buildings and all, I had never pastored a large church in all my life. I didn't know anything about pastoring a large church. I had no experience for my job. I had been pastoring small churches all of my life. And suddenly we were in a rapidly growing situation where we had to get this property, where we had to build new buildings. We were in triple services. We had enlarged the thing. We were putting up seats in the patio, and there was no room to stand even in the patio, and we had to do something.

So we purchased this ten acres. I was trying to assure the board that we could always sell off five acres and get our money back, because it was such a good buy, and surely we'll never need more than five acres. Of course, that is how great my faith was for what God wanted to do. That is why you can't really look and say, "Well, our pastor had great faith." No way. I was backpedaling as fast as I could go. And when I would drive up Sunflower Avenue from the other church, getting ready to go home, and I would be sitting there in that left turn lane waiting for the arrow, I would look over at this ten acres of ground and my heart was overwhelmed. I'll tell you, I'd say, "Lord, what are we going to do?" And you know, thoughts would go on in my mind like this, "Here you are in a facility that is paid for. Here you are with $60,000 in the bank. Here you are just comfortable over here." Well, it wasn't comfortable because it was so crowded. But, "Here you are and things are really cooking, you know. And now you are going to plunge into an expense, $300,000 for just the lot, $125,000 just to put in the parking and the street improvements, and that doesn't even start the buildings. And what if it doesn't come through? What if attendance drops off? What if things go bad? Then look at the big debt and all." And I would say, "Lord, what if it doesn't go through? What if things drop off? What if?" And the Lord would say to me while I was sitting waiting for the arrow, "Who's church is it?" And I would say, "It's your church, Lord." And He said, "Then why are you worrying? If My church goes broke, if My church goes bankrupt, no problem to you. It's not your church. Why are you worrying?" And you know, before the arrow would turn green, I'd have the victory. Up over the freeway, singing, boy. I mean, no worries. It's His church. If the thing goes down the tube, nothing off of me, you know.

If you'll bring your needs to the Lord, even as you are bringing them, the Spirit of God will minister to you. And He will plant that faith in your heart and you can go in prayer from the place of, "I shall not be greatly moved," to, "I shall not be moved." Because God is sustaining me and taking care of me and keeping me.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength ( Psalms 62:7 ),

And so this figure of the rock continuing through the next psalm here.

my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us ( Psalms 62:7-8 ).

So good exhortation. Trust in Him because He is our salvation. Because He is our Rock, because He is our strength and our refuge, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart before Him.

Surely men of low degree are emptiness, and men of high degree are a lie: if you laid them in the balance, they are altogether lighter than nothing ( Psalms 62:9 ).

So the esteem of man. Men of low degree are emptiness; men of high degree are a lie. Put them all in the balances, both low and high, and they're less than nothing.

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them ( Psalms 62:10 ).

I think that that is an excellent exhortation. Number one, I don't think that we should actually be seeking riches as such. "Promotion comes neither from the east nor the west, promotion comes from the Lord" ( Psalms 75:6 ). "And they that will be rich, or will to be rich, fall into diverse, or diverse types of lust and temptations which damn men's souls in perdition" ( 1 Timothy 6:9 ). How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man, or a man who trusts in riches to enter into the kingdom of heaven" ( Matthew 19:24 ). "Labor not to be rich" ( Proverbs 23:4 ) the scripture says. We are actually to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added. But should God seek among other things to add riches to you, if riches increase, and they may, God may bless you financially, but if He does, don't set your heart upon the riches.

God hath spoken once; twice I have heard this; that power belongs to God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongs mercy: for you render to every man according to his work ( Psalms 62:11-12 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 62

David expressed trust in the Lord in spite of opposition in this psalm of confidence. He contrasted the security that comes from trusting in God with the insecurity of hoping in human schemes. The background may be Absalom’s rebellion. [Note: Kirkpatrick, pp. 347-48.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. David’s encouragement to trust in God 62:5-8

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The psalmist acknowledged God as the basis of his salvation and glory; unless God had provided them David would have had neither of these blessings. Because of this, David urged his people to trust in Him always and to pour out their hearts to Him in prayer.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Trust in him at all times, [ye] people,.... Of the house of Israel, as the Targum; or of God, as Aben Ezra; all that are Israelites indeed, and are the Lord's covenant people; these are exhorted and encouraged to trust in him; not in a creature, nor in any outward thing, in riches, wisdom, strength, birth, privileges, the law, and the works of it; in their own righteousness, in their hearts, in themselves or in others; but in the Lord only, both for temporal and spiritual blessings: the Targum is, "in his Word"; his essential Word, by whom the world was made, and who, in the fulness of time, was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and who is a proper object of trust; in him should the people of God trust; in his person for acceptance with God, in his righteousness for justification, in his blood for pardon, in his grace for supply, and in his strength for support, deliverance, and salvation, and that "at all times": there is no time excepted; there is not a moment in which the Lord is not to be trusted in: he is to be trusted in in adversity as well as in prosperity; in times of affliction, when he is present, and will not forsake; in times of temptation, when his grace is sufficient for them; and in times of darkness, when he will arise and appear unto them;

pour out your heart before him: as Hannah did, 1 Samuel 1:15; and as water is poured out, Lamentations 2:19; it means the desires of the heart, the complaints of the soul, the whole of their case which they should spread before the Lord, and make known unto him; see Psalms 102:1, title, and #Ps 142: 2; the phrase denotes the abundance of the heart, and of its requests, and the freedom with which they should be made to the Lord; for through the blood and sacrifice of Christ a believer may come to the throne of grace with boldness and liberty, and there freely tell the Lord all his mind, and all that is in his heart;

God [is] a refuge for us; to whom the saints may have recourse in all their times of trouble, and where they find safety and plenty,

Isaiah 33:16.

Selah; on this word, Isaiah 33:16- :.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.   9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.   10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.   11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.   12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

      Here we have David's exhortation to others to trust in God and wait upon him, as he had done. Those that have found the comfort of the ways of God themselves will invite others into those ways; there is enough in God for all the saints to draw from, and we shall have never the less for others sharing with us.

      I. He counsels all to wait upon God, as he did, Psalms 62:8; Psalms 62:8. Observe,

      1. To whom he gives this good counsel: You people (that is, all people); all shall be welcome to trust in God, for he is the confidence of all the ends of the earth,Psalms 65:5. You people of the house of Israel (so the Chaldee); they are especially engaged and invited to trust in God, for he is the God of Israel; and should not a people seek unto their God?

      2. What the good counsel is which he gives. (1.) To confide in God: "Trust in him; deal with him, and be willing to deal upon trust; depend upon him to perform all things for you, upon his wisdom and goodness, his power and promise, his providence and grace. Do this at all times." We must have an habitual confidence in God always, must live a life of dependence upon him, must so trust in him at all times as not at any time to put that confidence in ourselves, or in any creature, which is to be put in him only; and we must have an actual confidence in God upon all occasions, trust in him upon every emergency, to guide us when we are in doubt, to protect us when we are in danger, to supply us when we are in want, to strengthen us for every good word and work. (2.) To converse with God: Pour out your heart before him. The expression seems to allude to the pouring out of the drink-offerings before the Lord. When we make a penitent confession of sin our hearts are therein poured out before God,1 Samuel 7:6. But here it is meant of prayer, which, if it be as it should be, is the pouring out of the heart before God. We must lay our grievances before him, offer up our desires to him with all humble freedom, and then entirely refer ourselves to his disposal, patiently submitting our wills to his: this is pouring out our hearts.

      3. What encouragement he gives us to take this good counsel: God is a refuge for us, not only my refuge (Psalms 62:7; Psalms 62:7), but a refuge for us all, even as many as will flee to him and take shelter in him.

      II. He cautions us to take heed of misplacing our confidence, in which, as much as in any thing, the heart is deceitful,Jeremiah 17:5-9. Those that trust in God truly (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 62:1) will trust in him only, Psalms 62:5; Psalms 62:5. 1. Let us not trust in the men of this world, for they are broken reeds (Psalms 62:9; Psalms 62:9): Surely men of low degree are vanity, utterly unable to help us, and men of high degree are a lie, that will deceive us if we trust to them. Men of low degree, one would think, might be relied on for their multitude and number, their bodily strength and service, and men of high degree for their wisdom, power, and influence; but neither the one nor the other are to be depended on. Of the two, men of high degree are mentioned as the more deceiving; for they are a lie, which denotes not only vanity, but iniquity. We are not so apt to depend upon men of low degree as upon the king and the captain of the host, who, by the figure they make, tempt us to trust in them, and so, when they fail us, prove a lie. But lay them in the balance, the balance of the scripture, or rather make trial of them, see how they will prove, whether they will answer your expectations from them or no, and you will write Tekel upon them; they are alike lighter than vanity; there is no depending upon their wisdom to advise us, their power to act for us, their good-will to us, no, nor upon their promises, in comparison with God, nor otherwise than in subordination to him. 2. Let us not trust in the wealth of this world, let not that be made our strong city (Psalms 62:10; Psalms 62:10): Trust not in oppression; that is, in riches got by fraud and violence, because where there is a great deal it is commonly got by indirect scraping or saving (our Saviour calls it the mammon of unrighteousness,Luke 16:9), or in the arts of getting riches. "Think not, either because you have got abundance or are in the way of getting, that therefore you are safe enough; for this is becoming vain in robbery, that is, cheating yourselves while you think to cheat others." He that trusted in the abundance of his riches strengthened himself in his wickedness (Psalms 52:7); but at his end he will be a fool, Jeremiah 17:11. Let none be so stupid as to think of supporting themselves in their sin, much less of supporting themselves in this sin. Nay, because it is hard to have riches and not to trust in them, if they increase, though by lawful and honest means, we must take heed lest we let out our affections inordinately towards them: "Set not your heart upon them; be not eager for them, do not take a complacency in them as the rest of your souls, nor put a confidence in them as your portion; be not over-solicitous about them; do not value yourselves and others by them; make not the wealth of the world your chief good and highest end: in short, do not make an idol of it." This we are most in danger of doing when riches increase. When the grounds of the rich man brought forth plentifully, then he said to his soul, Take thy ease in these things, Luke 12:19. It is a smiling world that is most likely to draw the heart away from God, on whom only it should be set.

      III. He gives a very good reason why we should make God our confidence, because he is a God of infinite power, mercy, and righteousness, Psalms 62:11; Psalms 62:12. This he himself was well assured of and would have us be assured of it: God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that is, 1. "God has spoken it, and I have heard it, once, yea, twice. He has spoken it, and I have heard it by the light of reason, which easily infers it from the nature of the infinitely perfect Being and from his works both of creation and providence. He has spoken it, and I have heard once, yea, twice (that is, many a time), by the events that have concerned me in particular. He has spoken it and I have heard it by the light of revelation, by dreams and visions (Job 4:15), by the glorious manifestation of himself upon Mount Sinai" (to which, some think, it does especially refer), "and by the written word." God has often told us what a great and good God he is, and we ought as often to take notice of what he has told us. Or, 2. "Though God spoke it but once, I heard it twice, heard it diligently, not only with my outward ears, but with my soul and mind." To some God speaks twice and they will not hear once; but to others he speaks but once, and they hear twice. Compare Job 33:14. Now what is it which is thus spoken and thus heard? (1.) That the God with whom we have to do is infinite in power. Power belongs to God; he is almighty, and can do every thing; with him nothing is impossible. All the powers of all the creatures are derived form him, depend upon him, and are used by him as he pleases. His is the power, and to him we must ascribe it. This is a good reason why we should trust in him at all times and live in a constant dependence upon him; for he is able to do all that for us which we trust in him for. (2.) That he is a God of infinite goodness. Here the psalmist turns his speech to God himself, as being desirous to give him the glory of his goodness, which is his glory: Also unto thee, O Lord! belongeth mercy. God is not only the greatest, but the best, of beings. Mercy is with him, Psalms 130:4; Psalms 130:7. He is merciful in a way peculiar to himself; he is the Father of mercies,2 Corinthians 1:3. This is a further reason why we should trust in him, and answers the objections of our sinfulness and unworthiness; though we deserve nothing but his wrath, yet we may hope for all good from his mercy, which is over all his works. (3.) That he never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of his creatures: For thou renderest to every man according to his work. Though he does not always do this visibly in this world, yet he will do it in the day of recompence. No service done him shall go unrewarded, nor any affront given him unpunished, unless it be repented of. By this it appears that power and mercy belong to him. If he were not a God of power, there are sinners that would be too great to be punished. And if he were not a God of mercy there are services that would be too worthless to be rewarded. This seems especially to bespeak the justice of God in judging upon appeals made to him by wronged innocency; he will be sure to judge according to truth, in giving redress to the injured and avenging them on those that have been injurious to them, 1 Kings 8:32. Let those therefore that are wronged commit their cause to him and trust to him to plead it.