Psalms 62:1-2

Psalm 62

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

62:1 For God alone I patiently wait;

he is the one who delivers me.

62:2 He alone is my protector and deliverer.

He is my refuge; I will not be upended.

Psalms 62:5-8

62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul!

For he is the one who gives me confidence.

62:6 He alone is my protector and deliverer.

He is my refuge; 10  I will not be upended. 11 

62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;

God is my strong protector and my shelter. 12 

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! 13 

God is our shelter! (Selah)


sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.

tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”

tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”

tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”

tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.

tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”

tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

10 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

11 sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

12 tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”

13 tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).