Psalms 62:5-8 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

2). He Calls On Himself And His People To Trust Wholly In God, Who Is Their Sure Defence And Refuge (5-8).

He now repeats and expands on what he has said in Psalms 62:1-2, calling on himself again to wait quietly before God alone, because his expectation is from Him. He knows that he can wait quietly because it is God Who is his Rock, his Deliverance, his High Tower, his Glory and his Refuge. But this time his aim is not only to encourage himself, but also his followers who are sharing his predicament (Psalms 62:8). Now he is unswerving in his certainty that he will not be moved.

Psalms 62:5-6

‘My inner life, wait you in silence for God only,

For my expectation is from him,

He only is my rock and my deliverance,

He is my high tower, I will not be moved.

He again calls on his inner life to wait in silence for God only. And this time it is his expectation that is set on God, as he eagerly awaits his deliverance. He has no doubt that when God is ready He will act.

He then outlines why he is so certain that God will act, building on what he has said in Psalms 62:2. It is because it is He Who is his Rock, the Rock on which he can stand firm as he awaits His Deliverance; and is his High Tower in which he has taken refuge so that nothing can touch him. And now he drops the word ‘greatly'. Nothing can move him because he is in God's hands. For his Deliverance and his Glory are in God's hands.

Psalms 62:7-8

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, you people,

Pour out your heart before him, God is a refuge for us. [Selah.'

He knows that both his deliverance and his reputation are in God's hands. Note his confidence that God will not only deliver him but will also restore his reputation and honour (his Glory). In Psalms 62:4 they sought to thrust him down from his dignified position. Now he asserts his confidence that he will not only be delivered, but that that dignity will be restored. If this was written when he was being dispossessed as a Commander, he will, as we know, achieve kingship. If as a King, he will be restored to the throne with greater honour. And he knows that this will be so, because in God is the Rock of his strength, and his Refuge. In God he is both made strong and protected.

And all this was not only true for himself, but also for all true believers. He calls on ‘you people' to trust in Him at all times, and to pour out their hearts before Him, because God is their Refuge too. He is a Refuge for all who trust in Him.

We now learn that the fact that David was able to wait silently on God (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 62:5) arose from the fact that he had poured out his heart before Him. He had put everything in God's hands and he could therefore now quietly await his deliverance. We too can pour out our hearts before Him. As God's children we can take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there.

Psalms 62:5-8

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

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