Psalms 62:4

_THEY ONLY CONSULT TO CAST HIM DOWN FROM HIS EXCELLENCY: THEY DELIGHT IN LIES: THEY BLESS WITH THEIR MOUTH, BUT THEY CURSE INWARDLY. SELAH._ They only consult to cast him down from his excellency - whence arises his need to 'wait only upon God,' his 'only rock' (Psalms 62:2). "His excellency" is his high dignity as king (Genesis 49:3). The expression "cast down" or 'thrust down' is the very one, by undesigned coincidence, recorded in 1 Samuel 15:14, margin, as used by David. THEY DELIGHT IN LIES instead of abhorring them as all good men do (cf Psalms 4:2;...

4._Yet they consult to cast him down from his elevation _I still would interpret the particle אך _, ach, _in an adversative sense. David, on the one hand, encouraged himself by determining to rest steadfastly upon the promise of divine favor; but, upon the other, he had before him the machinations of his enemies, characterised by cruelty, audacity, pride, and deceit. By all their attempts, as if he had said, they do nothing but precipitate their own fall; still such are the frenzy and the fury by which they are actuated, that they persist in their intrigues against me. He insinuates that their attacks were directed, not so much against himself as against God — agreeably to the picture which is given us of impiety by the poets in their fable of the Giants. (415) Nothing will satisfy the enemies of God but setting themselves above the heavens. David is to be understood as

1-7 We are in the way both of duty and comfort, when our souls wait upon God; when we cheerfully give up ourselves, and all our affairs, to his will and wisdom; when we leave ourselves to all the ways of his providence, and patiently expect the event, with full satisfaction in his goodness. See the ground and reason of this dependence. By his grace he has supported me, and by his providence delivered me. He only can be my Rock and my salvation; creatures are nothing without him, therefore I will look above them to him. Trusting in God, the heart is fixed. If God be for us, we need not fear what man can do against us. David having put his confidence in God, foresees the overthrow of his enemies. We have found it good to wait upon the Lord, and should charge our souls to have such constant dependence upon him, as may make us always easy. If God will save my soul, I may well leave every th...

Verse Psalms 62:4. _TO CAST_ HIM _DOWN FROM HIS EXCELLENCY_] They are consulting to dethrone me, and use treachery and falsehood in order to bring it about: "They delight in lies." _THEY BLESS WITH THEIR MOUTH_] Probably alluding to Absalom's blandishments of the people. He flattered them in order to get the sovereign rule. Or it may refer to the people of Jerusalem, whose perfidy he saw, while they were full of professions of loyalty, c. but he could not trust them, and therefore retired from Jerusalem....

THEY ONLY CONSULT TO CAST HIM DOWN FROM HIS EXCELLENCY - This is the object of all their counsels and plans. They aim at one high in rank - and their purpose, their sole purpose, is to bring him down. This would apply well to the case of David in the time of the rebellion of Absalom. THEY DELIGHT IN LIES - In false pretences; in secret plans of evil; in hypocritical assurances. This was eminently true of Absalom, who made use of these arts to seduce the people from allegiance to his father. 2 Samuel 15:1. THEY BLESS WITH THEIR MOUTH, BUT THEY CURSE INWARDLY - They profess true attachment and zeal, but they are traitors at heart. See the notes at Psalms 28:3. This, too, would apply well to th

EXPOSITION THIS psalm, like so many, is the cry of an afflicted one—a man of high position, whom his enemies seek to destroy, or, if that be not possible, to thrust down from his dignity (Psalms 62:3, Psalms 62:4). He himself is full of trust in God, and calmly confident that his enemies cannot succeed (Psalms 62:1, Psalms 62:2, Psalms 62:5). The confidence which he feels he tries to impart to his people (Psalms 62:8). In conclusion, he warns his enemi

THEY ONLY CONSULT TO CAST [HIM] DOWN FROM HIS EXCELLENCY,.... Either from the excellency of God, from his greatness, and from his height, as Kimchi; or from his grace, as the Arabic version: that is, they consulted to discourage him from looking to God, his rock and fortress, and from trusting in him; or rather, from his own excellency, from what high estate of dignity and honour he was advanced to, or designed for, namely his kingly office. Saul and his courtiers consulted how to prevent his coming to the throne, and Absalom and Ahithophel how to pull him down from it, and seize his crown and kingdom; which latter best agrees with the expression here; THEY DELIGHT IN LIES; in making and in spreading them, in order to hurt his character, and give his subjects an ill opinion of him; and thereby alienate their affections from him, and weaken their allegiance and obedience to him; see...

Psalms 62:1. _Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation._ Waiting upon God, if not true and sincere, is only a mockery; it is also an insult to the Lord; and, so far from bringing us a blessing, it would only bring us a curse. The Hebrew hath it, «Truly my soul is silent before God,» for faith asks no questions, raises no objections, starts no difficulties, but is content to wait quietly God's time, believing that all will be well. David meant, «My soul in silence waits only upon God: from him cometh my salvation, and from no other quarter; not from the Assyrians, nor from the Egyptians, nor from my own might or wisdom, but from God alone.» I hope that we have not only come up to this service in our bodies, but that we have brought our souls also to wait upon God. It is unutterably sad when we go to a place of worship, and leave our souls somewhere else. Soul-worsh

Psalms 62 Waiting and Trusting _ 1. He only (Psalms 62:1)_ 2. Persecuted (Psalms 62:3) 3. My expectation from him (Psalms 62:5) This Psalm is not difficult to interpret. It has always been food for the saints of God. Faith in God in the midst of adversity and persecution, waiting on Him, expecting salvation, deliverance and defense only from Him is beautifully expressed. Like all these Psalms this one also gives us a prophetic glimpse into the experience of the remnant of Israel. But it has its practical value for us likewise. The first verse literally rendered is, “Only unto God my soul is silence”; that is, hu

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 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....