Psalms 62:9

_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._ -Warning against trust in anyone or anything except God, to whom alone belong power, mercy, and retributive justice. Verse 9. SURELY MEN OF LOW DEGREE ARE VANITY, AND MEN OF HIGH DEGREE ARE A LIE - literally, 'Only vanity are the sons of men in general х_ 'AADAAM_ (H120)], a lie are the sons of (even) the distinguished man' х_ 'IYSH _ (H376)] (Psalms 4:2; Psalms 39:5; Psalms 39:11, end; 136:3-4). The reference is to...

9._Nevertheless, the sons of Adam are vanity. _If we take the particle אך, _ach, _affirmatively, as meaning _surely _or _certainly, _then this verse contains a confirmation of the truth expressed in the preceding verse; and David argues by contrast, (420) that as men are lighter than vanity, we are shut up to the necessity of placing all our expectation upon God. It would agree well, however, with the contrast to suppose, that, under an impression of the little effect which the truth he had announced was calculated to have upon the people, (ever disposed to build upon fallacious hopes,) he exclaims, with a degree of holy fervor, _Nevertheless, etc. _According to this view, he is here administering a reproof to the blind infidelity so prevalent amongst men, and which leads them to deceive themselves with lying vanities rather than trust in the infallible p

8-12 Those who have found the comfort of the ways of God themselves, will invite others into those ways; we shall never have the less for others sharing with us. the good counsel given is, to trust wholly in God. We must so trust in him at all times, as not at any time to put that trust in ourselves, or in any creature, which is to be put in him only. Trust in him to guide us when in doubt, to protect us when in danger, to supply us when in want, to strengthen us for every good word and work. We must lay out wants and our wishes before him, and then patiently submit our wills to his: this is pouring out our hearts. God is a refuge for all, even for as many as will take shelter in him. The psalmist warns against trusting in men. The multitude, those of low degree, are changeable as the wind. The rich and noble seem to have much in their power, and lavish promises; but those that depend o...

Verse Psalms 62:9. _MEN OF LOW DEGREE_ ARE _VANITY_] בני אדם _beney Adam_, which we here translate _men of low degree_, literally, _sons of_ _Adam_, are put in opposition to בני איש _beney ish, men of high_ _degree_, literally, the _sons of substance_, or children of substantial men. _Adam_ was the name of the first man when formed out of the _earth_; _Ish_ was his name when united to his wife, and they became one flesh. _Before_, he was the _incomplete_ man; _after_, he was the _complete_ man; for it seems, in the sight of God, it requires the male and female to make one _complete human being_. אנוש enosh is another name given to man, but this concerns him in his low, fallen, wretched estate: it properly signifies _weak,_ _poor, addicted, wretched man_. Common men can

SURELY MEN OF LOW DEGREE ARE VANITY - literally, “vanity are the sons of Adam,” but the word Adam here is used evidently to represent men, or the race. The same word is also employed particularly to represent common men, or men of the humbler rank, in contradistinction to the word אישׁ _'ı̂ysh_ - which is the other word used here, and rendered “men of high degree.” Compare, for this use of the word, Hosea 6:7. The same antithesis between the two words is found in Isaiah 2:9; Isaiah 5:15. The idea here is, that in the great matters which pertain to us, we cannot depend on men, and that our hope - our trust - must be in God. Of men of the humbler or lower classes, it is said tha

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

SURELY MEN OF LOW DEGREE [ARE] VANITY,.... Or "sons of Adam" i; of the earthly man; of fallen Adam; one of his immediate sons was called Hebel, "vanity"; and it is true of all his sons; but here it designs only one sort of them; such as are poor and low in the world; mean men, as the phrase is rendered in Isaiah 2:9; Psalms 49:2; these are subject to sinful vanity; their thoughts are vain, their affections vain, their minds vain, their conversation vain, sinful, foolish, fallacious, and inconstant. The wicked poor are, generally speaking, of all persons, the most wicked; and therefore, though they are the multitude, they are not to be trusted in. The Arabic version is, they are as a "shadow", fleeting and unstable, no solidity in them; the Syriac version, "as a vapour", that soon passeth away, like the

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....