Commentary - Psalm 62:5-8

Bird's-eye view

In this central section of Psalm 62, David moves from his initial declaration of trust in the face of his enemies to a powerful self-exhortation and a public call to worship. Having stated his confidence in God alone, he now preaches to his own soul, commanding it to find its rest and hope in the one true source. This is not a psalm of quiet contemplation in a peaceful meadow; it is a declaration of rugged faith in the midst of turmoil. The repetition of key phrases from the opening of the psalm, like "He only is my rock and my salvation," serves to reinforce the central theme with the force of a hammer striking an anvil. The passage builds from a personal, internal resolve to a corporate, external summons for all of God's people to place their trust in Him. It climaxes with the profound invitation to "pour out your heart before Him," grounding the entire reality of our turbulent lives in the unshakable truth that "God is a refuge for us."

This is the theology of the foxhole, the confession of a man who has learned through hard experience that all other ground is sinking sand. David's enemies are real, their plots are cunning, but his ultimate stability is not found in his circumstances or his own strength, but in God Himself. The progression is logical and powerful: because God is an unshakeable rock, David resolves that he shall not be shaken. Because his salvation and glory rest entirely upon God, he calls all the people to rest their trust there as well. It is a movement from "my" to "our," from personal testimony to public witness, all founded on the immovable character of God.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 62 is one of the psalms of David, written "according to Jeduthun," one of his chief musicians. The historical context is likely the rebellion of Absalom, a time when David was betrayed by those closest to him and when human power and loyalty proved to be utterly worthless. This psalm is a profound statement of trust in God alone, set against the backdrop of human treachery and vanity. It begins with a declaration of quiet waiting and confidence (vv. 1-2), describes the malicious attacks of his enemies (vv. 3-4), and then, in our passage (vv. 5-8), David repeats and deepens his personal commitment to trust in God. The psalm concludes with a stark contrast between the fleeting, weightless nature of man and the eternal power and mercy of God (vv. 9-12). The entire psalm is a master class in where to place one's ultimate confidence, making it a cornerstone of biblical teaching on faith and reliance on God amidst trials.

Key Issues

My Soul, Preach to Yourself

One of the most important things a believer must learn is the art of preaching to his own soul. We see David doing this throughout the psalms, and he does it here with force. "My soul, wait thou only upon God." He is not asking his soul how it feels. He is not taking his spiritual temperature. He is issuing a command. This is the essence of biblical faith. It is not a passive feeling that washes over us, but an active, disciplined, and sometimes forceful, setting of our hope and expectation upon God and God alone. When our souls are in turmoil, when they are cast down, we are not to coddle them in their unbelief. We are to follow David's example and say, "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11). Our passage is a prime example of this rugged, self-directed faith. David is reminding himself, and by extension all of us, where true stability is to be found. It is not in our circumstances, our abilities, or other people. It is found in God, and God only.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 Surely wait in silence for God, O my soul, For my hope is from Him.

David begins this section by speaking directly to himself, commanding his own soul. The phrase "wait in silence" is a call to a quiet, settled trust. This is not the silence of despair, but the silence of expectation. It is the posture of a servant who waits for his master's command, confident that the command will come. He is telling his soul to stop its frantic, anxious chattering and to fix its gaze solely on God. Why? Because his hope, his expectation, is from Him. It does not originate in David. It is not manufactured by positive thinking. It is a gift that flows down from God. If our hope is from God, then it is as secure as God is. If our hope is in anything else, it is as flimsy as a spider's web. This is the foundational discipline of the Christian life: to command our souls to look away from the thousand false hopes that clamor for our attention and to wait silently for the one true God.

6 Surely He is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

This verse is a near repetition of verse 2, and the repetition is for emphasis. This is the central confession that David is driving into his own heart. The word "surely" or "only" anchors the statement. God, and no one and nothing else, is these things for him. He is a rock, providing a firm, unmovable foundation in a world of shifting sands. He is salvation, the source of deliverance from enemies and from sin. He is a stronghold, a high fortress, a place of inaccessible safety. Because God is these things, the conclusion is inescapable: "I shall not be shaken." David's stability is not a personality trait; it is a theological reality. His confidence is not in his own ability to stand firm, but in the unshakeable nature of the One on whom he stands. When you are standing on Gibraltar, you do not wobble.

7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

David now expands on the source of his security. His salvation, his very deliverance, rests upon God. But he adds something else: his glory. In a world where men seek honor and reputation from other men, David declares that his true glory, his ultimate significance and honor, is also found in God. If God is your glory, then what can slander do to you? If the glory of God rests upon you, you are beyond the reach of human opinion. He then piles up more metaphors of security. God is the rock of his strength, meaning the very source of his power and resilience. And his refuge is in God. A refuge is a place you run to when you are in danger. David's refuge is not a place, but a Person. He doesn't run to a fortress; he runs to his God. This is a comprehensive, all-encompassing security. Everything that matters, salvation, glory, strength, and safety, is located in God alone.

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Having preached to his own soul and settled his own heart, David now turns to the congregation. His personal testimony becomes a public exhortation. "Trust in Him at all times, O people." This trust is not just for the good times, or for when you feel like it. It is for all times, in seasons of distress and seasons of delight. And how do we exercise this trust? We "pour out your heart before Him." This is a beautiful and raw description of prayer. It is not about reciting formal, polished phrases. It is about holding nothing back, emptying the soul of all its fears, anxieties, griefs, and even its anger, before God. You can do this because He is not a distant, impassive deity. He is a refuge. And notice the shift in pronoun. David began with "my rock," "my salvation," "my refuge." He concludes with "God is a refuge for us." His personal faith has become the foundation for a corporate call to worship. The Selah marks a pause, a moment to reflect on this profound and comforting truth. God is our refuge. Let that sink in.

Application

This passage is a direct assault on the self-reliance and anxious multitasking that characterizes our age. We are taught to have backup plans for our backup plans, to diversify our investments, and to never put all our eggs in one basket. But David tells us to do the exact opposite. He says, "Wait thou only upon God." He commands us to put all our eggs in one glorious, unshakeable, divine basket. This is the essence of faith.

Practically, this means we must learn to preach the truth to ourselves. When anxiety begins to well up, we must address our souls directly: "Soul, your hope is from God. He is your rock. You will not be shaken." We must make a conscious decision to place our security, our reputation, and our strength in His hands. And this internal work must overflow into our prayer lives. We are invited to "pour out" our hearts, not just present a tidy summary of our acceptable needs. This means being honest with God about our fears, our frustrations, and our failures. We can do this with confidence because He is not a stern judge waiting to be offended, but a strong refuge waiting to receive us. And finally, our personal confidence in God should make us evangelists to those around us. Having found the refuge, we must turn to our brothers and sisters and say, "Trust in Him at all times... God is a refuge for us."