I. (62:1–2) My Soul Waits for God Alone. The psalm begins with a profession of faith, describing “my soul” as relying on God alone “in silence” and God as a “rock” and “fortress.” For a discussion of how this imagery for God works cf. comments on 18:1–3; 27:4–6; 31:1–2; 61:1–3.

The word “alone” (Hb. ʾak) lays stress on God as the reliable hope, though it does not exclude all human activity; the psalm makes a contrast between (1) “salvation”—deliverance and help (cf. comment on 3:1–2)—that comes from God and is received through faith and faithfulness and (2) the kind that comes through unjust means (“put no trust in extortion”; 62:10). The description of a trusting soul is offered not to make a claim of deserving God’s help but to set an ideal for God’s people: each one should aspire to this kind of quiet faith. On “shaken” (v. 2) cf. comment on 10:1–11 (at v. 6).

II. (62:3–4) To the Attackers: We Know What You Want. The next section speaks to those who “attack a man,” particularly using lies and injustice. As indicated in the comment on 13:1–2, the expression “how long” is not asking for information but expressing the sense that the behavior has gone on far too long already.

The attackers may or may not be there present in the singing congregation; the purpose of singing this is less to speak one’s mind to them and more to remind the godly that such attacks have “only” (Hb. ʾak; 62:1–2) one “plan” and only one “pleasure,” namely, to destroy the lives of those they oppose (the faithful). The images of a “leaning wall” and “tottering fence” (v. 3) suggest how vulnerable the singers may feel themselves to be. The attackers cannot be trusted; their words might be blessing, but their inner intention is to curse, to despise (cf. 28:3 for similar hypocrisy). There is thus only one safe recourse: trust in God (preparing for the next section).

III. (62:5–7) O My Soul, Wait for God Alone. The first two verses here are quite close to verses 1–2; the main difference is that the descriptive “waits in silence” (which sets an ideal) is now explicitly an imperative (“wait in silence”). Verse 7 develops the thought of God’s reliability from verse 6.

The movement of the song goes from professing confidence (as an aspiration) to a fancied denunciation of the wicked schemers and back again to encouraging oneself to confidence.

IV. (62:8–10) To the Faithful: Evil Men Are but a Breath. From addressing his own soul in verses 5–7 the singer turns to address the whole congregation (“O people”) with whom he is singing this hymn. He urges them all to trust in God and find in him a “refuge” (v. 8), as he had described (v. 7). They express their trust by prayer (“pour out your heart,” v. 8, describes earnest prayer; cf. 1 Sam. 1:15; Ps. 42:4; Lam. 2:19) and by refusing to have any part in the methods of the attackers (“put no trust in extortion”; Ps. 62:10). Humans, whether “of low estate” or “of high estate” (and thus of any condition in between), cannot outweigh God; they are “together lighter than a breath” (v. 9). Hence any human effort that does not arise from true faith will fail to achieve lasting good for oneself or for the community; such efforts cannot foil God’s perfect purposes (at least in the final analysis).

V. (62:11–12) God’s Word Is Certain. To say “once . . . twice” is to indicate that the idea is sure that to God belong both “power” (by which he can carry out his will; cf. v. 9) and “steadfast love” (in which he has pledged himself to the faithful and for which they may safely trust him).

In verse 12 God “will render to a man according to his work.” The idea here assumes that the attackers are Israelites; a person’s “work” shows whether his or her faith is real or counterfeit—God will sort out who is who. This is therefore a ground of confidence for the believer, enabling him to seek justice while refraining from taking personal vengeance; it also serves as a warning to the unfaithful. As Delitzsch puts it,

He who rises in opposition to the will and order of God, shall feel God’s power as a power for punishment that dashes in pieces; and he who, anxious for salvation, resigns his own will to the will of God, receives from God’s mercy or loving-kindness [ESV: “steadfast love”], as from an overflowing fulness, the promised reward of faithfulness: his resignation becomes experience, and his hoping attainment.470

The Greek translation of “render to a man according to his work” is almost identical to the Greek of Proverbs 24:12, though the Hebrew is different (but conveys the same idea). Paul uses it in Romans 2:6. Students of Romans disagree about whom Paul is addressing in Romans 2, the Jew who is passing judgment (Rom. 2:1) or the moralizer (Jew or Gentile). If Paul is speaking specifically to a Jew who passes judgment (which seems more likely), he is reminding such a person that mere Jewishness does not guarantee eternal life; one must embrace the covenant and prove the genuineness of one’s faith by one’s deeds (along the lines of the original intent of both Ps. 62:12; Prov. 24:12).471 If, however, Paul is speaking to moralizers without respect to their place in the covenant, he is using Psalm 62:12 as an instance of the more general principle of God’s just judgment. The idea that the final judgment will use believers’ deeds to vindicate the reality of their faith appears in Matthew 12:33–37; 16:27; John 5:28–29; James 1:12; Revelation 20:13; and possibly (though debatably) Romans 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7–8.