Psalms 62:10 Commentary: Trust in God, Not Wealth or Violence

Psalm 62 is attributed to David and is often connected with his flight from Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15, 18). The repeated phrase “only” or “surely” (’akh) in the psalm reflects a soul quieted in God amid political and personal upheaval. Lange and the Cambridge Bible note that social discontent fuelled Absalom’s revolt, and David’s supporters faced the temptation to envy the rebels’ apparent prosperity or to resort to the same violent means. The warning in verse 10 fits this crisis: do not trust in oppression (the violent seizure of power or property) or robbery (open theft), and do not be drawn into the empty confidence that wealth brings.

In the ancient Near East, wealth was often tied to land, livestock, and tribute. Oppression and robbery were not abstract sins but concrete realities: powerful men extorted from the poor, and conquerors lived by plunder. The psalmist addresses both the perpetrators and the onlookers. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the warning is directed to those who might be “seized with envy and covetousness” at the sight of the rebels’ apparent success. David himself had been the victim of oppression (2 Samuel 16:5, 8, Shimei’s curses) and knew how easily the heart clings to prosperity. The verse stands as a practical hinge between the declaration that all human beings are “a breath” (verse 9) and the affirmation that “power belongs to God” (verse 11). Earthly riches, whether ill-gotten or lawfully grown, cannot secure what only God can provide.

The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 62:10. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse is cited without variation in early Jewish and Christian traditions.

Psalm 62:10 has been widely used in Christian teaching on wealth and idolatry. The early church, particularly in monastic circles, cited this verse to warn against trusting in material goods. John Chrysostom and Augustine both referenced the psalm in sermons on almsgiving and the danger of riches. During the Reformation, commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized that the verse applies to all people, not only kings or the wealthy. In Puritan and Wesleyan traditions, the verse was often paired with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16, 21) to illustrate the emptiness of hoarding. More recently, the verse appears in songs about contentment and has been used in financial stewardship curricula. Across the centuries, the constant reading has been that God alone deserves the heart’s final trust, and that even lawful prosperity can become a snare.

Three-point outline

1. Do not trust in oppression. The Hebrew term implies violent extortion or abuse of power. Those who use strength to take from others will find their confidence misplaced (Job 20:19, 29).
2. Do not become vain in robbery. “Vain” means empty-headed, self‑deceived. Stolen goods cannot bless; they bring God’s curse (Proverbs 10:2).
3. If riches increase lawfully, set not your heart on them. Even wealth that comes honestly, like sprouting grain, can become a snare. The heart that clings to riches loosens its hold on God (Deuteronomy 8:12, 14).

Five-point outline

1. The command is comprehensive: trust in God at all times (v. 8), and trust in nothing else.
2. Oppression is forbidden as a method of gain. Relying on force to secure wealth is rebellion against God.
3. Robbery is empty. It may fill the pocket but leaves the soul hollow (Jeremiah 17:11).
4. Lawful increase brings its own temptation. Prosperity can induce pride and forgetfulness (Deuteronomy 6:10, 12).
5. The heart’s allegiance is the issue. “Set not your heart upon them”, the Bible’s consistent call to single-minded devotion (Matthew 6:24).

Illustration hooks

• A farmer who inherits land from a dispossessed neighbour; he enjoys the harvest, but the land was taken unjustly. The produce tastes both sweet and bitter.
• A young professional receives a promotion after a colleague is unfairly passed over. The raise feels good until the conscience pricks.
• A small business grows steadily over twenty years. The owner begins to attribute success to his own wisdom and forgets the God who gave rain and customers.

Questions your congregation is asking

• How can I tell if I am trusting in money rather than in God?
• What counts as “oppression” in everyday life, taxes, rents, business practices?
• If I inherited wealth from a dishonest source, should I give it away?

Psalm 62:10 confronts the human tendency to rely on wealth, whether it is gained by force or by honest labour. David, writing during a crisis of trust, calls God’s people to rest in God alone. This passage helps small groups examine where their true security lies, and what the Bible says about the things we are tempted to count on.

Discussion questions

1. Read Psalm 62:8, 12. How does verse 10 logically follow from verse 9 (“men . . . are a breath”)? What does that tell us about the reliability of human resources?
2. What is the difference between “oppression” and “robbery” in your own words? Can you think of modern examples of each that are socially acceptable?
3. Barnes says many “who withhold wages from labourers” are guilty of robbery. How does this widen the definition beyond stealing physical goods?
4. “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Why is it harder to trust God when our bank account is full than when it is empty?
5. How does Deuteronomy 8:12, 14 echo the same warning? What pattern does Moses describe?
6. In what ways can the heart “set itself” on wealth even without consciously thinking about it? How can we detect hidden trust in riches?
7. The psalm ends with “power belongs to God” and “mercy” and “reward” (vv. 11, 12). How do these truths provide an antidote to the temptation to trust in money?