Psalms 62:4 · Bible study
Psalms 62:4 Commentary: Hypocrisy Exposed, Trust Enjoined
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Psalm 62:4 teach about human hypocrisy? Commentary on the enemies' deceit and the psalmist's response of silent trust in God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Enemies conspire to bring down a person of high standing, using lies and hypocritical flattery as their tools.
- Key words: “cast him down from his lofty place” (attack on God-given position), “delight in lies” (not just deceit but pleasure in it), “bless … curse inwardly” (the contradiction of speech and heart).
- Main debate: Whether the verse refers specifically to Absalom’s rebellion or to a general pattern of human hypocrisy in David’s life.
- Theological theme: The reality of duplicity in a fallen world, contrasted with the invitation to silent trust in God as the only safe refuge.
- Best use: Teaching on the nature of hypocrisy, preaching comfort to those betrayed, or examining our own integrity before God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They fully intend to cast him down from his lofty perch; they delight in lies; with their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse. Selah
WEB World English Bible 2000
They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
KJV King James Version 1769
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
They only consult to thrust him down from his dignity; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. [Selah
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Only--from his excellency They have consulted to drive away, They enjoy a lie, with their mouth they bless, And with their heart revile. Selah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
They only consult to thrust [him] down from his excellency; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but in their inward part they curse. Selah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For thy mercy is better than lives: thee my lips will praise.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Solamente consultan de arrojarle de su grandeza; aman la mentira, con su boca bendicen, pero maldicen en sus entrañas. ( Selah.)
Eles somente tomam conselhos sobre como lançá-lo abaixo de sua alta posição; agradam-se de mentiras; falam bem com suas bocas, mas amaldiçoam em seus interiores. (Selá)
Jusqu’ à quand vous jetterez-vous sur un homme,
Sie denken nur, wie sie ihn dämpfen, fleißigen sich der Lüge; geben gute Worte, aber im Herzen fluchen sie. ( Sela.)
Hoe lang zult gijlieden kwaad aanstichten tegen een man? Gij allen zult gedood worden; gij zult zijn als een ingebogen wand, een aangestoten muur.
Essi non pensano che a farlo cadere dalla sua altezza; prendon piacere nella menzogna; benedicono con la bocca, ma internamente maledicono. Sela.
Dokądże będziecie myślić złe przeciwko człowiekowi? Wszyscy wy zabici będziecie; będziecie jako ściana pochylona, a jako mur walący się.
ибо милость Твоя лучше, нежели жизнь. Уста мои восхвалят Тебя.
他們彼此商議，專要 從他的尊位上 把他推下；他們喜愛 謊話，口 雖祝福，心 卻咒詛。（細拉）
Their only thought is to put him down from his place of honour; their delight is in deceit: blessing is in their mouths but cursing in their hearts. (Selah.)
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions read this verse as a vivid portrait of treacherous enemies who mask violent intent with feigned blessings. Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and John Gill each connect the scene to Absalom’s conspiracy against David, where political flattery concealed a coup. The phrase “they delight in lies” echoes Psalms 5:9 and 55:21, a pattern of smooth words hiding drawn swords. Matthew Henry treats the verse as a paradigm of the hypocrite’s double heart. Keil and Delitzsch note the rare verb underlying “consult,” linking it to an Arabic root meaning “to compromise or dishonour,” underscoring the personal betrayal involved. The “Selah” invites meditation on the contrast between the enemies’ duplicity and the psalmist’s sustained profession of silent trust in God (Psalm 62:1,5). The consensus is clear: this verse exposes the anatomy of hypocrisy, while the response of still waiting on God offers the antidote.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse describes enemies who use deceptive speech to attack someone of high status, while the psalmist's response of silent trust in God provides the counterpoint.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical reference | The verse fits the narrative of David under attack, likely from trusted associates. | Most read it as Absalom’s conspiracy (Clarke, Barnes, Gill), but others see it as a general portrait of deceit that could apply to multiple periods in David’s life. |
| Meaning of “his excellency” | It refers to a high, God-given position (kingly status, honor). | Some see it as David’s kingly glory; others interpret it as God’s own excellence from which they try to drive the psalmist away from trust. |
| Nature of the lies | The enemies use falsehood as a weapon, both in what they say and in their intentions. | Are these specific political slanders, or general character assassinations? The commentaries lean toward political deception during the rebellion. |
| Function of Selah | It signals a pause for reflection, often in liturgical or musical settings. | Whether the pause comes at a moment of lament or protest, or at a turning point toward trust. Most see it as highlighting the contrast between the enemies and the psalmist’s faith. |
| Genre of the verse | It is a portion of a lament/trust psalm. | Some classify the whole psalm as a lament (despite strong confidence), others as a song of trust with a lament-like complaint. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The psalm is attributed to David, likely from the rebellion of his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15, 18). The title mentions Jeduthun, one of the chief musicians appointed by David to lead worship (1 Chronicles 9:16; 16:41). The phrase “his excellency” or “lofty place” refers to David’s God-given position as king. In the ancient Near East, royal courts were rife with flattery and hidden agendas; loyalty was often a public performance.
Absalom’s tactics fit the description exactly. He would “steal the hearts of the men of Israel” by blessing them profusely while secretly plotting against his father (2 Samuel 15:1, 6). The enemies “delight in lies”, not just tell falsehoods but enjoy them. They “bless with their mouth” (the customary greeting “God save the king”) but “curse inwardly,” a treachery echoed in Psalms 28:3 and 55:21.
The historical setting matters because it shows that even God’s anointed king experienced deep betrayal. But the psalm transcends a single event. The “Selah” calls the reader to pause and measure the enemies’ hypocrisy against the psalmist’s own resolve: “My soul waits in silence for God alone” (v.1). That silence is not passive resignation; it is the active posture of faith in a God who sees every hidden heart.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 62:4. The Hebrew text is stable in the Masoretic tradition, and the verse appears consistently across manuscripts. The word translated “consult” or “fully intend” has a rare Hebrew form (תהתתו), but its meaning is reasonably established through cognate languages and context.
Reception History
Psalm 62:4 has been read historically as a sharp critique of hypocrisy. Early Christian interpreters often saw here a type of the betrayal of Christ, Judas blessing Jesus with a kiss while secretly plotting his arrest. Protestant Reformers like Calvin used the broader psalm to teach the virtue of silent submission to God in the face of slander. Puritan commentators such as Matthew Henry drew from this verse practical warnings against flattery and the divided heart. In Reformed and evangelical traditions, the verse is frequently cited in sermons on integrity and the danger of a double life. The presence of “Selah” has encouraged meditative reading across centuries, calling the worshiper to ponder the gap between outward words and inward reality.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The enemy’s full intention. “They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place.” The attack targets the psalmist’s God-given position and honor. It is calculated, deliberate, and aimed at his destruction.
- Their delight in lies. “They delight in lies.” It is not enough for them to deceive; they take pleasure in it. The lie is both their weapon and their entertainment.
- The outward-inward contradiction. “They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.” The split between speech and heart is the very definition of hypocrisy. The “Selah” forces a moment to see the gap.
Five-point outline
- The attack on position: The enemies target the psalmist’s “excellency”, his status, reputation, or calling.
- The love of falsehood: They “delight in lies”, this is not occasional deceit but a settled character.
- The double tongue: Blessing with the lips while cursing in the heart. They speak one language in public, another in private.
- The Selah pause: A musical or liturgical break that forces reflection on the contrast just drawn.
- The contrasting trust: The surrounding verses (1, 2, 5, 8) show the psalmist’s answer: silent dependence on God rather than retaliation or despair.
Illustration hooks
- Workplace betrayal: A coworker who praises your ideas in the meeting but then undermines you to the boss. The public smile conceals private sabotage.
- Political spin: A candidate who tours the district promising help but whose entire strategy is to remove an opponent from office. The campaign becomes a “political Absalom.”
- Church conflict: A fellow member who says “God bless you” warmly but spreads gossip about you after the service. The dissonance between the blessing and the curse.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “How do I trust anyone when I have been burned by such hypocrisy?”
- “Is it okay to feel angry and hurt when I discover a friend has been two-faced?”
- “How can I guard my own heart from being like these enemies, even in small ways?”
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 62:4 holds up a mirror to human sin and a window to divine refuge. The verse strips back the mask of the flatterer to reveal the hidden curse. Yet it sits in a psalm that begins and ends with the soul waiting silently on God. This contrast is not accidental. The betrayal is real, but the response is faith, not bitterness.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What specific actions do the enemies take? List each verb in verse 4.
- Interpretation: Why does the psalmist note that they “delight in lies”? What does this say about their character?
- Interpretation: The mouth and the heart are at war in these people. Where else in Scripture do we see this pattern? (See Psalm 12:2; 28:3; 55:21; James 3:9, 10.)
- Interpretation: The word “Selah” appears after the description of hypocrisy. What purpose does that pause serve?
- Application: How does the surrounding context (especially verses 1, 2 and 5, 8) challenge or change the way you respond to being lied about?
- Application: In what relationships are you most tempted to practice “blessing with the mouth but cursing inwardly”? How can you repent of that?
- Application: This verse promises that God sees the hidden curse. How does knowing that God sees everything bring both comfort and caution?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 2:1 | Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? |
| Psalms 2:3 | “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.” |
| Psalms 5:9 | For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue. |
| Psalms 28:3 | Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. |
| Psalms 51:6 | Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. |
| Psalms 52:3 | You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah. |
| Psalms 55:21 | His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. |
| Psalms 119:163 | I hate and abhor falsehood. I love your law. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the conspiracy described here as a political plot to dethrone the king through flattery and deceit. He connects it to Absalom’s tactic of charming the people to steal the throne, or to the Jerusalemites whose false professions of loyalty the psalmist could not trust.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the enemies' singular purpose as dragging down a person of high rank, and he applies this directly to Absalom's conspiracy against David. He stresses that their entire strategy rests on lies and hypocritical blessings: they flatter outwardly while cursing inwardly, using deceptive loyalty to achieve their destructive goal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The enemies' conspiracy is a lie in both its principle and its aim. They bless with their mouths but curse inwardly, practicing gross hypocrisy and duplicity as they plot to thrust the Psalmist down from his dignity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight the deliberate hypocrisy of the enemies: they openly speak blessings while their hearts are full of curses, and they conspire to tear the psalmist down from his position of honor, all while delighting in falsehood.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the enemies' hypocrisy: they bless the king publicly with their mouths while cursing him in their hearts. He interprets "casting down from his excellency" as a plot against David's royal position, not just against his faith. Their lies and blessings are calculated to undermine him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the term "his excellency" refers to the high position God had granted the psalmist. His enemies try to undermine this God-given elevation by using lies and deceitful tactics.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that the poet's response to enemies is not fatalistic resignation but a quiet, calm submission that actively gives everything to God. The word "nevertheless" expresses a faith that clings to established truths amid assault. The poet's soul becomes silent submission, wholly resigned to God, because God Himself is his salvation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the Hebrew word ach, repeated throughout the psalm, should be translated "only" rather than "surely." This highlights the exclusive, objective truth that God alone is the soul's rest, not just the psalmist's subjective feeling. He calls this silence a settled, active resignation to God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that waiting on God means being silent before Him—not complaining about what He does, but quietly expecting what He will do. The soul must be subject to God, with our wills melted into His, because salvation comes from Him alone.