Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 62:4
They only consult to cast [him] down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
4. Only to thrust him down from his dignity have they taken counsel, delighting in a lie:
With his mouth doth each of them bless, but inwardly they curse.
Their plot is ‘a lie,’ false in its principle and in its aim (Psa 4:2, note); and they have been guilty of the grossest hypocrisy and duplicity in promoting it. Cp. Psa 12:2; Psa 28:3; Psa 55:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency – This is the object of all their counsels and plans. They aim at one high in rank – and their purpose, their sole purpose, is to bring him down. This would apply well to the case of David in the time of the rebellion of Absalom.
They delight in lies – In false pretences; in secret plans of evil; in hypocritical assurances. This was eminently true of Absalom, who made use of these arts to seduce the people from allegiance to his father. 2Sa 15:1-6.
They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly – They profess true attachment and zeal, but they are traitors at heart. See the notes at Psa 28:3. This, too, would apply well to the conduct of Absalom and those associated with him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. To cast him down from his excellency] They are consulting to dethrone me, and use treachery and falsehood in order to bring it about: “They delight in lies.”
They bless with their mouth] Probably alluding to Absalom’s blandishments of the people. He flattered them in order to get the sovereign rule. Or it may refer to the people of Jerusalem, whose perfidy he saw, while they were full of professions of loyalty, c. but he could not trust them, and therefore retired from Jerusalem.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Him, to wit, the man mentioned Psa 62:3, i.e. himself; of whom he continues to speak in the third person.
From his excellency; from the hopes and attainment of that royal dignity, to which God hath designed and anointed me.
In lies; in secret slanders and execrations, covered with flatteries and fair speeches, as it here follows.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. his excellencyor,elevation to which God had raised him (Ps4:2). This they try to do by lies and duplicity (Ps5:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They only consult to cast [him] down from his excellency,…. Either from the excellency of God, from his greatness, and from his height, as Kimchi; or from his grace, as the Arabic version: that is, they consulted to discourage him from looking to God, his rock and fortress, and from trusting in him; or rather, from his own excellency, from what high estate of dignity and honour he was advanced to, or designed for, namely his kingly office. Saul and his courtiers consulted how to prevent his coming to the throne, and Absalom and Ahithophel how to pull him down from it, and seize his crown and kingdom; which latter best agrees with the expression here;
they delight in lies; in making and in spreading them, in order to hurt his character, and give his subjects an ill opinion of him; and thereby alienate their affections from him, and weaken their allegiance and obedience to him; see Re 22:15;
they bless with their mouth: saying, God bless the king, or save the king:
but they curse inwardly; they curse the king in their hearts, and when by themselves in private, when they imagine nobody hears them; see
Ec 10:20.
Selah; on this word, [See comments on Ps 3:2].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. Yet they consult to cast him down from his elevation I still would interpret the particle אך , ach, in an adversative sense. David, on the one hand, encouraged himself by determining to rest steadfastly upon the promise of divine favor; but, upon the other, he had before him the machinations of his enemies, characterised by cruelty, audacity, pride, and deceit. By all their attempts, as if he had said, they do nothing but precipitate their own fall; still such are the frenzy and the fury by which they are actuated, that they persist in their intrigues against me. He insinuates that their attacks were directed, not so much against himself as against God — agreeably to the picture which is given us of impiety by the poets in their fable of the Giants. (415) Nothing will satisfy the enemies of God but setting themselves above the heavens. David is to be understood as primarily speaking here of himself in the third person, but of himself as elevated expressly by the divine hand. Accordingly, though we might consider that God is the party directly intended, the scope of the words rather intimates that they aimed at the overthrow of one whom God had exalted, and desired to establish in honor. In thus attempting to thwart his purpose, they were really fighting against God. The clause which follows, they delight in lies, has reference to the same thing. Refusing to acknowledge his divine vocation, they persevered in following such corrupt designs, as could only recoil upon them to their own confusion, as the Psalmist exclaims,
“
O ye sons of men! how long is my glory made matter of your reproach? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.” — (Psa 4:2)
Or the expression may denote the hidden and deceitful measures which they adopted in their persecution of this saint of God; for it is immediately added, that they blessed with their mouth, but cursed inwardly Whatever may be the meaning, it is evident that David, contemplating all the treachery, intrigues, and wickedness of his enemies, supports himself by the single consideration, that his help was in God, and that every opposing instrumentality was therefore vain.
(415) “ Les Poetes profanes ont dit que les Geans delibererent de prendre les plus hautes montagnes et les mettans l’une sur l’autre, monter jusques au ciel, pour arracher Jupiter de son siege.” — Fr. marg. “It was said by the profane poets that the Giants formed a design of taking the highest mountains which they could find piling them one above another, scaling the heavens, and taking Jupiter by storm.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Their mouth.Literally, his mouth. They bless each with his mouth, &c
Excellency.Rather, height, carrying on the metaphor of preceding verse.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. They only consult to cast him down On only, truly, see Psa 62:1. The object of the conspiracy was to cast David down from the height of his kingly power and honour, to which God had exalted him; and he here submits the issue between them and God.
They delight in lies As their object is unjust and dishonourable, so they do not scruple to adopt the basest hypocrisy and falsehood in order to accomplish it.
They bless with their mouth Literally, they bless each one with his mouth. They profess openly to the people that they are doing all for the public good.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
They only consult to thrust him down from his dignity,
They delight in lies,
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. [Selah.’
He describes the kind of people that they are. Their only aim is to drag him down from his exalted position, to strip him of his authority. And in order to do so they are prepared to use lies, and false accusations. And their hypocrisy is brought out in that publicly they bless him with their mouths, while privately they curse him in their hearts. Note how their perfidy and untrustworthiness contrasts with the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God as already described. He is firm and sure, they are totally untrustworthy.
‘Selah.’ Let the worshippers think of that.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 62:4 They only consult to cast [him] down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Ver. 4. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency ] Or, yet they consult; q.d. Notwithstanding all that I can say or that God will do to them, they will on in their evil devices and endeavours against me; there is no reclaiming of them. Deus quos destruit dementat.
They delight in lies
They bless with their mouths
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
from his excellency = from his dignity or high rank. Royal rank is implied.
Selah. Connecting the enmity of his foes with his trust in God. See App-66.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
consult: Psa 2:1-3, Mat 2:3, Mat 2:4, Mat 2:16, Mat 22:15, Mat 22:23, Mat 22:34, Mat 22:35, Mat 26:3, Mat 26:4, Mat 27:1, Joh 11:47-50, Act 4:16, Act 4:17, Act 4:25-28
delight: Psa 52:3, Psa 119:163, Pro 6:17, Pro 13:5, Hos 7:3, Joh 8:44, Rom 1:32, Rev 22:15
bless: Psa 28:3, Psa 55:21, Luk 20:20
inwardly: Heb. in their inward parts, Psa 5:9, Psa 51:6, Luk 11:39, Rom 7:22
Reciprocal: Psa 10:7 – full Psa 12:2 – flattering Psa 27:2 – wicked Psa 38:12 – speak Psa 144:8 – mouth Isa 59:4 – and speak Dan 6:7 – have consulted Mar 14:1 – by Luk 14:1 – they Luk 23:2 – forbidding Act 24:9 – General Jam 3:9 – Therewith
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 62:4. They only consult to cast him down Namely, the man mentioned Psa 62:3. He means himself, of whom he continues to speak in the third person. From his excellency From the hopes and attainment of that royal dignity to which God hath designed and anointed me. They delight in lies, &c. In secret slanders and execrations, covered with flatteries and fair speeches, as it here follows.