Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 62

Waits upon God. —Literally, to God (is) silence my soul. (Psalms 39:2; Psalms 65:1.) The Septuagint and Vulgate, “shall be in subjection to,” which no doubt gives one side of the feeling; but another may be illustrated by Wordsworth’s—

“The holy time is quiet as a nun
Breathless with adoration.”

Defence. —Properly, high tower, as so often. The metaphor is important here from the contrast with the tottering wall of next verse.

Shall not be greatly moved ... — i.e. , shall not be made to totter or fall.

Imagine mischief. —This is the Rabbinical rendering of a word that occurs only here. The Septuagint has “fall upon”; the Vulgate, “rush upon,” a meaning supported by an Arabic root meaning to storm or assault, and is thus preferable to Aquila’s and Jerome’s “plot against,” Symmachus’ “labour in vain,” or the Syriac, “act foolishly.”

Ye shall be slain. —The reading varies; the Tiberian school reading the verb passive, the Babylonian, active. The latter is supported by the ancient versions. The primary meaning is given as to break, and we get:

How long will ye assault a man?
(How long) will ye try to break him down,
As if he were a bowing wall, a tottering fence.

The metaphor of the falling wall is common in Eastern proverbs. “The wall is bowing,” is said of a man at the point of death. “By the oppression of the headman, the people of that village are a ruined wall.”

Their mouth. —Literally, his mouth. They bless each with his mouth, etc.

Excellency. —Rather, height, carrying on the metaphor of the preceding verse.

As in Psalm 62:1: Truly to God, be silence my soul. The state of resignation is one which can only be preserved by prayer. We may say, I will, but can only feel it through prayer.