God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
Parallel translations
- WEB God has spoken once; twice I have heard this, that power belongs to God.
- BSB God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: that power belongs to God,
- NKJV God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
- NASB ¶God has spoken once; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God;
- NLT God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you;
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David affirms a truth heard repeatedly from God: that power belongs to God. It anchors confidence in God's supreme strength.
Overview
David cites a settled revelation, emphasized by the once-twice formula, that all power is God's. Against the emptiness of human strength, this declares where true might resides. Knowing that power belongs to God frees the believer from fear of every lesser power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Rev 19:1And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
- Job 33:14For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
- Isa 26:4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
- Job 40:5Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
- Ps 68:34–35Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
- John 19:11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
- Matt 28:18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
- Matt 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
- Ps 59:17Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 62:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.