Limitless Word
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Psalms 62:4 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB 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.
  • BSB 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
  • NKJV They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
  • NASB They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah
  • NLT They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude

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

His enemies plot to topple him from his honored place, hiding curses behind flattering words. It unmasks their deceit and inward hostility.

Overview

David sees through his enemies' two-faced behavior: they bless outwardly while cursing within, aiming to bring him down. Their delight in lies marks the deceitfulness of the wicked heart. The Selah invites reflection on the contrast between such duplicity and the integrity of trusting God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • Ps 55:21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
  • Ps 28:3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
  • Ps 5:9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
  • Rom 7:22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
  • Rom 1:32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
  • Rev 22:15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
  • John 11:47–50Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
  • Acts 4:16–17Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
  • Acts 4:25–28Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
  • John 8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
  • Ps 52:3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
  • Hos 7:3They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
  • Ps 2:1–3Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
  • Matt 22:15Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
  • Matt 2:3–4When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
  • Matt 22:23The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
  • Matt 22:34–35But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
  • Prov 6:17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
  • Prov 13:5A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
  • Ps 51:6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
  • Matt 27:1When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
  • Matt 26:3–4Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
  • Luke 20:20And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
  • Matt 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
  • Luke 11:39And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
  • Ps 119:163I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 62:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 62:4 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.