Also
to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness, for you reward every man according to his work.
Psalm 62:12
Psalm 62 [1.] My soul rests in God alone.
My salvation is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress—
I will never be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man,
would all of you throw him down,
Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
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.
My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
for my expectation is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.
I will not be shaken.
With God is my salvation and my honor.
The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in him at all times, you people.
Pour out your heart before him.
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Surely men of low degree are just a breath,
and men of high degree are a lie.
In the balances they will go up.
They are together lighter than a breath.
Psalm 62 [10.] Don’t trust in oppression.
Don’t become vain in robbery.
If riches increase,
don’t set your heart on them.
God has spoken once;
twice I have heard this,
that power belongs to God.
Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness,
for you reward every man according to his work.
Psalm 63 [1.] God, you are my God.
I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My flesh longs for you,
in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
watching your power and your glory.
Because your loving kindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you on my bed,
and think about you in the night watches.
For you have been my help.
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.
Your right hand holds me up.
But those who seek my soul, to destroy it,
shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
Meaning:
Psalm 62 is a psalm of David about quiet trust in God when enemies are attacking. Twice he says, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.” The psalm ends with two great truths that God has spoken: power belongs to God, and loving kindness belongs to him too. This final verse joins God’s love and God’s justice.
- “Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness”
“Loving kindness” translates the Hebrew word hesed, God’s faithful, covenant love. It is the love that keeps its promises. When God revealed his name to Moses, he proclaimed himself “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). God’s power is joined to steadfast love. That is why David can tell the people, “Trust in him at all times.”
- “for you reward every man according to his work”
God is also just. He sees what each person does and repays accordingly. For David, surrounded by liars, this was a comfort: God would set things right.
This truth runs through the whole Bible. Jesus applied it to his own return: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:27). Paul wrote that God “will pay back to everyone according to their works” (Romans 2:6), and the risen Jesus says, “My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
- Love and justice together
David puts loving kindness and judgment side by side. God’s justice does not cancel his love, and his love does not ignore justice. In the gospel the two meet at the cross, where Jesus bore the judgment for sin so that sinners could receive mercy. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet believers’ works still matter and will be rewarded.
The Significance of Psalm 62:12
- Rest in God, not in revenge
When others wrong us, this verse frees us from the need to repay them ourselves. God sees, and he will judge rightly.
- Sow what you want to reap
“Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Every action counts before God.
Cross-References:
Matthew 16:27: “then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.” Jesus quotes this truth.
Romans 2:6: “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” Paul’s teaching on judgment.
Revelation 22:12: “My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.” The promise of Jesus’ return.
Exodus 34:6: “abundant in loving kindness and truth,” God’s loving kindness.
Conclusion: Psalm 62 ends by declaring that loving kindness belongs to God and that he rewards every person according to their work. God’s faithful love and his perfect justice belong together. Jesus took up these words to speak of his coming judgment, calling his followers to trust God and live faithfully.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible