Every mortal status will ultimately fade, but those who rest in God’s power will stand secure.
King David, who reigned as Israel’s second king from approximately 1010 BC to 970 BC, wrote Psalm 62 as a proclamation of trust in God’s steadfast protection. In the midst of this psalm’s assurances, David reflects on the frailty of humanity when he says, “Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath” (v.9). Here, the psalmist acknowledges that regardless of earthly status, people are inherently transient and ultimately weighed with little lasting significance compared to the eternal strength of the Lord.
David’s words, “Men of low degree are only vanity” (v.9), portray the fragile state of those who seem insignificant in society. However, the phrase “men of rank are a lie” (v.9) strips away any illusion that higher birth or great achievement can impart durable worth. Whether someone is poor or affluent, unremarkable or influential, both are swiftly exposed as fleeting. Like dust rising on a scale, David notes “In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath” (v.9), emphasizing that human pride and human frailty collapse into the same emptiness before the unchanging might of God.
In the broader context of Psalm 62, David urges his listeners to place their hope in God rather than in people or possessions. The foundation of our value is tied to God’s eternal character, not human status or strength. Those who trust Him align themselves with a security that cannot be lessened by human vanity or illusions of grandeur.
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Psalms 62:9 meaning
King David, who reigned as Israel’s second king from approximately 1010 BC to 970 BC, wrote Psalm 62 as a proclamation of trust in God’s steadfast protection. In the midst of this psalm’s assurances, David reflects on the frailty of humanity when he says, “Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath” (v.9). Here, the psalmist acknowledges that regardless of earthly status, people are inherently transient and ultimately weighed with little lasting significance compared to the eternal strength of the Lord.
David’s words, “Men of low degree are only vanity” (v.9), portray the fragile state of those who seem insignificant in society. However, the phrase “men of rank are a lie” (v.9) strips away any illusion that higher birth or great achievement can impart durable worth. Whether someone is poor or affluent, unremarkable or influential, both are swiftly exposed as fleeting. Like dust rising on a scale, David notes “In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath” (v.9), emphasizing that human pride and human frailty collapse into the same emptiness before the unchanging might of God.
In the broader context of Psalm 62, David urges his listeners to place their hope in God rather than in people or possessions. The foundation of our value is tied to God’s eternal character, not human status or strength. Those who trust Him align themselves with a security that cannot be lessened by human vanity or illusions of grandeur.