Psalms 62:9
in Psalms 62Lowborn men are but a vapor, the exalted but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: In the balances they will go up; They are together lighter than vanity.
KJV
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
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This verse in Psalms 62
Commentary
13 notes on this verseSurely men of low degree are vanity,.... Or "sons of Adam" (i); of the earthly man; of fallen Adam; one of his immediate sons was called Hebel, "vanity"; and it is true of all his sons; but here it designs only one sort of them; such as are poor and low in the world; mean men, as the phrase is rendered in Isa 2:9; See Gill on Psa 49:2; these are subject to sinful vanity; their thoughts are vain, their affections vain, their minds vain, their conversation vain, sinful, foolish, fallacious, and inconstant.
This site's exposition
Lowborn men are but a vapor
on Psalms 62:9-10
Both ends of the scale are weighed together, the lowborn a vapor and the exalted a lie. On the balance they go up, weighing nothing. Calvin reads verse 10 as spoken to God's own people, warned off extortion and stolen goods and off setting the heart on their own increase.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"But foolish are the sons of people." The psalmist knew that not all follow his instruction or permit themselves to hope in God, but that they have their hope in the follies of life. Therefore, he says, "But vain are the sons of people, the sons of people are liars." Why vain? Because they are liars. Where, especially, is their deceit proved? "In the balances used for defrauding," he says. In what sort of balances does he mean? All people do not weigh in the balance, do they? All people are not wool sellers or butchers, are they? Or do not handle gold or silver, or in general themselves deal with these materials that the merchants are accustomed to exchange by means of scales and weights, do they? But there is a large class of artisans, which does not need scales at all for its work; and there are many sailors and many who are always engaged about courts of justice and the duty of ruling, among whom there is deceit, but the deceit is not practiced through scales. What, then, does he mean? That there is a certain balance constructed in the interior of each of us by our Creator, on which it is possible to judge the nature of things. "I have set before you life and death, good and evil," two natures contrary to each other; balance them against each other in your own tribunal; weigh accurately which is more profitable to you: to choose a temporary pleasure and through it to receive eternal death, or having chosen suffering in the practice of virtue, to use it to attain everlasting delights.
Thus, no one is able to see the perilous traps before he falls into them. In the same way, Satan, hostile to us from the beginning, sneaks into the shadows of worldly pleasures that grow thickly enough about the road of life to hide the brigand while he plots against us. There he lurks in secret and spreads his nets for our destruction. If, then, we would safely traverse the road of life lying before us, and offer to Christ our body and soul alike free from the shame of wounds and receive the crown for this victory, we must always and everywhere keep the eyes of our soul wide open, holding in suspicion everything that gives pleasure. We must unhesitatingly pass by such things, without allowing our thoughts to rest in them, even if we think that we see gold lying before us in heaps, ready to be picked up by any who so desire. "If riches abound," says the Scripture, "set not your heart on them." We must pay no heed, even if the earth buds forth every kind of delicacy and offers luxurious dwellings to our gaze, for "our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ." Nor should we take notice when dancing and merrymaking and reveling and banquets ringing with the sound of the flute are offered for our enjoyment, for the Scripture says, "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity."
Thus to those who wish to have happiness in the goods of present things, the psalm says, "How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?" And in another text, "Put no confidence in …
Then he brings up a decision for all that was said, not now from his own words but one that he heard from God. "God has spoken once, these two things have I heard," he says. And let it not disturb anyone that what was said is, as it were, incredible, namely, that God spoke once and the prophet heard two things. For it is possible for someone to speak once but for the things spoken on the one occasion to be many. In fact, when a certain person met someone once, he discussed many things.
"Nevertheless, vain are the sons of men, and liars are the sons of men in the balances, in order that they may deceive, being at one because of vanity" [Psalm 62:9]. Certainly many men there are: behold there is that one man, that one man that was cast forth from the multitude of guests. [Matthew 22:11] They conspire, they all seek things temporal, and they that are carnal things carnal, and for the future they hope them, whosoever do hope: even if because of variety of opinions they are in division, nevertheless because of vanity they are at one. Divers indeed are errors and of many forms, and the kingdom against itself divided shall not stand: [Matthew 12:25] but alike in all is the will vain and lying, belonging to one king, with whom into fire everlasting it is to be thrown headlong [Matthew 25:41] — "these men because of vanity are at one." And for them see how He thirsts, see how He runs in thirst.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Of the two, men of high degree are mentioned as the more deceiving; for they are a lie, which denotes not only vanity, but iniquity. We are not so apt to depend upon men of low degree as upon the king and the captain of the host, who, by the figure they make, tempt us to trust in them, and so, when they fail us, prove a lie.
5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:100%@v5-7
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Surely men of low degree are vanity. Here the word is only again; men of low degree are only vanity, nothing more. They are many and enthusiastic, but they are not to be depended on; they are mobile as the waves of the sea, ready to be driven to and fro by any and every wind; they cry "Hosanna" today, and "Crucify him" tomorrow. The instability of popular applause is a proverb; as well build a house with smoke as find comfort in the adulation of the multitude.
Surely men of low degree are vanity. Here the word is only again; men of low degree are only vanity, nothing more. They are many and enthusiastic, but they are not to be depended on; they are mobile as the waves of the sea, ready to be driven to and fro by any and every wind; they cry "Hosanna" today, and "Crucify him" tomorrow. The instability of popular applause is a proverb; as well build a house with smoke as find comfort in the adulation of the multitude. As the first son of Adam was called Abel or vanity, so here we are taught that all the sons of Adam are Abels: it were well if they were all so in character as well as in name; but alas! in this respect, too many of them are Cains. And men of high degree are a lie. That is worse. We gain little by putting our trust in the aristocracy, they are not one whit better than the democracy: nay, they are even worse, for we expect something from them, but get nothing. May we not trust the elite? Surely reliance may be placed in the educated, the chivalrous, the intelligent? For this reason are they a lie; because they promise so much, and in the end, when relied upon, yield nothing but disappointment. How wretched is that poor man who puts his trust in princes. The more we rely upon God, the more shall we perceive the utter hollowness of every other confidence. To be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Take a true estimate of them; judge them neither by quantity nor by appearance, but by weight, and they will no longer deceive you. Calmly deliberate, quietly ponder, and your verdict will be that which inspiration here records. Vainer than vanity itself are all human confidences: the great and the mean, alike, are unworthy of our trust.
Men of low degree are vanity - בני אדם beney Adam, which we here translate men of low degree, literally, sons of Adam, are put in opposition to בני איש beney ish, men of high degree, literally, the sons of substance, or children of substantial men. Adam was the name of the first man when formed out of the earth; Ish was his name when united to his wife, and they became one flesh. Before, he was the incomplete man; after, he was the complete man; for it seems, in the sight of God, it requires the male and female to make one complete human being. אנוש enosh is another name given to man, but this concerns him in his low, fallen, wretched estate: it properly signifies weak, poor, addicted, wretched man. Common men can give no help. They are vanity, and it is folly to trust in them; for although they may be willing, yet they have no ability to help you: “Rich men are a lie.” They promise much, but perform nothing; they cause you to hope, but mock your expectation. To be laid to the balance - במאזנים לעלות bemozenayim laaloth, In the balances they ascend: exactly answerable to our phrase, they kick the beam. They are altogether lighter than vanity - Literally, Both of them united are vanity, המה מהבל יחד hemmah mehebel yachad. Put both together in one scale, and truth in the opposite, and both will kick the beam. They weigh nothing, they avail nothing.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Surely men of low degree are vanity - literally, “vanity are the sons of Adam,” but the word Adam here is used evidently to represent men, or the race. The same word is also employed particularly to represent common men, or men of the humbler rank, in contradistinction to the word אישׁ 'ı̂ysh - which is the other word used here, and rendered “men of high degree.” Compare, for this use of the word, Hos 6:7. The same antithesis between the two words is found in Isa 2:9; Isa 5:15. The idea here is, that in the great matters which pertain to us, we cannot depend on men, and that our hope - our trust - must be in God. Of men of the humbler or lower classes, it is said that they are “vanity;” that is, they are like a vain, empty, unsubstantial thing. They cannot help us. It is useless to rely on them when we most need aid. Men of high degree are a lie - Men of exalted rank, kings, princes, nobles. This does not refer to their personal character, as if they were always false, deceitful, treacherous; but the idea is, that any prospect of protection or aid from men of rank and station - front any power which they wield - is unworthy to be relied on. It is not that which we need; it is not that on which we can depend. To be laid in the balance - literally, “In the scales to go up;” that is, they are seen to go up, or to show how light they are. They have no real weight; no real value. On the scales or balance, see the notes at Dan 5:27. They are altogether lighter than vanity - They are all vain; single or combined, they have no power to save us. The meaning is not that if these two ranks of persons were weighed against each other they would both be found to be vanity; but that it is true of each and every rank of men - high and low - whether single or combined - that, as weighed against our interests and needs, they are nothing. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The sons of men are but vanity Do not fear them, since God is forever our shelter in time of trouble.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֤ךְ׀ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| הֶ֥בֶל | hevel | [are] a breath | H1892 → | 73 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָם֮ | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| כָּזָ֪ב | kazav | [are] falsehood | H3577 → | 31 times |
| בְּנֵ֫י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּמֹאזְנַ֥יִם | bemozenayim | in [the] balances | H3976 → | |
| לַעֲל֑וֹת | laalot | to go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הֵ֝֗מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מֵהֶ֥בֶל | mehevel | [are] more than a breath | H1892 → | 73 times |
| יָֽחַד׃ | yachad | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
אַ֤ךְ׀only
ʾakhH389 →161 times
הֶ֥בֶל[are] a breath
hevelH1892 →73 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] children of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָם֮humankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
כָּזָ֪ב[are] falsehood
kazavH3577 →31 times
בְּנֵ֫י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אִ֥ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בְּמֹאזְנַ֥יִםin [the] balances
bemozenayimH3976 →
לַעֲל֑וֹתto go up
laalotH5927 →890 times
הֵ֝֗מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
מֵהֶ֥בֶל[are] more than a breath
mehevelH1892 →73 times
יָֽחַד׃together
yachadH3162 →141 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 39:5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
it leads to
- Psalms 144:4
Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
- Psalms 89:47
Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men!
- Psalms 90:9–10
For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh.
- Ecclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to…
- Psalms 39:11
You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah
- Psalms 144:4
Through
Isaiah 40:17All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.
it leads to
- Daniel 4:34–35
But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives…
- Daniel 4:34–35
Through
Psalms 39:11You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah
it leads to
- Job 13:28
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
- Job 13:28
Through
Psalms 118:9It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
it leads to
- Psalms 146:3–5
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
- Psalms 146:3–5
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alexander Maclaren, The Psalms, Expositor's Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 62; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 21:4; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILY ON DETACHMENT 21; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 21:5; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Fulgentius of Ruspe, LETTER 7:19; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.