“My soul waits in silence for God only;” (Psalms 62:1a, NASB)

Here is an example of how the order of words can be misleading.  In Hebrew, this clause reads: ak el-elohim dumiyyah naphshi.

Only towards God the silence of my soul

The New American Standard Bible reads: My soul waits in silence for God only; (Psalms 62:1a, NASB) The writer’s interests are in order. This exclusivity is diagnostic, because it identifies the songwriter as reserving dumiyyah for Elohim. Only towards God [is] my soul’s silence  My silence is reserved for GOD! Only God silences me! This is not waiting, because waiting can be accompanied by various activities, some of which conflict with divine presence and the vision of divine majesty.

This ain’t waiting, this is the way things are

David also tells himself, “You ARE in silence for God only”. My soul’s silence is reserved for God and this is a silence unlike all others. There is no “waiting” verb in the sentences, verses 1 and 5. The message is focused on a kind of one-eyed attention without anxiety and expectations.

“My soul, you are in silence for God only…” (Psalms 62:5a, my translation)