Psalms — Chapter 75
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1For the choirmaster: To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A song. We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your Name is near. The people declare Your wondrous works.
2“When I choose a time, I will judge fairly.
3When the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who bear up its pillars. Selah
4I say to the proud, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn.
5Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’”
6For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert,
7but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.
8For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours from His cup, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.
9But I will proclaim Him forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
10“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
1Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
2When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
3The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
4I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
5Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
9But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
1We give thanks unto thee, O God; We give thanks, for thy name is near: Men tell of thy wondrous works.
2When I shall find the set time, I will judge uprightly.
3The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I have set up the pillars of it. Selah
4I said unto the arrogant, Deal not arrogantly; And to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
5Lift not up your horn on high; Speak not with a stiff neck.
6For neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor yet from the south, [cometh] lifting up.
7But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and lifteth up another.
8For in the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, and the wine foameth; It is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same: Surely the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall drain them, and drink them.
9But I will declare for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; But the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Psalm 76 For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph, a song.
1For the music director, according to the al-tashcheth style; a psalm of Asaph, a song. We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks. You reveal your presence; people tell about your amazing deeds.
2God says, “At the appointed times, I judge fairly.
3When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, I make its pillars secure.” (Selah)
4I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,” and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory.
5Do not be so certain you have won. Do not speak with your head held so high.
6For victory does not come from the east or west, or from the wilderness.
7For God is the judge. He brings one down and exalts another.
8For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices, and pours it out. Surely all the wicked of the earth will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”
9As for me, I will continually tell what you have done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10God says, “I will bring down all the power of the wicked; the godly will be victorious.”
1We give thanks to you, God. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell about your wondrous works.
2When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah.
4I said to the arrogant, “Don’t boast!” I said to the wicked, “Don’t lift up the horn.
5Don’t lift up your horn on high. Don’t speak with a stiff neck.”
6For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.
7But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another.
8For in Yahweh’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs.
9But I will declare this forever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Summary
A psalm of judgment attributed to Asaph. It opens with thanks that God's name is near and his wonders are declared (v. 1), then God himself speaks, announcing that at his appointed time he will judge with fairness and warning the arrogant and wicked not to boast or raise a defiant horn (vv. 2-5). True exaltation comes from God alone, not from any direction on earth, since he is the judge who humbles one and lifts up another (vv. 6-7). A cup of foaming wine in the LORD's hand pictures the judgment the wicked must drink to the dregs (v. 8). The psalmist vows to praise the God of Jacob forever, who will cut off the strength of the wicked while exalting the righteous (vv. 9-10).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Judgment Comes at God's Chosen Time (v.2) — God declares that He will judge with fairness at the time He appoints, not whenever it seems convenient to us. When justice feels delayed in your own life, can you trust God's timing instead of demanding your own?
- Promotion Comes From God Alone (v.7) — The psalm insists that it is God, not connections or self-promotion, who lifts one person up and puts another down. Are you striving to position yourself, or trusting God to exalt you in His time?
- Christ Drank the Cup We Deserved (v.8) — The cup of God's wrath poured out on the wicked is the same cup Jesus took upon Himself at Calvary. Does the weight of what Christ drank on your behalf shape how you see your own forgiveness?
- Pride Invites Its Own Undoing (v.10) — The psalm closes with a warning that the horns of the wicked — their pride and strength — will be cut off. Where is pride creeping into how you talk about your own accomplishments?