{"id":6419,"date":"2022-03-13T15:30:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T21:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=6419"},"modified":"2022-03-13T15:30:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T21:30:30","slug":"psalm-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=6419","title":{"rendered":"Psalm 75"},"content":{"rendered":"

To the Chief Musician. Set to \u201cDoNot Destroy.\u201d A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

1 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nFor Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

2\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWhen I choose the proper time,<\/span><\/em>
\nI will judge uprightly.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

3 <\/sup>The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;<\/span><\/em>
\nI set up its pillars firmly. Selah<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

4\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cI said to the boastful, \u2018Do not deal boastfully,\u2019<\/span><\/em>
\nAnd to the wicked, \u2018Do not lift up the horn.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

5 <\/sup>Do not lift up your horn on high;<\/span><\/em>
\nDo not speak with a stiff neck.\u2019 \u201d<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

6\u00a0<\/sup>For exaltation comes neither from the east<\/span><\/em>
\nNor from the west nor from the south.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

7 <\/sup>But God is the Judge:<\/span><\/em>
\nHe puts down one,<\/span><\/em>
\nAnd exalts another.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

8 <\/sup>For in the hand of the Lord<\/span> there is a cup,<\/span><\/em>
\nAnd the wine is red;<\/span><\/em>
\nIt is fully mixed, and He pours it out;<\/span><\/em>
\nSurely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth<\/span><\/em>
\nDrain and drink down.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

9\u00a0<\/sup>But I will declare forever,<\/span><\/em>
\nI will sing praises to the God of Jacob.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n
\n

10\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cAll the horns of the wicked I will also cut off,<\/span><\/em>
\nBut the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

Set to “Do Not Destroy” (intro) \u2014 probably the name of the melody to which this song was to be sung<\/h3>\n

Verses 1-3 \u2014 Just as God’s justice has already been executed in history [by those who persecute His people and transgress His standards and authority], so too does God Himself affirm that in the future, at an appointed time known only to Him (Matthew 24:36<\/span><\/a>), He will execute inevitable, final judgment on the earth and all who dwell in it. \u2014 Wechsler, page 189.<\/span><\/h3>\n

God’s people are speaking in the first verse, and God Himself in the remaining verses.<\/h3>\n

Verses 4-8 \u2014 God [addresses] the boastful and the wicked\u2014both among the Gentiles as well as His people Israel\u2014and, in light of His already proven and inevitable final justice, exhorts them all to not lift up their own horn on high\u2014i.e., not to assert their own strength and ability (Deuteronomy 33:17; 1 Kings 22:11; Psalm 18:2<\/span><\/a>) in meeting out justice divergent from God’s own. Such “boasting” (which, as biblically defined, entails the assertion of one’s independence from authority) is ultimately futile, since there is no juridical authority greater than God to be found anywhere on earth\u2014neither from the east nor from the west (comprising all geographical distance), nor from the pasture (or “wilderness”) of mountains\u2014referring to the mountain summits on which the Canaanites (and sinning Israelites) would build “high places” to pray to their gods whom they believed to exercise sovereign judicial authority. \u2014 Wechsler, page 190.<\/span><\/h3>\n

do not lift up the horn (v.4) \u2014 do not be proud of your strength<\/h3>\n

The north is omitted in verse 6, possibly because “on the sides of the north” will stand the city of the Great King from whom comes lifting up. Messiah’s city will be on the northern slopes of Mount Zion. He will from thence as Judge either put down or lift up (v.7). \u2014 Williams, page 359.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Or …<\/h3>\n

No mention is made of the north, since the Assyrians were approaching from that direction (Isaiah 36-37 is likely the background of this psalm). \u2014 Ryrie, page 879.<\/span><\/h3>\n

I don’t know what to think about the north being omitted. Williams’ view (above) seems like a reach, but Ryrie’s view (adopted by several of my commentaries) makes no sense to me either because the verse says that exaltation won’t<\/em> come from the other three directions. The exaltation in question seems to come from God (v.7), so the view that the Assyrians were attacking Israel from the north doesn’t make sense to me.<\/h3>\n

Verses 9-10 \u2014 The manifestation of God’s justice\u2014both his aforementioned “wondrous works” of deliverance (by judging Israel’s enemies) as well as His final judgment of all the wicked\u2014would serve to enhance the eternal declaration of God’s praises (i.e., adding further occasion to praise Him for what He does<\/em> in addition to His inherent praiseworthiness for who He is<\/em>). \u2014 Wechsler, page 190.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Williams’ take:<\/h3>\n

The prophetic vision of this Psalm is that prefigured in Leviticus 9:22-24. Aaron, having by himself purged the people (Hebrews 1:3<\/span><\/a>)\u2014for there was no one with him when making atonement in the Sanctuary\u2014appears, accompanied by Moses, to rule and bless the people. So Christ as Priest perfected the atonement and as King and Priest will come forth to judge His House (vs. 4-7) and the nations (v.8). This vision of Messiah in the Sanctuary contrasts with the enemy in the Sanctuary of Psalm 74<\/span><\/a>. \u2014 Williams, pages 358-359.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To the Chief Musician. Set to \u201cDoNot Destroy.\u201d A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 1 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 2\u00a0\u201cWhen I choose the proper … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psalms"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6419"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6421,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6419\/revisions\/6421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}