Psalm 75 1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8 For 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. 9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. (KJV) Commentary 75:1. Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks. The psalmist is joyful because thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. Reviewing the previous deliverances of Israel by Jehovah, God causes Asaph to anticipate further deliverance and divine aid. 2–5. It is clear that the speaker of verses 3 and 4 is God, while the speaker of verse 1 and verses 6–9 is the psalmist. God may also be the speaker of verses 4–5 and 10; however, this is uncertain. When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly (lit., when I shall have reached the appointed or set time). God will judge the nations, but He will do so at His own time. At the judgment of God The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. This is apparently a poetic way of saying that no one on the earth will be able to withstand the righteous judgment of God. Thus, God warns the wicked, Deal not foolishly … lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. The meaning here is apparently that the fool is not to flex his muscle in the face of God. To be humbled, or cast down, was often represented by the figure of breaking or cutting off the horn (see vs. 10). The phrase a stiff neck is one common in the Pentateuch (Ex 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9; Deut 9:6, 13; 10:16; 31:27) and expresses arrogancy, obstinance, or pride. 6–8. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. The Hebrew word rendered promotion is from the same root used in verses 4–5, 7, and 10, in which it is translated shall be exalted, lift or setteth up. It is a very expressive and emphatic word, signifying deliverance from trouble or a lifting up when all those who encompass you have helped to put you down. In the face of those who have been lifted up by pride and strength, the psalmist is convinced that his elevation, or exaltation, comes neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south; But God is the judge. It is God who is sovereign and putteth down one, and setteth up another (cf. I Sam 2:7; Dan 2:21; 4:17). For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red. The cup of God’s fury filled with blood red wine will ultimately find expression at the great battle of Armageddon (cf. Isa 51:22; Jer 25:15). It is here that Jesus Christ, the conquering God, “… shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev 19:15). So complete will God’s judgment be on those who walk wickedly that even the dregs that settle to the bottom of the Cup will be ingested by them. When God’s wrath is poured out on the foolish, self-willed sinner, it will be a complete and devastating punishment. 9–10. But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. Those who live righteously will not see God’s wrath, but will sing His praises. God’s eternal promise to the righteous, is All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. The pomp and power of mighty men are no match for the wrath of God. Jehovah, who will one day make all things right, will exalt those who have lived righteously but have been dealt with treacherously by the fools of this world. The sovereign God is still in control. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). Commentary is sourced from: KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (1074). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 22:33:30 +0000
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