To the chief musician, Al taskith, a psalm, a song of Asaph
75:Title Al taskith probably indicated the tune to be used when singing this psalm. It means “Do not Destroy”.⚜
75
📚To you, O God, we give thanks 📖, to you we give thanks,
for your wonderful deeds declare
that your name is near.
2 📚“When I choose the proper time
I will judge uprightly.
3 📚The earth and all its inhabitants
melt away, I hold up its pillars. Selah
4 📚I said to the boasters,
‘Do not boast’, and to the wicked,
‘Do not lift up
your horn,
5 📚Do not lift up your horn on high.
Do not speak with
an arrogant neck.’ ”
6 📚For exaltation does
not come either from
the east or from the west
or from the south,
7 📚But God is the judge.
He puts down one, and sets up
another.
75:2-7 In v 2 God Himself begins to speak. He sees the turmoil in the world and the persecution of His people. He hears the boasting of wicked and arrogant people. He knows exactly how long He should let such things go on. God has set times to perform certain acts (Dan 8:19; 11:27, 35; Hab 2:3; John 7:30; Acts 17:31). Until He arises to judge the world He Himself keeps the pillars of the world, the foundations of society from crumbling. And He has a message for all those who wickedly exalt themselves on earth: “Do not lift up your horn”. In the Bible horn sometimes signifies strength, authority, sometimes honor (Ps 89:17, 24; 92:10; 148:14; 1 Sam 2:1, 10; Lam 2:3, 17; Zech 1:21; Luke 1:69). “Lift up” or exalt is one of the key themes of this psalm – vs 4,5,6,7,10. A man may lift himself to some high place but it will be only to fall – v 10. God’s people should quietly wait for God to lift them up (1 Sam 2:6-8). Let not the man who exalts himself by deceitful tricks or human strength vainly imagine that it is God who lifts him up.⚜
8 📚For in the hand of the LORD
there is a cup,
and the wine is red.
It is fully mixed, and he pours
it out,
and all the wicked of the earth
drain it,
drinking it to its dregs.
75:8 The ancients sometimes offered to criminals before their execution wine mixed with stupefying drugs. That seems to be the picture here. Compare Isa 51:17-23; Jer 25:15, 27; 49:12; Ezek 23:32-34; Rev 14:9-10.⚜
9 📚But I will declare this
forever.
I will sing praises to the God
of Jacob.
75:9 Note on God of Jacob at Ps 146:5.⚜
10 📚I will also cut off all the horns
of the wicked;
but the horns of the righteous
will be exalted.
75:10 The wicked rise only to fall. The righteous are abased only to be exalted (Luke 14:11; 18:14).⚜