Psalms 75

This psalm of Asaph gives thanks that God is near and that He is the final Judge. God Himself speaks, promising to judge fairly at the time He chooses and to hold the world steady. The psalm ends with the worshiper’s praise and God’s promise to cut down the proud and lift up the righteous.

Psalms 75:1

The psalm opens with thanks. God’s people are grateful because His Name is near. They are not left alone with a distant God. His wonderful deeds are told from one person to another, and those deeds are the reason for the praise.

BSA: Name (“Your character and reputation”): God’s Name stands for who He is, so His nearness means His character is close at hand, not only a title. near (“close beside us, accessible”): God is present and can be approached in trouble.

See also: Psalm 145:18.

Psalms 75:2

God now speaks. He will judge on His own schedule, not ours. When the time comes He will judge fairly. This steadies anyone who is tired of waiting for wrongs to be put right.

BSA: judge (“uprightly, in righteousness, blamelessly”): His judgment will be completely right, with no unfairness in it.

Hebrew: מֵישָׁרִים (meisharim, H4339) — “uprightness, levelness, straightness.” The Hebrew word behind “fairly” pictures a level road. God’s judgment will be even and straight, with no bending or favoritism.

Psalms 75:3

Even when society seems to be falling apart and the earth shakes, God holds it together. The pillars are a picture of the world’s foundations. The world is not kept steady by human power. It stands because God bears it up.

BSA: bear up (“hold steady, establish”): God actively keeps the world firm, so it does not simply stand by itself. pillars (“foundations, supports”): The pillars stand for everything that keeps life and order secure.

See also: Colossians 1:17.

Psalms 75:4-5

God warns the arrogant to stop boasting. The horn was a picture of strength, like the horn of a bull, and lifting it up means bragging about one’s power. An outstretched neck means stiff, stubborn pride. Such pride is really aimed against heaven itself.

BSA: horn (“a horn; a hill or peak”): The horn shows strength and status raised up in self-confidence. neck (“in arrogance, with haughtiness”): A stiff, lifted neck pictures a person who will not bow.

See also: Proverbs 16:18.

Psalms 75:6-7

Promotion does not come from any point of the compass. East, west and the desert to the south cover all the directions people look to for help. Success is not finally won by schemes or powerful allies. God decides who is lowered and who is lifted.

BSA: exalts (“lifts up, elevates”): Real honor is given by God, so no one can seize it for himself. judges (“decides, renders verdicts”): God is the One who finally sets the outcome in human affairs.

See also: 1 Samuel 2:6-8; Luke 1:52.

Psalms 75:8

God’s judgment is pictured as a cup of strong, spiced wine in His hand. The wicked must drink it all, to the last drops at the bottom. It is a sober picture. What God pours out is what is deserved, and no one can avoid it.

BSA: cup (“filled with God’s wrath, containing judgment”): The cup stands for the portion of judgment God assigns to evil. dregs (“every last drop, until completely consumed”): The judgment is complete, with nothing left over.

See also: Isaiah 51:17; Revelation 14:10.

Psalms 75:9

In contrast to the wicked, the psalmist turns to praise. He promises to speak of God and sing to Him without end. The God of Jacob is the God who stayed faithful to a flawed man and keeps His promises to His people.

BSA: proclaim (“declare, speak about”): Praise is spoken out loud so others hear who God is. praise (“praises, songs of worship”): The response to God’s justice is song.

Psalms 75:10

The psalm ends with a promise. The strength of the wicked will be broken, and the strength of the righteous will be lifted. Evil does not have the last word. God will make things right, and those who trust Him can wait with hope.

BSA: cut off (“destroy, break”): The power of the wicked is not merely checked but broken. exalted (“lifted up, elevated”): The righteous will be raised up by God Himself.

See also: Psalm 92:10; 1 Peter 5:6.