For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 2 a psalm of Asaph; a song.
75:1 We give thanks to you, O God! We give thanks!
You reveal your presence; 3
people tell about your amazing deeds.
75:2 God says, 4
“At the appointed times, 5
I judge 6 fairly.
75:3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, 7
I make its pillars secure.” 8 (Selah)
75:4 9 I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”
and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory! 10
75:5 Do not be so certain you have won! 11
Do not speak with your head held so high! 12
75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,
or from the wilderness. 13
75:7 For God is the judge! 14
He brings one down and exalts another. 15
75:8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full
of foaming wine mixed with spices, 16
and pours it out. 17
Surely all the wicked of the earth
will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.” 18
75:9 As for me, I will continually tell what you have done; 19
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob!
1 sn Psalm 75. The psalmist celebrates God’s just rule, which guarantees that the godly will be vindicated and the wicked destroyed.
2 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-59.
3 tn Heb “and near [is] your name.”
4 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.
5 tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”
6 tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”
7 tn Heb “melt.”
8 tn The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically prevents the world from being overrun by chaos. One could take this as referring to an anticipated event, “I will make its pillars secure.”
9 tn The identity of the speaker in vv. 4-6 is unclear. The present translation assumes that the psalmist, who also speaks in vv. 7-9 (where God/the
10 tn Heb “do not lift up a horn.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Here the idiom seems to refer to an arrogant attitude that assumes victory has been achieved.
11 tn Heb “do not lift up on high your horn.”
12 tn Heb “[do not] speak with unrestrained neck.” The negative particle is understood in this line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
13 tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.
14 tn Or “judges.”
15 tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.
16 tn Heb “for a cup [is] in the hand of the
17 tn Heb “and he pours out from this.”
18 tn Heb “surely its dregs they slurp up and drink, all the wicked of the earth.”
19 tn Heb “I will declare forever.” The object needs to be supplied; God’s just judgment is in view.