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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 75

Psalm 75: the pillars borne up, horns not lifted, and a cup of red wine

General context

The speakers give thanks to God twice over, for his wondrous works declare that his name is near. A first-person voice says that when he receives the congregation he will judge uprightly; the earth and its inhabitants are dissolved, and he bears up its pillars, Selah. He has told the fools not to deal foolishly and the wicked not to lift up the horn, not to lift the horn on high or speak with a stiff neck, for promotion comes from neither east, west nor south; God is the judge who puts down one and sets up another. In the Lord's hand is a cup of red wine full of mixture, and he pours from it; the wicked of the earth will wring out and drink its dregs. The speaker will declare for ever and sing praises to the God of Jacob; he will cut off all the horns of the wicked, and the horns of the righteous will be exalted.

Cited passages: Psalms 75:1, Psalms 75:2, Psalms 75:3, Psalms 75:4, Psalms 75:5, Psalms 75:6, Psalms 75:7, Psalms 75:8, Psalms 75:9, Psalms 75:10

Psalms 75 (KJV)

1Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

2When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.

3The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

4I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:

5Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

8For 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.

9But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The voice shifts without introduction. Verse 1 is a plural "we" thanking God; verses 2 and 3 are a first-person "I" who will "receive the congregation", "judge uprightly" and "bear up the pillars" of a dissolving earth; verses 4 to 8 report what "I said" to fools and the wicked and speak of God in the third person; verses 9 and 10 are an "I" who will sing to "the God of Jacob" and cut off "the horns of the wicked". The text does not say who speaks verses 2 and 3, or whether the same speaker cuts off horns in verse 10. "The congregation", "the fools" and "the wicked of the earth" are not identified, and no place or event is given beyond "Jacob" as the name of God's people. The "horn" is used as an image of being lifted up, set against "promotion" that comes from no compass point. Selah stands once, after verse 3.

Cited passages: Psalms 75:1, Psalms 75:2, Psalms 75:3, Psalms 75:4, Psalms 75:9, Psalms 75:10, Psalms 75:6

Literary context

Ten verses turn on the word "horn", used four times: the wicked are told twice not to lift it up, the wicked's horns are to be cut off, and the righteous's horns "shall be exalted". Lifting and lowering organise the whole poem: pillars borne up under a dissolving earth, a horn not to be lifted "on high", a stiff neck, and God who "putteth down one, and setteth up another". Verse 6 rules out three directions for promotion and verse 7 supplies the fourth answer, "But God is the judge". The single extended image is the cup: red wine, full of mixture, poured out, with the dregs left for "all the wicked of the earth" to wring out and drink. The psalm opens with doubled thanks and closes with a vow to "declare for ever", and the first-person judge of verse 2 is echoed by the first-person cutter of horns in verse 10. After the burned sanctuary of Psalm 74 and its unanswered "how long", this psalm answers with a judge who has set a time, "When I shall receive the congregation".

Cited passages: Psalms 75:5, Psalms 75:10, Psalms 75:3, Psalms 75:7, Psalms 75:8, Psalms 75:9, Psalms 75:2, Psalms 74:10

Key moments

  1. We give thanks (Psalms 75:1). The speakers thank God twice, for his works declare that his name is near.
  2. I bear up the pillars (Psalms 75:3). A first-person voice holds up the pillars of a dissolving earth, and Selah follows.
  3. Lift not up the horn (Psalms 75:4). The fools and the wicked are told not to deal foolishly or lift up the horn.
  4. God is the judge (Psalms 75:7). Promotion comes from no direction; God puts down one and sets up another.
  5. The cup of red wine (Psalms 75:8). The Lord pours a mixed red wine and the wicked drink its dregs.
  6. Horns cut off and exalted (Psalms 75:10). The wicked's horns will be cut off and the righteous's horns exalted.

For reflection

The psalm says promotion comes from no direction on the compass, then pictures a cup whose dregs the wicked must drink; what does the poem want a reader to think about where rising and falling actually come from?

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