Original Meaning
The Heading (75:0)
THE HEADING HERE IS A MORE COMPLICATED ONE. It contains the designation lamenatseah, meaning “To the director” or “For the director.” The root verb from which the office of director is derived (ntsh) means “to direct” or “to supervise.”2
With the passage of time it became unclear precisely what this “director” did, but the term implies an instruction or dedication to one who had responsibility for the leading of temple worship, be that oversight of the music or the singing.3
“Do not destroy” probably refers to a known tune. The remaining phrases of the heading identify the psalm as a continuing part of the Asaphite collection begun with Psalm 73 and describe the composition as a “song,” one of the standard descriptions of a psalm.
Bridging Contexts
READING THE PSALMS IN CANONICAL CONTEXT. One of the key features of Psalm 75 is its positioning within Book 3 of the Psalter. Reading through the book of Psalms in order gives the clear impression that psalms are deliberately placed alongside each other in order to influence our interpretation of the individual poems. For example, it is more than fortuitous that Psalm 23:1 (“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”) immediately follows the anguished plea of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The editors who compiled the Psalter deliberately placed psalms alongside one another so that the voice of each psalm would speak to its neighbors. In this way, we see a clear response to the doubts of Psalm 74 here in Psalm 75 and, indeed, the conversation that begins between these two psalms continues on into Psalm 76, as we shall see below.19
The community pours out its lament over the inactivity of God in Psalm 74, but the divine oracle of Psalm 75 provides assurance that God will work, though he will accomplish his work in his time. Just as we read any other passage of Scripture in its context within the book in which it appears, so we should be careful to do the same with the psalms in their context within the Psalter.20
Culture-bound metaphor. Another question that arises from Psalm 75 is, “How are we to understand metaphors that are meaningless to us?” Essentially, a metaphor is a pictorial means of expressing an idea or concept by way of comparison with something else. For example, Robbie Burns compares the abstract concept of love to “a red, red rose”:
O my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love’s like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.21
The comparison of his love with both the rose and the melody is meant to conjure up images in the mind of the reader—these are images of beauty, warmth, pleasure, harmony, and so on. The pictorial image of the metaphor shapes our understanding of the way Burns viewed his love for this anonymous woman.
Metaphors in the Psalms function in the same way. The pictorial value of the metaphor describes the idea that the poet seeks to explain. For example, in Psalm 1 the blessed person who delights in the instruction of Yahweh is described as being like “a tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3). Obviously, in the dry climate of the Near East, a tree planted by a water source will stand out in terms of growth, strength, fruitfulness, and stability when compared to other trees. The metaphor tells us that this kind of thriving is what we are to expect for the believer who delights in God and his word.
Most metaphors communicate well because the imagery is fairly universal and can be observed throughout the world. Burns’s metaphor of the rose communicates well in every country and culture that knows the sight and scent of the rose in bloom, as does the image of “the tree planted by streams of water.” In Psalm 75, however, we read about “the horn” (vv. 4–5, 10), an image that does not communicate so universally today, at least in Western cultures.22
The meaning or inference of such images is lost to us—they were once clear in their meaning to a particular community, but the understanding of them has been lost with the passage of time. The “horn” is one such image.
It seems that the image of the horn in Hebrew poetry had a multivalent meaning. Sometimes it appears to symbolize strength (e.g., see Ps 18:2). This usage of the horn metaphor is probably derived from the physical hardness of the horn and the strength and power of horn-bearing animals, such as the wild ox.23
In some instances the horn metaphor symbolizes ideas of status or dignity, though this symbolism may too have overtones of power (e.g., Ps 112:9).24
In other instances the horn may also represent Yahweh’s appointed strong one, normally a reference to the king (e.g., Ps 132:17).25
But the imagery of Psalm 75 relates specifically to lifting and cutting off horns (vv. 5, 10). These activities symbolize, respectively, triumph and defeat.26
Hannah, for example, rejoices with the words, “in the LORD my horn is lifted high” (1 Sam 2:1), so symbolizing her transition from humiliation to restoration and blessing. Effectively, she has triumphed because of the Lord’s grace in answering her prayer.
Psalm 75 warns against exulting in the victories won according to human perspectives, because ultimately these victories are short-lived and ephemeral. God can and will intervene to right the balance toward the standards of his justice. He will “cut off the horns of all the wicked,” thus showing every alleged victory won contrary to his standards ultimately to be illusory. On the other hand, those who walk in his ways may appear downtrodden now, but their ultimate restoration is never far away (v. 10). Learning from dead metaphors takes a bit of research. When we come across imagery in the Psalms that we do not understand, it helps to look to commentaries and Bible dictionaries to grasp the meaning of such symbols for their original readers and hearers.
Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Another point of interest with regard to Psalm 75 is its similarity to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Hannah’s prayer reflects many of the themes that we find in Psalm 75—for example, the image of the horn’s being lifted high (1 Sam 2:1), the arrogance and boasting of enemies (v. 3), the humbling of those who are apparently victorious and the uplifting of those who are apparently defeated (v. 4), Yahweh as the one who exalts and humbles (v. 7), and God as providing stability to the world (v. 8). The close of Hannah’s prayer, where she prays for God’s strengthening of the king, his anointed one, may further strengthen the suggested reading of Psalm 75:10, which sees “the righteous” as a reference more specifically to the “righteous one.” It is very difficult to ascertain the precise relationship between Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Is one borrowing from the other, or do both simply reflect a common theology and perspective? Due to the lack of concrete historical settings in the Psalms, it is very difficult to answer such questions with any degree of certainty.27
But it is certainly worth noting that Hannah’s words are very similar—an example for us all to follow. It is good to take the words of the psalms and make them our own prayers in the wide variety of settings in which the prayers of the psalmist reflect our own hearts and minds.
Psalm 75 in the New Testament. The imagery of the wine of Yahweh’s judgment being poured out on the wicked finds an echo in Revelation 14:10. It is important to remember that judgment is not an issue limited entirely to the Old Testament. This misunderstanding is frequently repeated in contemporary Christian circles. But both Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matt 11:20–24) and the apostle John in Revelation (e.g., 14:6–13) make it absolutely clear that ultimately God will bring his judgment on humanity. Often this idea is one we would prefer not to think about, but the Scriptures make it absolutely plain that judgment will be a historical reality which every created human being must face. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. The judgment passages give us comfort that the blatant injustices of this world will not go unpunished, and they should also serve as a spur to take the gospel to those who have not yet responded to God’s good gift in Christ. Comfort, with regard to the judgment imagery of Psalm 75, is found in the fact that, ultimately, it is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s punishment on behalf of all those who turn to him for refuge. In Matthew 26:39 and 42 (see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42), we see Jesus praying to his Father that this “cup” be taken from him. Jesus’ prayer is a reference to the punishment for sin that he would receive on the cross. He is referring to the “cup full of foaming wine” in the hand of the Lord (Ps 75:8), the cup of judgment. Ultimately, God the Son drank the cup of the Father’s righteous judgment so that we ourselves would not have to drink that wine.28
Contemporary Significance
PERSPECTIVE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER. Psalm 75, as an answer to Psalm 74, is a reminder that very often things are not what they seem. This theme is one that is repeated in The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles books. During the heroes’ lengthy sea voyage, they visit various islands in their quest for the seven lost lords of Narnia, and on each of the islands appearances prove to be deceptive. For example, on the “Duffers’ Island” they come across a group of creatures that live in terror of a fearful and powerful wizard, who has “cast a spell” on these poor creatures to make them invisible. Described from the Duffers’ perspective, the wizard sounds like a fearsome villain, except that he actually turns out to be a faithful servant of Aslan, Narnia’s Christ-figure, who works for their good despite their failure to realize so. We too can be like the Duffers and fail to recognize when God is doing something for our good.
The problem of perspective in prayer is one that every Christian has to endure. Just like the people of God in Psalm 74, we often wonder why God stays his hand when we pray for his intervention (v. 11). Yet Psalm 75 corrects that perspective with the reminder that God’s hand is still active in human history (v. 8). Often the way in which we see our reality is very different from God’s perspective of intending to bless us for our eternal good, though not necessarily for our present ease. What does this difference mean for us in terms of our own prayer life? It means that we must be a people who are: (1) Honest in prayer. As mentioned in our study of Psalm 73, it is essential that we discuss our life openly and honestly with God. Even if our perspectives are wrong, there is no point in denying the reality of our human view. If our perspective is wrong, the starting point of its correction is honesty before God. (2) Patient in prayer. If God does not answer our prayers or does not answer them in the way we expect, we must be patient in prayer. Psalm 75 reminds us that God’s timing and ours very often do not coincide. Psalm 74 is the prayer of a people who felt it was high time that God worked in judgment against those who mocked him (vv. 10–11, 22–23). In response, Psalm 75 reminds them that Yahweh will judge in the time that he knows to be right (v. 2). Our perspective on God’s timing can be just as mistaken as our perspective on our reality, so our prayer should also be marked by patience. (3) Open to change. Psalms 74 and 75 show us that we can be wrong in our perspective on reality and wrong in our appreciation of God’s timing, so we should always be a people who are open to change at God’s leading as we pray. As with Asaph in Psalm 73, where our perspective is skewed, God will change it when we are open and honest as we draw near to meet with him.
Original Meaning
Giving Thanks for a God Who Is Near (75:1)
THE GREAT MYSTERY OF PSALM 74 was the inactivity of God in the face of the suffering of his people. The Old Testament community of faith was in exile, Yahweh’s name was mocked, sacrificial worship was made impossible by the destruction of the temple, and in the face of all this calamity God seemed distant! How can such realities be reconciled? Well, the editors of the book of Psalms resolve this tension by placing Psalm 75 as a response to the turmoil of Psalm 74. The “distant God” who seems to have rejected his people (Ps 74:1) is now celebrated as the God whose “Name is near” (Ps 75:1). In a marked contrast of tone compared with Psalm 74, the psalmist here leads the people in celebration of the nearness of God and his “wonderful deeds.”4
It is interesting that the psalmist gives thanks to God for the nearness of his “Name.” Effectively, the name of God is an extension of God himself. It refers to the very essence or being of God, so in a sense the psalmist is simply celebrating the nearness of God. But on another level, the fact that the God of the exodus chose to reveal himself to this newly formed worshiping community by using a personal name (Exod 3:13–15) was a radical act of self-revelation that indicated a degree of intimacy between the deity and his people that was uncommon in the ancient Near East.5
What is more, God chose to place his name in the temple as a sign of his dwelling there (Deut 12:4–14; 1 Kgs 8:15–21). So, it is particularly poignant that the psalmist chooses to celebrate the nearness of God’s “Name” following a lament over the loss of the temple. These verses serve as a reminder to the reader that God is near even when circumstances seem to indicate otherwise. The temple may be gone, but its absence cannot separate God’s people from his presence, so the psalmist calls on the community of faith to give thanks (Rom 8:31–39).6
As well as remembering God’s nearness as a reason for thanksgiving, the poet also reminds readers of how men speak of the “wonderful deeds” of God.7
These “wonderful deeds” (nipla’ot) that people recount are normally associated with Yahweh’s work in creation and salvation. So, the psalmist reminds God’s people that he is near and that he is the God who has worked in the creation of the universe and intervened to bring salvation into the historical reality of his people in the past. They therefore have reason to give thanks, because he is able to work with such power in their present reality.8
Bridging Contexts
READING THE PSALMS IN CANONICAL CONTEXT. One of the key features of Psalm 75 is its positioning within Book 3 of the Psalter. Reading through the book of Psalms in order gives the clear impression that psalms are deliberately placed alongside each other in order to influence our interpretation of the individual poems. For example, it is more than fortuitous that Psalm 23:1 (“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”) immediately follows the anguished plea of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The editors who compiled the Psalter deliberately placed psalms alongside one another so that the voice of each psalm would speak to its neighbors. In this way, we see a clear response to the doubts of Psalm 74 here in Psalm 75 and, indeed, the conversation that begins between these two psalms continues on into Psalm 76, as we shall see below.19
The community pours out its lament over the inactivity of God in Psalm 74, but the divine oracle of Psalm 75 provides assurance that God will work, though he will accomplish his work in his time. Just as we read any other passage of Scripture in its context within the book in which it appears, so we should be careful to do the same with the psalms in their context within the Psalter.20
Culture-bound metaphor. Another question that arises from Psalm 75 is, “How are we to understand metaphors that are meaningless to us?” Essentially, a metaphor is a pictorial means of expressing an idea or concept by way of comparison with something else. For example, Robbie Burns compares the abstract concept of love to “a red, red rose”:
O my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love’s like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.21
The comparison of his love with both the rose and the melody is meant to conjure up images in the mind of the reader—these are images of beauty, warmth, pleasure, harmony, and so on. The pictorial image of the metaphor shapes our understanding of the way Burns viewed his love for this anonymous woman.
Metaphors in the Psalms function in the same way. The pictorial value of the metaphor describes the idea that the poet seeks to explain. For example, in Psalm 1 the blessed person who delights in the instruction of Yahweh is described as being like “a tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3). Obviously, in the dry climate of the Near East, a tree planted by a water source will stand out in terms of growth, strength, fruitfulness, and stability when compared to other trees. The metaphor tells us that this kind of thriving is what we are to expect for the believer who delights in God and his word.
Most metaphors communicate well because the imagery is fairly universal and can be observed throughout the world. Burns’s metaphor of the rose communicates well in every country and culture that knows the sight and scent of the rose in bloom, as does the image of “the tree planted by streams of water.” In Psalm 75, however, we read about “the horn” (vv. 4–5, 10), an image that does not communicate so universally today, at least in Western cultures.22
The meaning or inference of such images is lost to us—they were once clear in their meaning to a particular community, but the understanding of them has been lost with the passage of time. The “horn” is one such image.
It seems that the image of the horn in Hebrew poetry had a multivalent meaning. Sometimes it appears to symbolize strength (e.g., see Ps 18:2). This usage of the horn metaphor is probably derived from the physical hardness of the horn and the strength and power of horn-bearing animals, such as the wild ox.23
In some instances the horn metaphor symbolizes ideas of status or dignity, though this symbolism may too have overtones of power (e.g., Ps 112:9).24
In other instances the horn may also represent Yahweh’s appointed strong one, normally a reference to the king (e.g., Ps 132:17).25
But the imagery of Psalm 75 relates specifically to lifting and cutting off horns (vv. 5, 10). These activities symbolize, respectively, triumph and defeat.26
Hannah, for example, rejoices with the words, “in the LORD my horn is lifted high” (1 Sam 2:1), so symbolizing her transition from humiliation to restoration and blessing. Effectively, she has triumphed because of the Lord’s grace in answering her prayer.
Psalm 75 warns against exulting in the victories won according to human perspectives, because ultimately these victories are short-lived and ephemeral. God can and will intervene to right the balance toward the standards of his justice. He will “cut off the horns of all the wicked,” thus showing every alleged victory won contrary to his standards ultimately to be illusory. On the other hand, those who walk in his ways may appear downtrodden now, but their ultimate restoration is never far away (v. 10). Learning from dead metaphors takes a bit of research. When we come across imagery in the Psalms that we do not understand, it helps to look to commentaries and Bible dictionaries to grasp the meaning of such symbols for their original readers and hearers.
Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Another point of interest with regard to Psalm 75 is its similarity to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Hannah’s prayer reflects many of the themes that we find in Psalm 75—for example, the image of the horn’s being lifted high (1 Sam 2:1), the arrogance and boasting of enemies (v. 3), the humbling of those who are apparently victorious and the uplifting of those who are apparently defeated (v. 4), Yahweh as the one who exalts and humbles (v. 7), and God as providing stability to the world (v. 8). The close of Hannah’s prayer, where she prays for God’s strengthening of the king, his anointed one, may further strengthen the suggested reading of Psalm 75:10, which sees “the righteous” as a reference more specifically to the “righteous one.” It is very difficult to ascertain the precise relationship between Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Is one borrowing from the other, or do both simply reflect a common theology and perspective? Due to the lack of concrete historical settings in the Psalms, it is very difficult to answer such questions with any degree of certainty.27
But it is certainly worth noting that Hannah’s words are very similar—an example for us all to follow. It is good to take the words of the psalms and make them our own prayers in the wide variety of settings in which the prayers of the psalmist reflect our own hearts and minds.
Psalm 75 in the New Testament. The imagery of the wine of Yahweh’s judgment being poured out on the wicked finds an echo in Revelation 14:10. It is important to remember that judgment is not an issue limited entirely to the Old Testament. This misunderstanding is frequently repeated in contemporary Christian circles. But both Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matt 11:20–24) and the apostle John in Revelation (e.g., 14:6–13) make it absolutely clear that ultimately God will bring his judgment on humanity. Often this idea is one we would prefer not to think about, but the Scriptures make it absolutely plain that judgment will be a historical reality which every created human being must face. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. The judgment passages give us comfort that the blatant injustices of this world will not go unpunished, and they should also serve as a spur to take the gospel to those who have not yet responded to God’s good gift in Christ. Comfort, with regard to the judgment imagery of Psalm 75, is found in the fact that, ultimately, it is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s punishment on behalf of all those who turn to him for refuge. In Matthew 26:39 and 42 (see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42), we see Jesus praying to his Father that this “cup” be taken from him. Jesus’ prayer is a reference to the punishment for sin that he would receive on the cross. He is referring to the “cup full of foaming wine” in the hand of the Lord (Ps 75:8), the cup of judgment. Ultimately, God the Son drank the cup of the Father’s righteous judgment so that we ourselves would not have to drink that wine.28
Contemporary Significance
PERSPECTIVE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER. Psalm 75, as an answer to Psalm 74, is a reminder that very often things are not what they seem. This theme is one that is repeated in The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles books. During the heroes’ lengthy sea voyage, they visit various islands in their quest for the seven lost lords of Narnia, and on each of the islands appearances prove to be deceptive. For example, on the “Duffers’ Island” they come across a group of creatures that live in terror of a fearful and powerful wizard, who has “cast a spell” on these poor creatures to make them invisible. Described from the Duffers’ perspective, the wizard sounds like a fearsome villain, except that he actually turns out to be a faithful servant of Aslan, Narnia’s Christ-figure, who works for their good despite their failure to realize so. We too can be like the Duffers and fail to recognize when God is doing something for our good.
The problem of perspective in prayer is one that every Christian has to endure. Just like the people of God in Psalm 74, we often wonder why God stays his hand when we pray for his intervention (v. 11). Yet Psalm 75 corrects that perspective with the reminder that God’s hand is still active in human history (v. 8). Often the way in which we see our reality is very different from God’s perspective of intending to bless us for our eternal good, though not necessarily for our present ease. What does this difference mean for us in terms of our own prayer life? It means that we must be a people who are: (1) Honest in prayer. As mentioned in our study of Psalm 73, it is essential that we discuss our life openly and honestly with God. Even if our perspectives are wrong, there is no point in denying the reality of our human view. If our perspective is wrong, the starting point of its correction is honesty before God. (2) Patient in prayer. If God does not answer our prayers or does not answer them in the way we expect, we must be patient in prayer. Psalm 75 reminds us that God’s timing and ours very often do not coincide. Psalm 74 is the prayer of a people who felt it was high time that God worked in judgment against those who mocked him (vv. 10–11, 22–23). In response, Psalm 75 reminds them that Yahweh will judge in the time that he knows to be right (v. 2). Our perspective on God’s timing can be just as mistaken as our perspective on our reality, so our prayer should also be marked by patience. (3) Open to change. Psalms 74 and 75 show us that we can be wrong in our perspective on reality and wrong in our appreciation of God’s timing, so we should always be a people who are open to change at God’s leading as we pray. As with Asaph in Psalm 73, where our perspective is skewed, God will change it when we are open and honest as we draw near to meet with him.
Original Meaning
Divine Proclamation (75:2–5)
IN THE POEMS OF THE ASAPH COLLECTION, it is quite common for the psalmist to introduce a divine oracle (Pss 50; 81; 82), as here in Psalm 75:2–3. It is actually quite difficult to delimit the extent of divine speech within this poem for at least two reasons: ancient Hebrew did not make use of punctuation marks (so there are no quotation marks to make things easy for us), and the divine oracles contained within the poems lack introductory announcements that a message from God follows. We are therefore left to decide on the extent of the divine proclamations the psalmist records simply based on the flow and sense of the text. To make the extent of God’s speech within the poem clear for the contemporary reader, the NIV (with some justification) adds the words “You say” at the beginning of verse 2 and places quotation marks around verses 2–5.9
When we come to discuss verse 10, we will see just how difficult it is to know for certain when the psalmist is speaking for himself, as it were, and when he is relating God’s speech to us.
You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.” This divine declaration seems to be a very direct response to the doubts and lament of Psalm 74. The writer of the preceding psalm challenges God to, “Rise up . . . and defend your cause” (v. 22), and here, in the very next psalm, God responds with words of assurance not only that he will judge but also that he will judge in his time. The lament of Psalm 74 is born out of the people’s inability to listen to any more mocking of their God. From their perspective this mocking had gone on quite long enough, and it was time for Yahweh to respond. But words of assurance come through the divine oracle of Psalm 75:2–5. Not only will God judge (v. 2), but it is God who holds the earth and keeps it secure (v. 3)—he will deal with the arrogant and the mocker in the day that he appoints for judgment (vv. 4–5).
Here there is a subtle play on words between Psalms 74 and 75. The Hebrew word mo‘ed can refer to either God’s “appointed place” or God’s “appointed time.” In Psalm 74:4 we read, “Your foes roared in the place [mo‘ed] where you met with us,” whereas in Psalm 75:2 we read, “I choose the appointed time [mo‘ed].” The appointed place may have been desecrated, but the appointed time for judgment is entirely within God’s control. From the perspective of God’s people in Psalm 74, they felt that they could take no more—things seemed out of control and they wanted God to act now! Psalm 75 responds with the assurance that God is in control and that he will act when the time is right in his eyes.
When the earth and all its people quake. Verse 3 contains a promise that judgment is Yahweh’s and will come at the time that suits his purposes. Justice and vindication for the righteous, although not apparent in the present, will come (cf. Hab 2:1–4). In verse 4, this assurance is linked to the steadiness of the earth itself: Yahweh who created and sustains the world and all that is in it can be depended upon to establish justice upon it in good time. Yahweh is the basis both of the world’s stability and of the moral order. If either is challenged, chaos may erupt, but Yahweh’s steadying hand will be there to restore order.10
From Psalm 74, we see that the delay in God’s intervention appeared to challenge the very order of things in the minds of his people. As far as they were concerned, the failure of God to act struck at the very foundations of their worldview and their understanding of the way in which the universe works. In Psalm 75:3 God speaks in response to their fears. He “holds its pillars firm,” no matter how—from our perspective—the earth may seem to be shaking.
To the arrogant I say, “Boast no more.” God’s control over all things extends every bit as much to rebellious humanity as it does to the natural order. This part of the divine oracle (vv. 4–5) reminds the people hearing this psalm that Yahweh does work in human history. His judgment is not only eschatological, but when he sees fit, he also intervenes in the reality of daily lives in the here and now to rebuke those who reject his moral standards, so curtailing their arrogant rebellion. These verses begin a motif of “raising up and bringing down” that runs throughout the remainder of the psalm. God speaks emphatically to the boastful by telling them “Do not boast,” and he instructs the wicked not to “lift your horns.” The imagery here speaks of self-exaltation, and the divine oracle speaks in rebuke against all those who would exalt self. The metaphor of “lifting a horn” is an ancient image that speaks about taking delight in one’s own power. Generally speaking, the horn refers to strength and power, so here the divine rebuke is addressed to those who glory in the power they hold over others. It is a rebuke that works on two levels. First, it speaks to the arrogant military forces of Babylon who mock Yahweh and his people because of their capture of Jerusalem and the temple. The prophecy of Habakkuk picks up on very similar imagery by addressing the armies of Babylon with a warning of divine judgment (Hab 1:5–11; 3:1–13). Second, however, the same vocabulary is often applied to all those who would exalt their own status and power by exploiting others within Israel (see Pss 5:5; 73:3, both of which use the same word we see in Psalm 75:4 to describe the arrogant). So, God’s divine oracle gives comfort to people in their present circumstances by reminding them that judgment will come on all those who reject Yahweh; but it also serves as a reminder of the attitude that they themselves should display in their dealings with one another—an attitude of humility and dependence on God rather than self.11
Bridging Contexts
READING THE PSALMS IN CANONICAL CONTEXT. One of the key features of Psalm 75 is its positioning within Book 3 of the Psalter. Reading through the book of Psalms in order gives the clear impression that psalms are deliberately placed alongside each other in order to influence our interpretation of the individual poems. For example, it is more than fortuitous that Psalm 23:1 (“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”) immediately follows the anguished plea of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The editors who compiled the Psalter deliberately placed psalms alongside one another so that the voice of each psalm would speak to its neighbors. In this way, we see a clear response to the doubts of Psalm 74 here in Psalm 75 and, indeed, the conversation that begins between these two psalms continues on into Psalm 76, as we shall see below.19
The community pours out its lament over the inactivity of God in Psalm 74, but the divine oracle of Psalm 75 provides assurance that God will work, though he will accomplish his work in his time. Just as we read any other passage of Scripture in its context within the book in which it appears, so we should be careful to do the same with the psalms in their context within the Psalter.20
Culture-bound metaphor. Another question that arises from Psalm 75 is, “How are we to understand metaphors that are meaningless to us?” Essentially, a metaphor is a pictorial means of expressing an idea or concept by way of comparison with something else. For example, Robbie Burns compares the abstract concept of love to “a red, red rose”:
O my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love’s like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.21
The comparison of his love with both the rose and the melody is meant to conjure up images in the mind of the reader—these are images of beauty, warmth, pleasure, harmony, and so on. The pictorial image of the metaphor shapes our understanding of the way Burns viewed his love for this anonymous woman.
Metaphors in the Psalms function in the same way. The pictorial value of the metaphor describes the idea that the poet seeks to explain. For example, in Psalm 1 the blessed person who delights in the instruction of Yahweh is described as being like “a tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3). Obviously, in the dry climate of the Near East, a tree planted by a water source will stand out in terms of growth, strength, fruitfulness, and stability when compared to other trees. The metaphor tells us that this kind of thriving is what we are to expect for the believer who delights in God and his word.
Most metaphors communicate well because the imagery is fairly universal and can be observed throughout the world. Burns’s metaphor of the rose communicates well in every country and culture that knows the sight and scent of the rose in bloom, as does the image of “the tree planted by streams of water.” In Psalm 75, however, we read about “the horn” (vv. 4–5, 10), an image that does not communicate so universally today, at least in Western cultures.22
The meaning or inference of such images is lost to us—they were once clear in their meaning to a particular community, but the understanding of them has been lost with the passage of time. The “horn” is one such image.
It seems that the image of the horn in Hebrew poetry had a multivalent meaning. Sometimes it appears to symbolize strength (e.g., see Ps 18:2). This usage of the horn metaphor is probably derived from the physical hardness of the horn and the strength and power of horn-bearing animals, such as the wild ox.23
In some instances the horn metaphor symbolizes ideas of status or dignity, though this symbolism may too have overtones of power (e.g., Ps 112:9).24
In other instances the horn may also represent Yahweh’s appointed strong one, normally a reference to the king (e.g., Ps 132:17).25
But the imagery of Psalm 75 relates specifically to lifting and cutting off horns (vv. 5, 10). These activities symbolize, respectively, triumph and defeat.26
Hannah, for example, rejoices with the words, “in the LORD my horn is lifted high” (1 Sam 2:1), so symbolizing her transition from humiliation to restoration and blessing. Effectively, she has triumphed because of the Lord’s grace in answering her prayer.
Psalm 75 warns against exulting in the victories won according to human perspectives, because ultimately these victories are short-lived and ephemeral. God can and will intervene to right the balance toward the standards of his justice. He will “cut off the horns of all the wicked,” thus showing every alleged victory won contrary to his standards ultimately to be illusory. On the other hand, those who walk in his ways may appear downtrodden now, but their ultimate restoration is never far away (v. 10). Learning from dead metaphors takes a bit of research. When we come across imagery in the Psalms that we do not understand, it helps to look to commentaries and Bible dictionaries to grasp the meaning of such symbols for their original readers and hearers.
Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Another point of interest with regard to Psalm 75 is its similarity to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Hannah’s prayer reflects many of the themes that we find in Psalm 75—for example, the image of the horn’s being lifted high (1 Sam 2:1), the arrogance and boasting of enemies (v. 3), the humbling of those who are apparently victorious and the uplifting of those who are apparently defeated (v. 4), Yahweh as the one who exalts and humbles (v. 7), and God as providing stability to the world (v. 8). The close of Hannah’s prayer, where she prays for God’s strengthening of the king, his anointed one, may further strengthen the suggested reading of Psalm 75:10, which sees “the righteous” as a reference more specifically to the “righteous one.” It is very difficult to ascertain the precise relationship between Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Is one borrowing from the other, or do both simply reflect a common theology and perspective? Due to the lack of concrete historical settings in the Psalms, it is very difficult to answer such questions with any degree of certainty.27
But it is certainly worth noting that Hannah’s words are very similar—an example for us all to follow. It is good to take the words of the psalms and make them our own prayers in the wide variety of settings in which the prayers of the psalmist reflect our own hearts and minds.
Psalm 75 in the New Testament. The imagery of the wine of Yahweh’s judgment being poured out on the wicked finds an echo in Revelation 14:10. It is important to remember that judgment is not an issue limited entirely to the Old Testament. This misunderstanding is frequently repeated in contemporary Christian circles. But both Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matt 11:20–24) and the apostle John in Revelation (e.g., 14:6–13) make it absolutely clear that ultimately God will bring his judgment on humanity. Often this idea is one we would prefer not to think about, but the Scriptures make it absolutely plain that judgment will be a historical reality which every created human being must face. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. The judgment passages give us comfort that the blatant injustices of this world will not go unpunished, and they should also serve as a spur to take the gospel to those who have not yet responded to God’s good gift in Christ. Comfort, with regard to the judgment imagery of Psalm 75, is found in the fact that, ultimately, it is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s punishment on behalf of all those who turn to him for refuge. In Matthew 26:39 and 42 (see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42), we see Jesus praying to his Father that this “cup” be taken from him. Jesus’ prayer is a reference to the punishment for sin that he would receive on the cross. He is referring to the “cup full of foaming wine” in the hand of the Lord (Ps 75:8), the cup of judgment. Ultimately, God the Son drank the cup of the Father’s righteous judgment so that we ourselves would not have to drink that wine.28
Contemporary Significance
PERSPECTIVE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER. Psalm 75, as an answer to Psalm 74, is a reminder that very often things are not what they seem. This theme is one that is repeated in The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles books. During the heroes’ lengthy sea voyage, they visit various islands in their quest for the seven lost lords of Narnia, and on each of the islands appearances prove to be deceptive. For example, on the “Duffers’ Island” they come across a group of creatures that live in terror of a fearful and powerful wizard, who has “cast a spell” on these poor creatures to make them invisible. Described from the Duffers’ perspective, the wizard sounds like a fearsome villain, except that he actually turns out to be a faithful servant of Aslan, Narnia’s Christ-figure, who works for their good despite their failure to realize so. We too can be like the Duffers and fail to recognize when God is doing something for our good.
The problem of perspective in prayer is one that every Christian has to endure. Just like the people of God in Psalm 74, we often wonder why God stays his hand when we pray for his intervention (v. 11). Yet Psalm 75 corrects that perspective with the reminder that God’s hand is still active in human history (v. 8). Often the way in which we see our reality is very different from God’s perspective of intending to bless us for our eternal good, though not necessarily for our present ease. What does this difference mean for us in terms of our own prayer life? It means that we must be a people who are: (1) Honest in prayer. As mentioned in our study of Psalm 73, it is essential that we discuss our life openly and honestly with God. Even if our perspectives are wrong, there is no point in denying the reality of our human view. If our perspective is wrong, the starting point of its correction is honesty before God. (2) Patient in prayer. If God does not answer our prayers or does not answer them in the way we expect, we must be patient in prayer. Psalm 75 reminds us that God’s timing and ours very often do not coincide. Psalm 74 is the prayer of a people who felt it was high time that God worked in judgment against those who mocked him (vv. 10–11, 22–23). In response, Psalm 75 reminds them that Yahweh will judge in the time that he knows to be right (v. 2). Our perspective on God’s timing can be just as mistaken as our perspective on our reality, so our prayer should also be marked by patience. (3) Open to change. Psalms 74 and 75 show us that we can be wrong in our perspective on reality and wrong in our appreciation of God’s timing, so we should always be a people who are open to change at God’s leading as we pray. As with Asaph in Psalm 73, where our perspective is skewed, God will change it when we are open and honest as we draw near to meet with him.
Original Meaning
The Exalting and Humbling God (75:6–8)
THE PSALMIST’S ACCOUNT of the divine oracle is followed by his own poetic discussion of the same subject matter. In the preceding verses God speaks of himself as Judge and as the one who brings down the boastful who arrogantly take delight in their own power. In these verses the psalmist himself, in turn, portrays God first as the exalting and humbling God (vv. 6–7) and then as Judge (v. 8).
No one . . . can exalt themselves. Verse 6 draws attention to the sole source of success and failure in life. Using imagery employed elsewhere in the Old Testament, the psalmist points out that exaltation does not come from the east, the west or, by implication, the south (i.e., “the desert”).12
Interestingly, reference to “the north” is omitted from this verse. While it may be appealing both to Scotsmen and Yankees to think of “the North” as the only source of exaltation, that is not what the author implies! “The north” (tsaphon) was also associated with Mount Zaphon, which was thought to be the site of a special mountain sanctuary of God (see Ps 48:2; Isa 14:13).13
The implication, therefore, is that exaltation comes from God alone, which is exactly the point the psalmist goes on to make in Psalm 75:7.
It is God who judges. The poet makes absolutely explicit the point that he has been emphasizing throughout this psalm—God alone is Judge, and he will judge. It is God who “brings one down” and “exalts another” (v. 7). He is the ultimate source of all human success and failure. If a group of people is on the ascendancy, it is because God has so ordained. Equally, if another people group is in dire straits, this situation, too, is part of God’s plan. It is not difficult to see how directly these words communicated to a people in exile. The (temporary) triumph of the Babylonians and the (equally temporary) demise of the Judahites under their power are both under the hand of God. For the time being and in accordance with his purposes, he has exalted the Babylonians and brought down his own people. This turn of events is all under his control. The exilic and postexilic prophets made it clear that Judah’s present experience was the result of divine judgment as a corrective for sin (e.g., see Ezek 39:23). Equally, however, the time was soon coming when Yahweh would judge the Babylonians and provide release for his own people. In response to their lament of Psalm 74, the poet reminds God’s people that every aspect of the current experience is entirely under Yahweh’s control.
In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine. Once again, the overlap of imagery with Psalm 74 shows how this poem serves as a response to the preceding psalm of lament. Here the image of the divine hand’s pouring out God’s judgment on the wicked, as though he were pouring out a cup full of foaming wine, responds directly to the psalmist’s anguished question in 74:11 as to why Yahweh holds back his powerful hand from judgment. The image of God’s cup of judgment was a common one among the prophets.
The psalm uses a metaphor that was a favorite of the seventh-and sixth-century prophets to personalize and dramatize judgment. God has a cup whose content is his decreed destiny for those under judgment, and he will pour a draught from it for all the wicked of the earth to drink (Jer 25:15; 49:12; Ezek 23:32–34; Isa 51:17; Hab 2:15–16). When that will happen is a matter of God’s choice, but the divine saying in verse two makes it very clear that God will set an appointed time in his judgment.14
So Psalm 75 responds to the community’s prayer in Psalm 74. The psalmist assures the community of faith that, although Yahweh may have stayed his hand at the present time, the righteous judgment they call for will arrive, but it will arrive in God’s time, not theirs.
Bridging Contexts
READING THE PSALMS IN CANONICAL CONTEXT. One of the key features of Psalm 75 is its positioning within Book 3 of the Psalter. Reading through the book of Psalms in order gives the clear impression that psalms are deliberately placed alongside each other in order to influence our interpretation of the individual poems. For example, it is more than fortuitous that Psalm 23:1 (“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”) immediately follows the anguished plea of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The editors who compiled the Psalter deliberately placed psalms alongside one another so that the voice of each psalm would speak to its neighbors. In this way, we see a clear response to the doubts of Psalm 74 here in Psalm 75 and, indeed, the conversation that begins between these two psalms continues on into Psalm 76, as we shall see below.19
The community pours out its lament over the inactivity of God in Psalm 74, but the divine oracle of Psalm 75 provides assurance that God will work, though he will accomplish his work in his time. Just as we read any other passage of Scripture in its context within the book in which it appears, so we should be careful to do the same with the psalms in their context within the Psalter.20
Culture-bound metaphor. Another question that arises from Psalm 75 is, “How are we to understand metaphors that are meaningless to us?” Essentially, a metaphor is a pictorial means of expressing an idea or concept by way of comparison with something else. For example, Robbie Burns compares the abstract concept of love to “a red, red rose”:
O my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love’s like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.21
The comparison of his love with both the rose and the melody is meant to conjure up images in the mind of the reader—these are images of beauty, warmth, pleasure, harmony, and so on. The pictorial image of the metaphor shapes our understanding of the way Burns viewed his love for this anonymous woman.
Metaphors in the Psalms function in the same way. The pictorial value of the metaphor describes the idea that the poet seeks to explain. For example, in Psalm 1 the blessed person who delights in the instruction of Yahweh is described as being like “a tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3). Obviously, in the dry climate of the Near East, a tree planted by a water source will stand out in terms of growth, strength, fruitfulness, and stability when compared to other trees. The metaphor tells us that this kind of thriving is what we are to expect for the believer who delights in God and his word.
Most metaphors communicate well because the imagery is fairly universal and can be observed throughout the world. Burns’s metaphor of the rose communicates well in every country and culture that knows the sight and scent of the rose in bloom, as does the image of “the tree planted by streams of water.” In Psalm 75, however, we read about “the horn” (vv. 4–5, 10), an image that does not communicate so universally today, at least in Western cultures.22
The meaning or inference of such images is lost to us—they were once clear in their meaning to a particular community, but the understanding of them has been lost with the passage of time. The “horn” is one such image.
It seems that the image of the horn in Hebrew poetry had a multivalent meaning. Sometimes it appears to symbolize strength (e.g., see Ps 18:2). This usage of the horn metaphor is probably derived from the physical hardness of the horn and the strength and power of horn-bearing animals, such as the wild ox.23
In some instances the horn metaphor symbolizes ideas of status or dignity, though this symbolism may too have overtones of power (e.g., Ps 112:9).24
In other instances the horn may also represent Yahweh’s appointed strong one, normally a reference to the king (e.g., Ps 132:17).25
But the imagery of Psalm 75 relates specifically to lifting and cutting off horns (vv. 5, 10). These activities symbolize, respectively, triumph and defeat.26
Hannah, for example, rejoices with the words, “in the LORD my horn is lifted high” (1 Sam 2:1), so symbolizing her transition from humiliation to restoration and blessing. Effectively, she has triumphed because of the Lord’s grace in answering her prayer.
Psalm 75 warns against exulting in the victories won according to human perspectives, because ultimately these victories are short-lived and ephemeral. God can and will intervene to right the balance toward the standards of his justice. He will “cut off the horns of all the wicked,” thus showing every alleged victory won contrary to his standards ultimately to be illusory. On the other hand, those who walk in his ways may appear downtrodden now, but their ultimate restoration is never far away (v. 10). Learning from dead metaphors takes a bit of research. When we come across imagery in the Psalms that we do not understand, it helps to look to commentaries and Bible dictionaries to grasp the meaning of such symbols for their original readers and hearers.
Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Another point of interest with regard to Psalm 75 is its similarity to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Hannah’s prayer reflects many of the themes that we find in Psalm 75—for example, the image of the horn’s being lifted high (1 Sam 2:1), the arrogance and boasting of enemies (v. 3), the humbling of those who are apparently victorious and the uplifting of those who are apparently defeated (v. 4), Yahweh as the one who exalts and humbles (v. 7), and God as providing stability to the world (v. 8). The close of Hannah’s prayer, where she prays for God’s strengthening of the king, his anointed one, may further strengthen the suggested reading of Psalm 75:10, which sees “the righteous” as a reference more specifically to the “righteous one.” It is very difficult to ascertain the precise relationship between Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Is one borrowing from the other, or do both simply reflect a common theology and perspective? Due to the lack of concrete historical settings in the Psalms, it is very difficult to answer such questions with any degree of certainty.27
But it is certainly worth noting that Hannah’s words are very similar—an example for us all to follow. It is good to take the words of the psalms and make them our own prayers in the wide variety of settings in which the prayers of the psalmist reflect our own hearts and minds.
Psalm 75 in the New Testament. The imagery of the wine of Yahweh’s judgment being poured out on the wicked finds an echo in Revelation 14:10. It is important to remember that judgment is not an issue limited entirely to the Old Testament. This misunderstanding is frequently repeated in contemporary Christian circles. But both Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matt 11:20–24) and the apostle John in Revelation (e.g., 14:6–13) make it absolutely clear that ultimately God will bring his judgment on humanity. Often this idea is one we would prefer not to think about, but the Scriptures make it absolutely plain that judgment will be a historical reality which every created human being must face. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. The judgment passages give us comfort that the blatant injustices of this world will not go unpunished, and they should also serve as a spur to take the gospel to those who have not yet responded to God’s good gift in Christ. Comfort, with regard to the judgment imagery of Psalm 75, is found in the fact that, ultimately, it is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s punishment on behalf of all those who turn to him for refuge. In Matthew 26:39 and 42 (see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42), we see Jesus praying to his Father that this “cup” be taken from him. Jesus’ prayer is a reference to the punishment for sin that he would receive on the cross. He is referring to the “cup full of foaming wine” in the hand of the Lord (Ps 75:8), the cup of judgment. Ultimately, God the Son drank the cup of the Father’s righteous judgment so that we ourselves would not have to drink that wine.28
Contemporary Significance
PERSPECTIVE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER. Psalm 75, as an answer to Psalm 74, is a reminder that very often things are not what they seem. This theme is one that is repeated in The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles books. During the heroes’ lengthy sea voyage, they visit various islands in their quest for the seven lost lords of Narnia, and on each of the islands appearances prove to be deceptive. For example, on the “Duffers’ Island” they come across a group of creatures that live in terror of a fearful and powerful wizard, who has “cast a spell” on these poor creatures to make them invisible. Described from the Duffers’ perspective, the wizard sounds like a fearsome villain, except that he actually turns out to be a faithful servant of Aslan, Narnia’s Christ-figure, who works for their good despite their failure to realize so. We too can be like the Duffers and fail to recognize when God is doing something for our good.
The problem of perspective in prayer is one that every Christian has to endure. Just like the people of God in Psalm 74, we often wonder why God stays his hand when we pray for his intervention (v. 11). Yet Psalm 75 corrects that perspective with the reminder that God’s hand is still active in human history (v. 8). Often the way in which we see our reality is very different from God’s perspective of intending to bless us for our eternal good, though not necessarily for our present ease. What does this difference mean for us in terms of our own prayer life? It means that we must be a people who are: (1) Honest in prayer. As mentioned in our study of Psalm 73, it is essential that we discuss our life openly and honestly with God. Even if our perspectives are wrong, there is no point in denying the reality of our human view. If our perspective is wrong, the starting point of its correction is honesty before God. (2) Patient in prayer. If God does not answer our prayers or does not answer them in the way we expect, we must be patient in prayer. Psalm 75 reminds us that God’s timing and ours very often do not coincide. Psalm 74 is the prayer of a people who felt it was high time that God worked in judgment against those who mocked him (vv. 10–11, 22–23). In response, Psalm 75 reminds them that Yahweh will judge in the time that he knows to be right (v. 2). Our perspective on God’s timing can be just as mistaken as our perspective on our reality, so our prayer should also be marked by patience. (3) Open to change. Psalms 74 and 75 show us that we can be wrong in our perspective on reality and wrong in our appreciation of God’s timing, so we should always be a people who are open to change at God’s leading as we pray. As with Asaph in Psalm 73, where our perspective is skewed, God will change it when we are open and honest as we draw near to meet with him.
Original Meaning
Praise and Justice (75:9–10)
THE PSALM CLOSES WITH A DOUBLE declaration in which both statements are made in the first-person singular. The first statement (v. 9) is the psalmist’s determined declaration that he will both declare God’s authority and judgment forever and, as a result, “sing praise to the God of Jacob,” while the final declaration of judgment is another divine oracle (v. 10).15
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. The modern reader often finds the juxtaposition of praise and judgment to be incongruous. There was, however, no tension in the mind of the psalmist. He was fully aware that the world in which he lived was not as it should be—events happened that were abhorrent to God and contrary to his created order. The removal from the face of the earth of the counter-creational injustice, persecution, exploitation, and violence perpetrated by the wicked was a prospect that inspired praise in the heart of the poet. He was therefore willing to declare the coming judgment of God to all who would listen (v. 9), and the anticipated results of this judgment gave him reason to praise.16
The horns of the righteous will be lifted up. It is interesting to note that the final verse of Psalm 75 refers to “the wicked” in the plural (resha‘im) but to “the righteous” in the singular (tsaddiq). Singular nouns may often serve a representative function in Hebrew, so we should not put too much store in the singularity of “the righteous one” in verse 10. But we should at least be aware of the possibility that this word in the closing divine oracle may refer to the Lord’s Anointed, who was often described in the Old Testament and the intertestamental literature as Yahweh’s tsaddiq, his “Righteous One.”17
It does seem that, especially during the exile and in the period after it, a sense of messianic expectation grew strong among God’s people. The expectation was that a future king would come who would work out the purposes of God in righteousness. Psalm 75:10—where the divine oracle states that Yahweh will cut off the power of the wicked but lift up the horn (i.e., power) of the righteous, or the Righteous One—may be a reference to this type of messianic expectation.18
Bridging Contexts
READING THE PSALMS IN CANONICAL CONTEXT. One of the key features of Psalm 75 is its positioning within Book 3 of the Psalter. Reading through the book of Psalms in order gives the clear impression that psalms are deliberately placed alongside each other in order to influence our interpretation of the individual poems. For example, it is more than fortuitous that Psalm 23:1 (“The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”) immediately follows the anguished plea of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The editors who compiled the Psalter deliberately placed psalms alongside one another so that the voice of each psalm would speak to its neighbors. In this way, we see a clear response to the doubts of Psalm 74 here in Psalm 75 and, indeed, the conversation that begins between these two psalms continues on into Psalm 76, as we shall see below.19
The community pours out its lament over the inactivity of God in Psalm 74, but the divine oracle of Psalm 75 provides assurance that God will work, though he will accomplish his work in his time. Just as we read any other passage of Scripture in its context within the book in which it appears, so we should be careful to do the same with the psalms in their context within the Psalter.20
Culture-bound metaphor. Another question that arises from Psalm 75 is, “How are we to understand metaphors that are meaningless to us?” Essentially, a metaphor is a pictorial means of expressing an idea or concept by way of comparison with something else. For example, Robbie Burns compares the abstract concept of love to “a red, red rose”:
O my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love’s like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.21
The comparison of his love with both the rose and the melody is meant to conjure up images in the mind of the reader—these are images of beauty, warmth, pleasure, harmony, and so on. The pictorial image of the metaphor shapes our understanding of the way Burns viewed his love for this anonymous woman.
Metaphors in the Psalms function in the same way. The pictorial value of the metaphor describes the idea that the poet seeks to explain. For example, in Psalm 1 the blessed person who delights in the instruction of Yahweh is described as being like “a tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3). Obviously, in the dry climate of the Near East, a tree planted by a water source will stand out in terms of growth, strength, fruitfulness, and stability when compared to other trees. The metaphor tells us that this kind of thriving is what we are to expect for the believer who delights in God and his word.
Most metaphors communicate well because the imagery is fairly universal and can be observed throughout the world. Burns’s metaphor of the rose communicates well in every country and culture that knows the sight and scent of the rose in bloom, as does the image of “the tree planted by streams of water.” In Psalm 75, however, we read about “the horn” (vv. 4–5, 10), an image that does not communicate so universally today, at least in Western cultures.22
The meaning or inference of such images is lost to us—they were once clear in their meaning to a particular community, but the understanding of them has been lost with the passage of time. The “horn” is one such image.
It seems that the image of the horn in Hebrew poetry had a multivalent meaning. Sometimes it appears to symbolize strength (e.g., see Ps 18:2). This usage of the horn metaphor is probably derived from the physical hardness of the horn and the strength and power of horn-bearing animals, such as the wild ox.23
In some instances the horn metaphor symbolizes ideas of status or dignity, though this symbolism may too have overtones of power (e.g., Ps 112:9).24
In other instances the horn may also represent Yahweh’s appointed strong one, normally a reference to the king (e.g., Ps 132:17).25
But the imagery of Psalm 75 relates specifically to lifting and cutting off horns (vv. 5, 10). These activities symbolize, respectively, triumph and defeat.26
Hannah, for example, rejoices with the words, “in the LORD my horn is lifted high” (1 Sam 2:1), so symbolizing her transition from humiliation to restoration and blessing. Effectively, she has triumphed because of the Lord’s grace in answering her prayer.
Psalm 75 warns against exulting in the victories won according to human perspectives, because ultimately these victories are short-lived and ephemeral. God can and will intervene to right the balance toward the standards of his justice. He will “cut off the horns of all the wicked,” thus showing every alleged victory won contrary to his standards ultimately to be illusory. On the other hand, those who walk in his ways may appear downtrodden now, but their ultimate restoration is never far away (v. 10). Learning from dead metaphors takes a bit of research. When we come across imagery in the Psalms that we do not understand, it helps to look to commentaries and Bible dictionaries to grasp the meaning of such symbols for their original readers and hearers.
Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Another point of interest with regard to Psalm 75 is its similarity to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Hannah’s prayer reflects many of the themes that we find in Psalm 75—for example, the image of the horn’s being lifted high (1 Sam 2:1), the arrogance and boasting of enemies (v. 3), the humbling of those who are apparently victorious and the uplifting of those who are apparently defeated (v. 4), Yahweh as the one who exalts and humbles (v. 7), and God as providing stability to the world (v. 8). The close of Hannah’s prayer, where she prays for God’s strengthening of the king, his anointed one, may further strengthen the suggested reading of Psalm 75:10, which sees “the righteous” as a reference more specifically to the “righteous one.” It is very difficult to ascertain the precise relationship between Psalm 75 and Hannah’s prayer. Is one borrowing from the other, or do both simply reflect a common theology and perspective? Due to the lack of concrete historical settings in the Psalms, it is very difficult to answer such questions with any degree of certainty.27
But it is certainly worth noting that Hannah’s words are very similar—an example for us all to follow. It is good to take the words of the psalms and make them our own prayers in the wide variety of settings in which the prayers of the psalmist reflect our own hearts and minds.
Psalm 75 in the New Testament. The imagery of the wine of Yahweh’s judgment being poured out on the wicked finds an echo in Revelation 14:10. It is important to remember that judgment is not an issue limited entirely to the Old Testament. This misunderstanding is frequently repeated in contemporary Christian circles. But both Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matt 11:20–24) and the apostle John in Revelation (e.g., 14:6–13) make it absolutely clear that ultimately God will bring his judgment on humanity. Often this idea is one we would prefer not to think about, but the Scriptures make it absolutely plain that judgment will be a historical reality which every created human being must face. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. The judgment passages give us comfort that the blatant injustices of this world will not go unpunished, and they should also serve as a spur to take the gospel to those who have not yet responded to God’s good gift in Christ. Comfort, with regard to the judgment imagery of Psalm 75, is found in the fact that, ultimately, it is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s punishment on behalf of all those who turn to him for refuge. In Matthew 26:39 and 42 (see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42), we see Jesus praying to his Father that this “cup” be taken from him. Jesus’ prayer is a reference to the punishment for sin that he would receive on the cross. He is referring to the “cup full of foaming wine” in the hand of the Lord (Ps 75:8), the cup of judgment. Ultimately, God the Son drank the cup of the Father’s righteous judgment so that we ourselves would not have to drink that wine.28
Contemporary Significance
PERSPECTIVE, PATIENCE, AND PRAYER. Psalm 75, as an answer to Psalm 74, is a reminder that very often things are not what they seem. This theme is one that is repeated in The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, one of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles books. During the heroes’ lengthy sea voyage, they visit various islands in their quest for the seven lost lords of Narnia, and on each of the islands appearances prove to be deceptive. For example, on the “Duffers’ Island” they come across a group of creatures that live in terror of a fearful and powerful wizard, who has “cast a spell” on these poor creatures to make them invisible. Described from the Duffers’ perspective, the wizard sounds like a fearsome villain, except that he actually turns out to be a faithful servant of Aslan, Narnia’s Christ-figure, who works for their good despite their failure to realize so. We too can be like the Duffers and fail to recognize when God is doing something for our good.
The problem of perspective in prayer is one that every Christian has to endure. Just like the people of God in Psalm 74, we often wonder why God stays his hand when we pray for his intervention (v. 11). Yet Psalm 75 corrects that perspective with the reminder that God’s hand is still active in human history (v. 8). Often the way in which we see our reality is very different from God’s perspective of intending to bless us for our eternal good, though not necessarily for our present ease. What does this difference mean for us in terms of our own prayer life? It means that we must be a people who are: (1) Honest in prayer. As mentioned in our study of Psalm 73, it is essential that we discuss our life openly and honestly with God. Even if our perspectives are wrong, there is no point in denying the reality of our human view. If our perspective is wrong, the starting point of its correction is honesty before God. (2) Patient in prayer. If God does not answer our prayers or does not answer them in the way we expect, we must be patient in prayer. Psalm 75 reminds us that God’s timing and ours very often do not coincide. Psalm 74 is the prayer of a people who felt it was high time that God worked in judgment against those who mocked him (vv. 10–11, 22–23). In response, Psalm 75 reminds them that Yahweh will judge in the time that he knows to be right (v. 2). Our perspective on God’s timing can be just as mistaken as our perspective on our reality, so our prayer should also be marked by patience. (3) Open to change. Psalms 74 and 75 show us that we can be wrong in our perspective on reality and wrong in our appreciation of God’s timing, so we should always be a people who are open to change at God’s leading as we pray. As with Asaph in Psalm 73, where our perspective is skewed, God will change it when we are open and honest as we draw near to meet with him.
NIDOTTE 3:834–6.
NIDOTTE 3:990–2.