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Psalm 75

Psalm 75 declares God’s rule over judgment and exaltation, confronting arrogant power with his chosen time and certain justice.

A song attributed to Asaph opens with shared thanks to God for his nearness and wondrous works. God speaks of choosing the time for judgment and holding the earth’s pillars steady when its inhabitants quake. The arrogant receive a warning against boasting, and the song declares that God determines who falls and who rises. A cup of judgment awaits the wicked. The closing verses join praise with the promise that wicked power will be broken and righteous strength raised.

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Read
1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm by Asaph. A song. We give thanks to you, God. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell about your wondrous works.
2When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah.
4I said to the arrogant, “Don’t boast!” I said to the wicked, “Don’t lift up the horn.
5Don’t lift up your horn on high. Don’t speak with a stiff neck.”
6For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.
7But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another.
8For in the LORD’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs.
9But I will declare this forever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
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Key verses
Psalm 75:7This verse names God as judge and places every rise and fall under his authority.
Psalm 75:5The raised horn and stiff neck picture the defiant pride that the psalm places under God’s judgment.
Psalm 75:10The closing contrast promises the destruction of wicked power and the raising of the righteous.
Where this chapter reaches

The reversal of human strength and status links this psalm with 1 Samuel and Luke, where God brings down the proud and raises the lowly. Its cup of judgment shares imagery with Jeremiah and Revelation, where drinking portrays receiving God’s wrath.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does God’s choice of an appointed time shape your response to the injustice described here?

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What contrast do you notice between the opening thanks and the arrogant speech condemned later?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 75

Who wrote Psalm 75, and what event is it about?

The heading attributes the psalm to Asaph and assigns it to the Chief Musician, with the tune “Do Not Destroy.” The text names no historical event. Its language fits a time of upheaval and threatening pride, but identifying a particular crisis goes beyond what the psalm states.

What does the horn mean in Psalm 75?

The horn is an image of strength and power, drawn from horned animals. Lifting it high in verses 4–5 expresses arrogance, alongside speaking with a stiff neck. In verse 10, cutting off wicked horns means breaking their power, while raised righteous horns signify strength and honor granted.

What is the cup in Psalm 75:8?

The cup in YHWH’s hand represents his judgment against the wicked. Its foaming, spiced wine and the drinking of its dregs depict judgment received in full. The image follows the declaration that God is judge, so its force is judicial rather than festive.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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What the Bible says about anger →What the Bible says about fear →What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).