Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 75

by Don R. Hender

As is the case of hymn writing, hymns of praise may vary from the worshipper speaking of the Lord, or in reference to prophetic scripture, even the Lord may be quoted or paraphrased as speaking Himself in the first person. This particular Psalm does vary from the words of praise of man to the actual scriptural words of God spoken in the first person. That we have not the original scriptural text from which the qouted phrases of God are taken, what may have been generally understood by the ancient hymnists is somewhat lost to us. But we may apply them to the same gospel we have today as they fit.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

CHAPTER 75
The righteous praise and thank the God of Jacob—They shall be exalted—God is the judge, and teh wicked shall be condemned.

To the chief Mucician, Al-taschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph

Praise of Man

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

Words of God

2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the ^apillars of it. Selah.

4 I said unto the ^afools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
5 Lift not up your horn on high^a: **speak not with a ^astiff neck^b.
5^a Lift not up the horn on high We have a colloquial phrase which conveys much the same meaning as this. It is, 'Don't toot your own horn.' It means do not go about touting your own greatness and abilities. Or don't go about speaking of one's self in such prideful accolades of self greatness or prescribing that you are so much the better than another. 'Horn' in the Bible references one's capacity, capabilities, power, or greatness in a figurative sense. Expressed another way 'let not arrogancy come out of your mouth' (1 Samuel 2:3).
5^a speak not with a stiff neck** Pride in one self, such arrogance which is the opposite to humility and meekness of submitting oneself to the will of the Lord, is a state of wickedness. All men in comparison to God are but nothing. God can raise up unto himself even the most seemingly feeble of souls and by his aid, support and power place them to be the greatest among us. So it was with an unschooled farm boy of poverty whose name was Joseph Smith Jr. To speak with a stiff neck is to take false pride in ones self above another. This is the famed 'stiffneckedness' so often portrayed in the Book of Mormon as the false pride and arrogancy which kept men from God throughout the history of the Nephites.

6 For ^apromotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the ^ajudge: he putteth ^bdown one, and setteth up another.

8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a ^acup, 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 ^bdrink them.

Praise of Man

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

Words of God

10 All the ^ahorns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted^a. 10^a the horns of the righteous shall be exalted Whatever talents and abilities that a righteous man has will be multiplied and exalted in the Lord. The pattern is not to take pride in oneself, for of oneself man is nothing before God. But one is to humble themselves before the Lord, That is to be teachable, listen and give heed unto the word of God. And then in all meekness, that is a willingness to submite oneself unto the will, mind and intent of the Lord in all things, thereby God may form man into that which God will. And God wills that man be exalted. For this is the work and the glory of God, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, which includes the process of exalting man to becoming one with Christ and God, Even To Become As God Is.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 75 The righteous praise and thank the God of Jacob—They shall be exalted—God is the judge, and teh wicked shall be condemned.
To the chief Mucician, Al-taschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph
Praise of Man
1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
Words of God
2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the ^apillars of it. Selah.
4 I said unto the ^afools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high^a: *speak not with* a ^astiff neck^b**.	5^a Lift not up the horn on high We have a colloquial phrase which conveys much the same meaning as this. It is, 'Don't toot your own horn.' It means do not go about touting your own greatness and abilities. Or don't go about speaking of one's self in such prideful accolades of self greatness or prescribing that you are so much the better than another. 'Horn' in the Bible references one's capacity, capabilities, power, or greatness in a figurative sense. Expressed another way 'let not arrogancy come out of your mouth' (1 Samuel 2:3). 5^a speak not with a stiff neck Pride in one self, such arrogance which is the opposite to humility and meekness of submitting oneself to the will of the Lord, is a state of wickedness. All men in comparison to God are but nothing. God can raise up unto himself even the most seemingly feeble of souls and by his aid, support and power place them to be the greatest among us. So it was with an unschooled farm boy of poverty whose name was Joseph Smith Jr. To speak with a stiff neck is to take false pride in ones self above another. This is the famed 'stiffneckedness' so often portrayed in the Book of Mormon as the false pride and arrogancy which kept men from God throughout the history of the Nephites.
6 For ^apromotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the ^ajudge: he putteth ^bdown one, and setteth up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a ^acup, 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 ^bdrink them.
Praise of Man
9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
Words of God
10 All the ^ahorns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted^a.	10^a the horns of the righteous shall be exalted Whatever talents and abilities that a righteous man has will be multiplied and exalted in the Lord. The pattern is not to take pride in oneself, for of oneself man is nothing before God. But one is to humble themselves before the Lord, That is to be teachable, listen and give heed unto the word of God. And then in all meekness, that is a willingness to submite oneself unto the will, mind and intent of the Lord in all things, thereby God may form man into that which God will. And God wills that man be exalted. For this is the work and the glory of God, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, which includes the process of exalting man to becoming one with Christ and God, Even To Become As God Is.