Commentary - Psalm 75:1

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 75 is a psalm of what we might call preemptive thanksgiving. The psalmist, Asaph, is not giving thanks for a deliverance already accomplished, but for a deliverance that he, by faith, fully expects God to bring about. This is not wishful thinking; it is anticipatory gladness. The central issue is the problem of wicked rulers, which ought to make this psalm feel like it was ripped from tomorrow's headlines. Asaph, on behalf of the people, tunes the entire song in the key of gratitude, establishing from the outset that God's name, His very character and reputation, is near to His people. The whole psalm is a declaration of confidence in God's perfect and righteous judgment against the proud and in favor of the righteous. God Himself speaks in this psalm, promising to judge uprightly when He receives the congregation, reminding us that He is the one who bears up the pillars of a dissolving earth.

The psalm moves from the people's thanksgiving (v. 1), to the voice of God promising judgment (vv. 2-3), to a warning against arrogance (vv. 4-5), a reminder of the true source of promotion and demotion (vv. 6-7), a vivid image of the cup of God's wrath (v. 8), and concludes with the psalmist's vow to declare God's praises and a final contrast between the fate of the wicked and the righteous (vv. 9-10). It is a song that teaches us to thank God before the check has cleared, because the one who wrote the check owns the bank.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 75 is one of the Psalms of Asaph, who was a chief musician appointed by David. These psalms often grapple with the hard questions of theodicy, the justice of God in a world where the wicked often seem to prosper. This psalm is a direct answer to the anxieties expressed in psalms like Psalm 73, where Asaph confesses his foot had almost slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. Here, in Psalm 75, the answer is not a philosophical treatise but a prophetic declaration. God Himself will act. The title mentions "Al-tashheth," which means "Do Not Destroy," linking it thematically to other psalms with this superscription (Psalms 57-59). It suggests a plea for preservation in the midst of threat, but the tone of this psalm is not one of desperate pleading but of robust confidence. The deliverance is so certain that the thanksgiving can begin now.

Key Issues

Beginning: A Clause by Clause Look at Psalm 75:1

1 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,

The psalm opens with a bang, a double-barreled blast of gratitude. "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks" (KJV). This repetition is not for padding. It is for emphasis, it is for passion. When you really mean it, you say it twice. This is the tuning fork for the entire psalm. Before any petition is specified, before the problem of arrogant rulers is even detailed, the fundamental posture of God's people is established as one of gratitude. This is crucial. We do not thank God because our circumstances are pleasant. We thank God because He is God, and because He is our God. As Spurgeon once said, "Stinted gratitude is ingratitude." There is no holding back here. The thanks are directed "to You, O God." This is not a vague, sentimental feeling of thankfulness floated out into the cosmos. It is personal, direct, and addressed to the covenant God of Israel. This is the beginning of all true worship. We begin with God, we address God, and we thank God.

For Your name is near;

Here is the reason for the overflowing thanks. Why are we thanking Him? "For that thy name is near." God's name is the revelation of His character, His attributes, His reputation, His very being. When Scripture says His name is near, it means He is not a distant, deistic clockmaker who wound up the world and then went on vacation. He is immanent. He is involved. He is accessible. For the believer, facing down the apparent triumph of wickedness, there is no greater comfort than this. God is not far off. He is near. His reputation is on the line, right here with us in the mud and the mire of our troubles. This nearness is a covenant nearness. He has bound Himself to His people, and so where they are, His name is also. This is the foundation of our confidence. We are not whistling in the dark, hoping a far-off deity might hear us. We are speaking to a God who is present.

Men recount Your wondrous deeds.

The nearness of God's name is not a secret. It is a public reality, demonstrated and declared. "Thy wondrous works declare" that Thy name is near. How do we know God is with us? Look at the record. Look at what He has done. The faith of God's people is not a leap into the void; it is a standing on the rock of God's established history of faithfulness. The plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna in the wilderness, the conquest of Canaan, these are the "wondrous deeds" that form the bedrock of Israel's faith. And they are to be recounted. They are to be told, sung, and declared from one generation to the next. This is how faith is sustained. We remind ourselves and our children of what God has done. These past actions are the down payment, the guarantee, of His future actions. Because He acted wondrously before, we can thank Him preemptively for how He will act wondrously again.

The Nearness of God's Name

The declaration that God's "name is near" is a profound theological statement. In the ancient world, a name was not merely a label but the embodiment of the person's character and power. To say God's name is near is to say that His power, His authority, and His personal presence are actively engaged in the world and with His people. This stands in stark contrast to the gods of the pagans, who were either distant and capricious or were localized to particular shrines and temples. The God of Israel, Yahweh, is the sovereign Lord of all creation, and yet He draws near to His covenant people. This concept is fulfilled ultimately in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is called Immanuel, "God with us" (Matt 1:23). In Christ, the name of God has come as near as it is possible to get. He is the ultimate wondrous deed of God, the final declaration that God has not abandoned His world but has entered into it for our salvation.

Key Words

Yadah, "To Give Thanks"

The Hebrew word here is yadah, which is a root that means to acknowledge or confess. It is often translated as "praise" or "give thanks." The core idea is a public acknowledgment of who God is and what He has done. It is not a private feeling but a public testimony. This is why the recounting of His wondrous deeds is tied so closely to the giving of thanks. To truly thank God is to declare His excellence to others. It is an act of witness. When the psalmist says "we give thanks," he is leading the congregation in a corporate, public confession of God's goodness and sovereignty, even before the final deliverance has come.

Keren, "Horn"

Though not in our specific verse, the "horn" (keren) is a central image in this psalm (vv. 4, 5, 10) and understanding it helps frame the whole. In the Old Testament, the horn is a symbol of strength, power, and pride. An animal's horn is its weapon and its glory. The wicked "lift up the horn," meaning they act with arrogant power. God's judgment consists of "cutting off" the horns of the wicked, stripping them of their power. Conversely, He promises that "the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." This means God Himself will be the source of their strength and honor. The conflict of the psalm is a battle of the horns, and God declares He will sort them out.

Application

The application of this psalm, and particularly this first verse, is profoundly relevant for Christians living in a world of arrogant, unbelieving rulers. Our first and primary duty is not to fret, despair, or rage, but to give thanks. We must do this deliberately, repeatedly, and corporately. Our thanksgiving is not rooted in the poll numbers or the latest Supreme Court decision. It is rooted in the unshakable fact that God's name is near. He has not abdicated His throne. He is not wringing His hands. He is with us.

Therefore, we must make it our business to recount His wondrous deeds. We combat the cultural amnesia of our day by telling the old stories. We preach the gospel, which is the story of God's most wondrous deed in Christ. We tell our children about God's faithfulness to our family, to our church, and to His people throughout history. This recounting fuels our thanksgiving, and our thanksgiving fuels our faith. This is how we stand firm while the earth and all its inhabitants are dissolving (v. 3). We know the one who bears up the pillars. So let us begin, right now, by giving thanks.