Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 75:4
I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
4. I say unto the arrogant, Deal not arrogantly. Cp. Psa 73:3; Psa 5:5. Rabshakeh and his colleagues and the Assyrians in general were the very type of such boastful, defiant arrogance (Isa 37:23; Isa 10:7 ff.; Nah 1:11).
Lift not up the horn ] A metaphor, derived from animals tossing their heads, to denote overweening, defiant self-consciousness of strength.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
4, 5. A warning to all presumptuous braggarts, based on the Divine utterances of Psa 75:2-3. It is disputed whether the speaker is still God, as in Psa 75:2-3, or the poet, but the latter alternative is preferable. The interposition of Selah marks the end of the Divine speech, and I said naturally introduces a fresh speaker. Moreover there is no break between Psa 75:5 and Psa 75:6, but it is clear that God is no longer speaking in Psa 75:6-7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I said unto the fools – To the wicked people in rebellion. Folly and wickedness in the Bible are synonymous terms, as they are identical in fact. See the notes at Psa 14:1.
Deal not foolishly – Act not foolishly; carry not out your wicked plans. Do not pursue your schemes of wickedness and folly, for they cannot be successful, and they will only tend to involve you in ruin.
And to the wicked – The wicked people engaged in rebellion – either against a lawful human government, or against God.
Lift not up the horn – The horn is a symbol of strength. Compare Job 16:15; Dan 7:7-8, Dan 7:11, Dan 7:21; Dan 8:5, Dan 8:8-9, Dan 8:21. This is to be understood as the language of the person represented as speaking in the psalm – whether a prince, or whether God himself. It is counsel addressed to the wicked, that they should not attempt to put forth their strength in the accomplishment of their evil purposes. The reason given for this is stated in Psa 75:6, namely, that success does not depend on chance, or on human power, but must come from God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. I said unto the fools] I have given the idolatrous Chaldeans sufficient warning to abandon their idols, and worship the true God; but they would not. I have also charged the wicked, to whom for a season I have delivered you because of your transgressions, not to lift up their horn-not to use their power to oppress and destroy. They have, notwithstanding, abused their power in the persecutions with which they have afflicted you. For all these things they shall shortly be brought to an awful account. On the term horn, See Clarke on Lu 1:69.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I said, with authority and command; I charged them.
The fools, i.e. the wicked, as that is explained in the next clause.
Deal not foolishly; desist from your impious and injurious practices, which shall not now go unpunished, as they have done.
Lift not up the horn; do not carry yourselves either arrogantly, boasting of your own strength, or scornfully and maliciously towards me or others of Gods people.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-8. Here the writer speaks inview of God’s declaration, warning the wicked.
Lift . . . up the horntoexalt power, here, of the wicked himselfthat is, to be arrogant orself-elated.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I said unto the fools,…. To the vain gloriosos, proud boasters, mockers, and scoffers at the day of judgment, and burning of the world:
deal not foolishly; by glorying in themselves, boasting of their riches, and trusting in them; singing a requiem to themselves on account of their abundance, and by putting away the evil day far from them:
and to the wicked, lift not up the horn; of power, grandeur, and wealth, and use it to the injury of others; or be so elated with it as to look with disdain on others; or imagine they shall always continue in this exalted state, as antichrist the horned beast does, Re 18:7, the allusion is to horned beasts, particularly harts, which lift up their heads and horns in great pride p: the phrase signifies to behave proudly and haughtily.
p Vid. “Suidam in voce” .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. I said to the fools, Act not foolishly. (255) After he has set the office of God full in his own view and in the view of the faithful, he now triumphs over all the ungodly, whom he impeaches of madness and blind rage, the effect of their despising God, which leads them to indulge to excess in pride and self-gloriation. This holy boasting to which he gives utterance depends upon the judgment, which in the name of God he denounced to be at hand; for when the people of God expect that he is coming to execute judgment, and are persuaded that he will not long delay his coming, they glory even in the midst of their oppressions. The madness of the wicked may boil over and swell with rage, and pour forth floods to overwhelm them; but it is enough for them to know that their life is protected by the power of God, who can with the most perfect ease humble all pride, and restrain the most daring and presumptuous attempts. The faithful here deride and despise whatever the wicked plot and conspire to execute, and bid them desist from their madness; and in calling upon them to do this, they intimate that they are making all this stir and commotion in vain, resembling madmen, who are drawn hither and thither by their own distempered imaginations. It is to be observed, that the Psalmist represents pride as the cause or mother of all rash and audacious enterprises. The reason why men rush with such recklessness upon unlawful projects most certainly is, that blinded by pride, they form an undue and exaggerated estimate of their own power. This being a malady which is not easily eradicated from the hearts of men, the admonition, Lift not up your horn on high (256) is repeated once and again. They are next enjoined not to speak with a fat or a stiff neck; by which is meant that they should not speak harshly and injuriously; (257) for it is usual with proud persons to erect the neck and raise the head when they pour forth their menaces. Others translate the words, Speak not stiffly with your neck; but the other translation is the more correct.
(255) “Or, Be not mad.” The verb is תהולו, tahollu, from הלל, halal, he was mad, boasting — Bythner
(256) Lift not up your horn on high, that is, bear not yourselves insolently, from a false notion of your power, (comp. Amo 6:13.) It has been supposed that the metaphor is taken from the manner in which horned animals carry themselves when they are in an excited state. A practice among the Abyssinians, described by Mr Bruce, has been also adduced as throwing light upon this verse. He observes, that the governors of the provinces in Abyssinia wear a broad fillet round their heads, which is tied behind the head. In the middle of this fillet is a horn, or a conical piece of silver, gilded with gold; and shaped like our candle-extinguishers. This is called kirn or horn; and is only used in reviews or processions after victory. The way in which they throw back the head when wearing this ornament (lest it should fall forward) gives a stiffness to the position of the head; and this seems to explain the language of the Psalmist, when he mentions speaking with a stiff neck. Instead of with a stiff neck, Parkhurst translates with a retorted neck; observing, that “this is a well-known gesture of pride, contempt, or disdain.”
(257) “ Praefracte .” — Lat. “ Rigoureusement et outrageusement.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Fools . . . foolishly.Better, arrogant . . . arrogantly. See Psa. 73:3. (Comp. 1Sa. 2:3.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. I said unto the fools The king still speaks as God’s vicar. I said to the haughty, who by reason of their successes had grown insolent.
Deal not foolishly Scornfully, boastfully.
Lift not up the horn Toss not high your horn defiantly, as the infuriated bull, “from a sense of your strength, and with intention to strike.” Hengstenberg.
Speak not with a stiff neck With an arrogant neck, a hard neck, a neck of impudence. The allusion is to the lofty tossing of the head of the bison, (when brought to bay,) displaying the pride and strength of his powerful neck.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 75:4. I said unto the fools, &c. I gave notice to wild impious fools, behave not impiously. These, to the ninth verse, are the author’s words, in consequence of God’s declaration; in which he gives fair notice to impious persons to beware of insolence, and not to attribute success to random causes, or forces coming from this or that quarter, but to God; who, in the proper time, will do justice to all the world, out of that cup which he held in his hand; and they might depend upon it, that he would oblige the wicked to drink the very dregs of it. Mudge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jesus proclaims grace to the humble, and destruction to the proud. Reader, our nature by the fall is truly ignorant: and next to the absolute ruin of our nature by sin, the most awful effect of Adam’s apostacy that we have to lament, is, our ignorance. Oh! for grace to look to him for help, and light, and instruction, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 75:4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
Ver. 4. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly ] Boast not yourselves so proudly and petulantly, but submit to God’s decree, and my government; how much more to Christ’s!
Lift not up the horn fools = arrogant.
wicked. Hebrew. rasha’.
horn. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), for pride connected with the wearing of it.
Psa 75:4-6
Psa 75:4-6
“I said unto the arrogant,
Deal not arrogantly;
And to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
Lift not up your horn on high;
Speak not with a stiff neck.
For neither from the east, nor from the west,
Nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up.”
Some interpreters ascribe the words of these verses to the psalmist, or to the “congregation,” but we believe Delitzsch is correct. “The utterance of God is also continued after the Selah. It is not the people of God who turn to the enemies with words of warning; it is God himself who speaks.
“Lift not up the horn” (Psa 75:4). This means that, “One should not vaunt his own powers. Rawlinson gave the meaning as, “Be not fierce and menacing like a bull threatening with his horns.
“Neither from east … west … south … cometh lifting up” (Psa 75:6). The significance of the omission of “north” here lies in the fact that, “Foreign invasions of Israel generally came from the north; and deliverance would logically have been expected from some other direction.
McCaw suggested that this affords presumptive evidence that the threatened destruction of Jerusalem by Sennacherib might have been the occasion.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 75:4-5. In passing his judgments David admonished men to put away their foolishness. Lift not up the horn meant for them not to try showing off their authority.
Psa 75:6. south is rendered “desert” in the margin of many Bibles and Strong’s lexicon does the same. Hence only two directions are really mentioned by the writer. The point is that it is vain to rely on any earthly sources for support.
I said: Psa 82:2-8, Psa 94:8, Pro 1:22, Pro 8:5, Pro 9:6
Lift: Psa 89:17, Psa 148:14, Dan 7:20, Dan 7:21, Zec 1:21
Reciprocal: Job 5:2 – the foolish Psa 66:7 – let Psa 74:22 – remember Psa 83:2 – lifted Psa 92:6 – a fool Luk 11:40 – fools
Psa 75:4-5. I said With authority and command; unto the fools The wicked: I charged them; Deal not foolishly Desist from your impious and injurious practices, which shall not now go unpunished as they have done. Lift not up your horn, &c. Do not carry yourselves with pride and arrogance, boasting of your own strength; or with scorn and contempt toward me or any others of Gods people. It is a metaphor taken from untamed oxen, which will not bow their heads to receive the yoke, but lift up their heads and horns to avoid it. Or, , lammarom, rendered, on high, means, against the high one, that is, against God, who is mentioned under this same title, Psa 56:2; Isa 57:15. Speak not
Against me and my government; with a stiff neck With pride and contempt of my person, and with rebellion against Gods will declared concerning my advancement, of which you are not ignorant: see 2Sa 3:17-18.
2. God’s character as Judge 75:4-8
These verses call the wicked to repent. The writer said they should stop boasting and acting proudly, as an animal does that defiantly wields its horn against a foe. The wicked refuse to bow before God, as an ox tossing its neck refuses the yoke. No help from any direction will deliver the ungodly when God judges them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)