TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 75

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For the leader; al tashcheth. A psalm of Asaf, a song.

אלַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵת מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף שִׁיר׃

2We praise You, O Hashem; we praise You; Your presence is near; men tell of Your wondrous deeds.

בהוֹדִינוּ לְּךָ אֱ‍לֹהִים הוֹדִינוּ וְקָרוֹב שְׁמֶךָ סִפְּרוּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ׃

3“At the time I choose, I will give judgment equitably.

גכִּי אֶקַּח מוֹעֵד אֲנִי מֵישָׁרִים אֶשְׁפֹּט׃

4Earth and all its inhabitants dissolve; it is I who keep its pillars firm. Selah.

דנְמֹגִים אֶרֶץ וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֶיהָ אָנֹכִי תִכַּנְתִּי עַמּוּדֶיהָ סֶּלָה׃

5To wanton men I say, ‘Do not be wanton!' to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns!'”

האָמַרְתִּי לַהוֹלְלִים אַל־תָּהֹלּוּ וְלָרְשָׁעִים אַל־תָּרִימוּ קָרֶן׃

6Do not lift your horns up high in vainglorious bluster.

ואַל־תָּרִימוּ לַמָּרוֹם קַרְנְכֶם תְּדַבְּרוּ בְצַוָּאר עָתָק׃

7For what lifts a man comes not from the east or the west or the wilderness;

KEE LO mi-mo-TZA u-mi-ma-a-RAV v'-LO mi-mid-BAR ha-REEM

זכִּי לֹא מִמּוֹצָא וּמִמַּעֲרָב וְלֹא מִמִּדְבַּר הָרִים׃

 75:7   For what lifts a man comes not from the east or the west

Har Yishai Mountain in the Negev overlooking the Dead Sea.

The psalmist addresses the wealthy, telling them that they should not think their riches result from their own doing. Rather, Hashem alone “brings down one man, He lifts up another” (verse 8). In this context, the psalmist tells the affluent not to look to the east or west for the source of their prosperity, and ends with the words v’lo mimidbar harim (ולא ממדבר הרים). Commentators struggle to understand this expression. One explanation places a comma between midbar, ‘wilderness,’ and harim, ‘mountains,’ using them as geographical poles, similar to east and west. Based on this interpretation the verse means ‘your wealth does not come from the east or west, nor does it come from the desert or the mountains.’ A second interpretation understands the word harim as a verb meaning ‘to lift up.’ According to this explanation, the verse means ‘not from east or west, nor from the desert will you be lifted up (i.e. become wealthy).’ Regardless of the precise interpretation of the phrase, its message is to recognize that Hashem is the one who provides bounty and wealth.

8for Hashem it is who gives judgment; He brings down one man, He lifts up another.

חכִּי־אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפֵט זֶה יַשְׁפִּיל וְזֶה יָרִים׃

9There is a cup in Hashem's hand with foaming wine fully mixed; from this He pours; all the wicked of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs.

טכִּי כוֹס בְּיַד־יְהֹוָה וְיַיִן חָמַר מָלֵא מֶסֶךְ וַיַּגֵּר מִזֶּה אַךְ־שְׁמָרֶיהָ יִמְצוּ יִשְׁתּוּ כֹּל רִשְׁעֵי־אָרֶץ׃

10As for me, I will declare forever, I will sing a hymn to the God of Yaakov.

יוַאֲנִי אַגִּיד לְעֹלָם אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב׃

11“All the horns of the wicked I will cut; but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.”

יאוְכָל־קַרְנֵי רְשָׁעִים אֲגַדֵּעַ תְּרוֹמַמְנָה קַרְנוֹת צַדִּיק׃