Psalm 75 | |
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"Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks" | |
Psalms of Asaph | |
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Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 75 is the 75th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks". The Book of Psalms forms part of the Ketuvim section of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation, the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 74. In Latin, it is known as "Confitebimur tibi Deus". [1] It is one of the psalms of Asaph.
This psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. The thought of giving thanks has often been set to music, including in works by Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Attributed to Asaph, Psalm 75 continues the theme of Psalms 57, 58, and 59, which also begin with the words al tashcheth, "Do not destroy". [2] The New King James Version refers to al tashcheth or "Do not destroy" as a musical setting. [3] Like the previous psalms, Psalm 75 speaks of the Jews in exile, and praises God for preserving them. [2]
The psalm references the word "horn" several times. According to Charles Spurgeon, the horn is a symbol of honor or strength, but when possessed by the arrogant, the horn is said to be "cut down" or humbled. While God rejects the horns of the haughty, he exalts the horns of the righteous. [4]
The Midrash Tehillim cites ten scriptural verses that mention horns to identify ten horns that God gave to the Israelites: the horns of Abraham, Isaac (the shofar or ram's horn), Moses, Samuel, Aaron, the Sanhedrin, Heman the Ezrahite, Jerusalem, the Jewish Messiah, and David in the future. When the Israelites sinned, these ten horns were removed from them and transferred to the wicked, as it is written, "Behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and it had ten horns" (Daniel 7:7). The Midrash teaches that as long as the horns of the wicked prevail, the horns of Israel will be cut off; but in future, when God elevates the horns of the righteous, the horns of the wicked will be cut off. [5]
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 75:
Verse | Hebrew |
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1 | לַֽמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֑ת מִזְמ֖וֹר לְאָסָ֣ף שִֽׁיר |
2 | הוֹדִ֚ינוּ לְּךָ֨ | אֱלֹהִ֗ים ה֖וֹדִינוּ וְקָר֣וֹב שְׁמֶ֑ךָ סִ֜פְּר֗וּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ |
3 | כִּי־אֶקַּ֥ח מוֹעֵ֑ד אֲ֜נִ֗י מֵֽישָׁרִ֥ים אֶשְׁפֹּֽט |
4 | נְֽמֹגִ֗ים־אֶ֥רֶץ וְכָל־יֹֽשְׁבֶ֑יהָ אָֽנֹכִ֨י תִכַּ֖נְתִּי עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ סֶּֽלָה |
5 | אָמַ֣רְתִּי לַ֖הֽוֹלְלִים אַל־תָּהֹ֑לּוּ וְ֜לָֽרְשָׁעִ֗ים אַל־תָּרִ֥ימוּ קָֽרֶן |
6 | אַל־תָּרִ֣ימוּ לַמָּר֣וֹם קַרְנְכֶ֑ם תְּדַבְּר֖וּ בְצַוָּ֣אר עָתָֽק |
7 | כִּ֚י לֹ֣א מִ֖מּוֹצָא וּמִמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב וְ֜לֹ֗א מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר הָרִֽים |
8 | כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים שֹׁפֵ֑ט זֶ֥ה יַ֜שְׁפִּ֗יל וְזֶ֣ה יָרִֽים |
9 | כִּ֚י כ֪וֹס בְּיַד־יְהֹוָ֡ה וְיַ֚יִן חָמַ֨ר | מָ֥לֵא מֶסֶךְ֘ וַיַּגֵּ֪ר מִ֫זֶּ֥ה אַךְ־שְׁ֖מָרֶיהָ יִמְצ֣וּ יִשְׁתּ֑וּ כֹּ֜֗ל רִשְׁעֵי־אָֽרֶץ |
10 | וַֽאֲנִי אַגִּ֣יד לְעֹלָ֑ם אֲ֜זַמְּרָ֗ה לֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹֽב |
11 | וְכָל־קַרְנֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֲגַדֵּ֑עַ תְּ֜רוֹמַ֗מְנָה קַרְנ֥וֹת צַדִּֽיק |
Amended to "the proper time" or "the appointed time" in the New International Version and New King James Version. The "appointed time" is "the proper moment foreordained in the Divine counsels and known to God". [7]
Psalm 75 is recited during the Motza'ei Shabbat prayers in the Sephardic tradition. [8] In the Siddur Avodas Yisrael, Psalm 75 is said as the Song of the Day for Shabbat Torah reading Ki Tissa and Eikev. [9] This psalm is also recited on the third through sixth days of Passover in some traditions. [10]
Psalm 75 is recited as a "prayer for forgiveness". [11]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer , this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the 15th day of the month. [12]
Baroque composer Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 75 in German, "Aus unsers Herzen Grunde", for choir as part of his composition of the Becker Psalter, SWV 172. [13] Johann Sebastian Bach used the beginning of Psalm 75 for the opening movement of Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29, a cantata for the inauguration of a town council in Leipzig. [14] He used the music again for the movement Gratias agimus tibi of the Mass in B minor, expressing the same thought of thanks. [15]
Hymns based on Psalm 75 or specific verses include the popular "Now Thank We All Our God", Catherine Winkworth's translation of Rinkart's "Nun danket alle Gott". [16] The German hymn and its English version inspired several settings, including some by Bach. [17]
Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29, is a sacred cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig in 1731 for Ratswechsel, the annual inauguration of a new town council, and first performed it on 27 August of that year. The cantata was part of a festive service in the Nikolaikirche. The cantata text by an unknown author includes in movement 2 the beginning of Psalm 75, and as the closing chorale the fifth stanza of Johann Gramann's "Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren". Bach scored the work in eight movements for four vocal parts and a festive Baroque orchestra of three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, strings, an obbligato organ and basso continuo. The organ dominates the first movement Sinfonia which Bach derived from a Partita for violin. The full orchestra accompanies the first choral movement and plays with the voices in the closing chorale, while a sequence of three arias alternating with two recitatives is scored intimately.
"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" is a hymn tune in long metre, from the second edition of the Genevan Psalter. It is one of the best known melodies in many occidental Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually attributed to the French composer Louis Bourgeois.
Psalm 146 is the 146th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version, "Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate/Vulgata Clementina, this psalm is 145 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, Psalm 146 is known as "Lauda anima mea Dominum".
Psalm 147 is the 147th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version, "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate/Vulgata Clementina, this psalm is divided into Psalm 146 and Psalm 147 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, Psalm 146 is known as "Laudate Dominum quoniam bonum psalmus", and Psalm 147 as "Lauda Jerusalem Dominum".
Psalm 148 is the 148th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Praise ye the Lord from the heavens". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In Latin, this psalm is known as "Laudate Dominum de caelis". The psalm is one of the Laudate psalms. Old Testament scholars have also classified it as a creation psalm and a wisdom psalm.
"Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" is a Lutheran chorale of 1524, with words written by Martin Luther paraphrasing Psalm 12. It was published as one of eight songs in 1524 in the first Lutheran hymnal, the Achtliederbuch, which contained four songs by Luther, three by Speratus, and one by Justus Jonas. It was contained in 1524 in the Erfurt Enchiridion. It is part of many hymnals, also in translations. The text inspired vocal and organ music by composers such as Heinrich Schütz, who set it as part of his Becker Psalter, and Johann Sebastian Bach, who based a chorale cantata on it. Mozart used one of its tunes in his opera The Magic Flute.
Psalm 24 is the 24th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 23. In Latin, it is known as "Domini est terra et plenitudo eius orbis terrarum". The psalm is marked as a Psalm of David.
Psalm 25 is the 25th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 24. In Latin, it is known as "Ad te Domine levavi animam meam". The psalm, attributed to David, has the form of an acrostic Hebrew poem.
Psalm 46 is the 46th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 45. In Latin, it is known as "Deus noster refugium et virtus". The song is attributed to the sons of Korah.
Psalm 50, a Psalm of Asaph, is the 50th psalm from the Book of Psalms in the Bible, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 49. The opening words in Latin are Deus deorum, Dominus, locutus est / et vocavit terram a solis ortu usque ad occasum. The psalm is a prophetic imagining of God's judgment on the Israelites.
Psalm 58 is the 58th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 57. In Latin, it is known as In finem ne disperdas David.
Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm of the Book of Psalms, one of a series of psalms attributed to the sons of Korah. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 84.
Psalm 96 is the 96th psalm of the Book of Psalms, a hymn. The first verse of the psalm calls to praise in singing, in English in the King James Version: "O sing a new song unto the Lord". Similar to Psalm 98 and Psalm 149, the psalm calls to praise God in music and dance, because he has chosen his people and helped them to victory. It is one of the royal psalms praising God as the King of His people.
Psalm 102 is the 102nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee." In Latin, it is known as "Domine exaudi orationem meam".
Psalm 115 is the 115th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory". It is part of the Egyptian Hallel sequence in the fifth division of the Book of Psalms.
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote it in Leipzig for the New Year's Day and first performed it on 1 January 1724 as part of his first cantata cycle. He adapted it in 1730 to Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190a, for the celebration of the bicentennial of the Augsburg Confession.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 in Leipzig for the second Sunday after Trinity of the liturgical year and first performed it on 6 June 1723.
Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119, is a sacred cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for Ratswechsel, the inauguration of a new town council, and first performed it on 30 August 1723.
"Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren" is a Lutheran hymn written in German by the theologian and reformer Johann Gramann in 1525. It was published in 1540 and appears in 47 hymnals. A translation by Catherine Winkworth, "My Soul, now Praise thy Maker!", was published in 1863.
"Es woll uns Gott genädig sein" is a Lutheran hymn, with words written by Martin Luther based on the Psalm 67. The hymn in three stanzas of nine lines each was first published in Wittenberg in 1524. Its best known hymn tune, Zahn No. 7247, was published in Strasbourg in 1524. Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach wrote settings of the hymn. It was translated to English and has appeared in dozens of hymnals.
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