Psalms 75:6

(6) For promotion . . .—The Authorised Version has here rightly set aside the pointing of the text, which, as the LXX. and Vulg., reads—

“For not from the east, nor from the west,Nor from the wilderness of mountains,”

a sentence which has no conclusion. The recurrence also of parts of the verb “to lift up” in Psalms 75:4-5; Psalms 75:7, makes in favour of taking harîm as part of the same verb here, instead of as a noun, “mountains.” That the word midbar (wilderness) might be used for “south,” receives support from Acts 8:26.

Ewald thinks the four points of the compass should be completed by inserting a conjunction, and taking the “desert” and “mountains” to represent respectively the south and north. He then supplies the conclusion of the sentence from the following verse:—

“For neither from east nor west,Neither from desert nor mountains,Cometh judgment; but God is Judge.”

This agrees with 1 Samuel 2:10; but it is hardly needful to expect such scientific accuracy as to the points of the compass in Hebrew poetry.