Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 75:6

"For neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor yet from the south, [cometh] lifting up." — Psalms 75:6 (ASV)

For promotion - The word used here in the original, and rendered “promotion”—הרים (hariym)—can have two quite different meanings. According to one interpretation, which our translators adopted, it is the infinitive (Hiphil) of רום (rûm)—meaning “to raise”—the word used in Psalms 75:5-6 and there rendered “lift up.” Thus, it would mean that to “lift up” is not the work of people, nor does it originate from the earth; it does not come from any part of it—east, west, or south—but must come from God alone. According to the other view, this word is the plural of הר (har)—meaning “mountain.” This interpretation would mean that something (understood as “judgment,” for example) comes not “from the east, nor the west, nor from the desert of mountains” (the mountainous regions of the south), but must come from God. The Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and the ancient versions generally adopt this latter interpretation. De Wette renders it as our translators have done.

This interpretation—rendering it “promotions”—seems to be the true one. In the two previous verses, the prominent idea was a caution against attempting to “lift themselves up,” or to exalt themselves. Furthermore, in this and the following verse, a reason is given for this caution: namely, that the whole matter of success or prosperity does not depend on anything in this world—not on any natural advantages of situation, nor on any human skill or power—but on God alone. It was futile, for such a purpose, to form human alliances or to depend on natural advantages; therefore, people should not rely on these things, but only on God.

Neither from the east - Literally, this means from the outgoing, that is, of the sun. The meaning may be either that success would not depend on any natural advantages of a country found in the East, or that the people referred to were seeking to form alliances with an Eastern people. In that case, the statement would be that no such alliances would by themselves secure success.

Nor from the west - This refers to the setting, that is, the place where the sun goes down. This also may refer either to the natural advantages of a Western country, or to some alliance which it was intended to form with the people there.

Nor from the south - The margin notes, as in Hebrew, “desert.” The reference is to the rocky and barren regions south of Palestine. The allusion here also may be either to some natural advantages of those regions or to some alliance that was proposed to be formed with people there.