Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 116:13
I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
13. the cup of salvation ] Lit. salvations; the cup to be drunk as a part of the sacrifice of thanksgiving ( Psa 116:14) for great and manifold deliverance. Cp. ‘the cup of blessing’ in the service of the Passover (Mat 26:27).
call upon ] Rather, proclaim the name of Jehovah, acknowledging that to Him alone is my gratitude due.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I will take the cup of salvation – Compare the notes at Psa 11:6. The cup of salvation means the cup by which his sense of the greatness of the salvation might be expressed – the cup of thanksgiving. Compare the notes at 1Co 10:16. The reference seems to be to a custom in festivals of drinking a cup of wine as a special expression of thanks or of obligation. The act would be more solemn, and the truth more deeply impressed on the mind, when accompanied by some religious rite – some ceremonial, as in the Lords Supper, expressly designed to call the mercy of God to remembrance.
And call upon the name of the Lord – Engage in a solemn act of devotion; make it a matter of special ceremony or observance to call the mercy of God to remembrance. This was one way of rendering to the Lord a return for the benefits received at his hands; as it is now. Christians do this at the table of the Lord – in the observance of the Lords Supper.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. I will take the cup of salvation] Literally, The cup of salvation, or deliverance, will I lift up. Alluding to the action in taking the cup of blessing among the Jews, which, when the person or master of the family lifted up, he said these words, “Blessed be the Lord, the Maker of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine!”
But it may probably allude to the libation-offering, Nu 28:7; for the three last verses seem to intimate that the psalmist was now at the temple, offering the meat-offering, drink-offering, and sacrifices to the Lord. Cup is often used by the Hebrews to denote plenty or abundance. So, the cup of trembling, an abundance of misery; the cup of salvation, an abundance of happiness.
And call upon the name of the Lord.] I will invoke his name, that I may get more of the same blessings; for the only return that God requires is, that we ask for more. Who is like GOD? One reason why we should never more come to a fellow-mortal for a favour is, we have received so many already. A strong reason why we should claim the utmost salvation of God is, because we are already so much in debt to his mercy. Now this is the only way we have of discharging our debts to God; and yet, strange to tell, every such attempt to discharge the debt only serves to increase it! Yet, notwithstanding, the debtor and creditor are represented as both pleased, both profited, and both happy in each other! Reader, pray to him, invoke his name; receive the cup-accept the abundance of salvation which he has provided thee, that thou mayest love and serve him with a perfect heart.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I will take the cup of salvation; I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, as this phrase seems to be explained below, Psa 116:17, where the latter clause of the verse is the same with that which here follows. The phrase is taken from the common practice of the Jews in their thank-offerings, in which a feast was made of the remainders of the sacrifices, and the offerers, together with the priests, did eat and drink before the Lord, and, amongst other rites, the master of the feast took a cup of wine into his hand, and solemnly blessed God for it, and for the mercy which was then acknowledged, and then gave it to all the guests, who drunk successively of it; see 1Ch 16:2,3; to which custom it is supposed that our blessed Saviour alludes in the institution of the cup, which also is called the cup of blessing, 1Co 10:16, which is in effect the same with the cup of salvation. This metaphor of a cup is used both of afflictions, as Psa 11:6; 75:8, and of comforts, as Psa 23:5; Jer 16:7.
Call upon the name of the Lord; or, publish or preach in or of the name of the Lord, i.e. his gracious nature, and the great things which he hath done for me. For he speaks of praise rather than of prayer, as appears both from the former clause, and by comparing Psa 116:17.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. the cup of salvationthedrink offering which was part of the thank offering (Nu15:3-5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I will take the cup of salvation,…. Or “salvations” n; not the eucharistic cup, or the cup in the Lord’s supper, which the apostle calls “the cup of blessing”, 1Co 10:16; though some so think, and that the psalmist represents the saints under the Gospel dispensation; nor the cup of afflictions or martyrdom for the sake of Christ; being willing, under a sense of mercies received, to bear or suffer anything for his sake he should call him to; as knowing it would be a token to him of salvation, and work for his good: but rather an offering of praise for temporal salvation, and for spiritual and eternal salvation; in allusion to a master of a family, who at the close of a feast or meal, used to take up a cup in his hands, and give thanks; see Mt 26:27;
and call upon the name of the Lord; invocation of the name of the Lord takes in all worship and service of him, public and private, external and internal; and particularly prayer, which is calling upon the Lord in the name of Christ, with faith and fervency, in sincerity and truth: and the sense of the psalmist is, that he would not only give thanks for the mercies he had received, but continue to pray to God for more; and this was all the return he was capable of making.
n “salutum”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis; “salvationum”, Musculus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. The cup of salvation He refers to a custom which was prevalent under the Law. For when they rendered solemn thanks to God, a feast was also appointed, at which, in token of their gladness, there was an holy libation. This being a symbol of their deliverance from Egyptian thraldom, is for that reason here called the cup of salvation (382) The term to call upon, signifies to celebrate the name of God; and this he expresses more plainly, subsequently, by saying that he would pay his vows in the assembly of the faithful, the sanctuary alone being the place where sacrifices could be offered. The amount is, that the faithful need not be greatly perplexed about the way of performing their duties, God not demanding from them a return which he knows they are unable to give, but being satisfied with a bare and simple acknowledgment. The proper return is to own our obligation to him for every thing. If God deal so kindly and mercifully with us, and we fail in giving to him the tribute of praise for our deliverance which he claims, then our supineness becomes the more base. And certainly they are unworthy of the enjoyment, I say not of the riches of the world, but of the light of the sun and the air by which we breathe and live, who would rob the Author of them of the small return which so legitimately belongs to him. The Mosaic ritual has indeed been abrogated, and along with it the external libation referred to by David, yet the spiritual service, as we found in Psa 50:23, “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me,” is still in force. Let us, however, bear in mind, that God is lawfully praised by us, when we offer in sacrifice not only our tongues, but also ourselves, and all that we possess. And this not because God derives any profit from it, but because it is reasonable that our gratitude should manifest itself in this way.
(382) That there is here an allusion to the cup of wine drunk in the offering of eucharistical sacrifices is very generally admitted by commentators. During the feast that followed these sacrifices, the master of the family took a cup of wine into his hands, and after solemnly giving thanks to God for the mercies experienced, first drank of it himself, and then delivered it to all present to be partaken of in rotation. “The cup here spoken of by the Psalmist,” says Cresswell, “was probably used by the master of a Hebrew family at an entertainment in his own house, at which the remainder of the victims was eaten, after he had offered (Lev 7:11, etc.) the sacrifice of a peace-offering for a thanksgiving; when, lifting up the cup of wine in his hand, he called upon the name of the Lord, giving him thanks. The modern Jews are said to use a similar ceremony every year in commemoration of the deliverance of their ancestors from the bondage of Egypt.” Some, indeed, deny that there is any allusion to such eucharistical sacrifices, as Hengstenberg, who observes, that this communion cup is a mere fiction. In the institution of the festival offerings, nothing is indeed said of the cup; but we know from Mat 26:29, that in the feast of the Passover, for instance, the drinking of a cup of wine and the singing of a hymn were parts of the observance. From Jewish tradition we also learn that such was the ancient practice. See Lightfoot’s Horae Hebraicae on Mat 26:0. Our Lord, apparently in imitation of the Jewish custom, as the head of the family, at the feast of the Passover, “took the cup, and gave thanks,” (Luk 22:17.) In allusion to this custom, Paul calls the communion cup in the Lord’s Supper “the cup of blessing,” (1Co 10:16.) The Psalmist, then, here intimates his intention of publicly yielding thanks to God for the mercies bestowed upon him.
There was a libation of wine enjoined by the Mosaic law to be made in the temple every morning and evening for a drink-offering, (Num 28:7,) to which some suppose there is here a reference, observing, that the three last verses seem to intimate, that the Psalmist was now at the temple, offering the meat-offering, drink-offering, and sacrifices, to the Lord.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) I will take.Or, lift up.
Cup of salvation.The drink offering or oblation which accompanied festival celebrations (Num. 29:19, &c). Others think of the Passover cup mentioned Mat. 26:27, when this psalm as part of the Hallel was sung. Others, again, take the figurative sense of cupi.e., portion, lot, as in Psa. 16:5.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Cup of salvation The special dispensations, or allotments, of God to men, whether of joy or sorrow, mercy or judgment, are represented often under the figure of a cup, the contents of which they are to drink. Thus, of good, Psa 16:5; Psa 23:5; Jer 16:7: of wrath, Psa 11:6; Psa 75:8; Jer 25:15; Jer 25:17; Jer 25:28; Eze 23:31-33. But the allusion here would seem to be to the cup of libation, or drink-offering, which was ordinarily wine, and used in the daily sacrifice and in burnt offerings to indicate devotion to God in form of a covenant. Thus blood, the emblem of life, and wine, representing richness and acceptableness the former for expiation and the latter for thanksgiving made the offering complete.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 116:13. I will take the cup of salvation Or, of deliverances. The taking this cup was either more solemn in the temple, or more private in the family. The former was the drink-offering, or strong wine, poured out in the holy place; Num 28:7. This is what the Psalmist seems to speak of here, as may be gathered from the 14th, 17th, and 18th verses. Yet the Jews had also in their families a more private cup of thanksgiving, or commemoration of any deliverance received. The master of the family used to begin this, and he was followed by all his guests. The use of it was either daily, after each meal, or more solemnly at a festival. In the daily use of it they had this form: “Blessed be our God, the Lord of the world, who hath created the fruit of the vine.” But on the festival day there was joined to it a hymn proper for the day. See Mat 26:30 where the paschal commemoration, or post-coenium, advanced by Christ into the sacrament of his blood, was, after the Jewish custom, concluded with a hymn; and so here with the cup of salvation is joined a calling upon the name of the Lord; and both the more private and the more solemn performance of this is called the paying of vows to the Lord; namely, that thanksgiving and acknowledgment, which men in distress may be supposed to promise upon condition of deliverance, or which, if they promise not, they are however bound to perform, as a due return for their deliverance.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Ver. 13. I will take the cup of salvation ] Calicem salutum, vel omnis salutis (Vatab. Trem.). As in the drink offerings, or as at the feast after the peace offerings. See 1Ch 16:3 . Wherein the feast maker was wont to take a festival great cup; and in lifting it up to declare the occasion of that feast; and then, in testimony of thankfulness, to drink thereof to the guests, that they in order might pledge him. This was called a cup of salvation, or a health cup, but not in the drunkard’s sense. To this the apostle seemeth to allude, 1Co 10:17 , when he calleth the sacramental cup the cup of blessing. Jerome rendereth it, Calicem Iesu accipiam.
And call upon the name of the Lord
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I will take. The way to render thanks is to receive yet more grace.
And call = And [I will] call.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will take: Psa 116:17, Luk 22:17, Luk 22:18, Luk 22:20, 1Co 10:16, 1Co 10:21, 1Co 11:25-27
call: Psa 116:2, Psa 105:1, Isa 12:4
Reciprocal: Num 15:5 – General 2Sa 22:4 – I will 2Ch 32:25 – rendered Psa 16:5 – of my Psa 23:5 – my cup Mat 26:27 – Drink
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
116:13 I will {h} take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
(h) In the Law they used to make a banquet when they gave solemn thanks to God, and to take the cup and drink in sign of thanksgiving.