26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness' sake. For the Chief Musician. Set to "The Lilies." A contemplation by the sons of Korah. A wedding song.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Arise for our help - Margin, as in Hebrew, "a help for us." That is, Deliver us from our present calamities and troubles.
And redeem us - Save us; deliver us. See Psalm 25:22, note; Psalm 31:5, note; Isaiah 1:27, note; Isaiah 52:3, note.
For thy mercies' sake - On account of thy mercies. That is, in order that thy mercy may be manifested; or that thy character, as a God of mercy, may be made known. It was not primarily or mainly on their own account that the psalmist urges this prayer; it was that the character of God might be made known, or that it might be seen that he was a merciful Being. The proper manifestation of the divine character, as showing what God is, is in itself of more importance than our personal salvation - for the welfare of the universe depends on that; and the highest ground of appeal and of hope which we can have, as sinners, when we come before him, is that he would glorify himself in his mercy. To that we may appeal, and on that we may rely. When that is urged as an argument for our salvation, and when that is the sole ground of our confidence, we may be assured that he is ready to hear and to save us. In the New Testament he has told us how that mercy has been manifested, and how it may be made available to us - to wit, through the Lord Jesus, the great Mediator; and hence, we are directed to come in his name, and to make mention of what he has done and suffered in order that the divine mercy may be consistently manifested to mankind. From the beginning of the world - from the time when man apostatized from God, - through all dispensations, and in all ages and lands, the only hope of men for salvation has been the fact that God is a merciful Being; the true ground of successful appeal to him has been, is, and ever will be, that his own name might be glorified and honored in the salvation of lost and ruined sinners - in the displays of his mercy.
Arise for our help - Show forth thy power in delivering us from the hands of our enemies.
Redeem us - Ransom us from our thraldom.
For thy mercies' sake - למען חסדך lemaan chasdecha, On account of thy mercy. That we may have that proper view of thy mercy which we should have, and that we may magnify it as we ought to do, redeem us. The Vulgate has, Redime nos, propter nomen tuum, "Redeem us on account of thy name;" which the old Psalter thus paraphrases: "Help us in ryghtwysness, and by us (buy), that es, delyver us, that we be withouten drede; and al this for thi name Jehsu; noght for oure merite."
Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy (t) mercies' sake.
(t) Which is the only sufficient ransom to deliver both body and souls from all kinds of slavery and misery.
Arise for our help,.... Or, "arise our help" (s). God is the help of his people, and he is a present help in time of trouble; and he is the only one; and he can help and does, when none else can;
and redeem us for thy mercies' sake; not for the sake of her integrity and faithfulness; nor for her sufferings for Christ's sake; but for his grace and mercy's sake, which is the source and spring of redemption or deliverance, both temporal and spiritual; and to that the saints ascribe it, and not to any merit of theirs, or works of righteousness done by them.
(s) "auxilium nostrum", Cocceius, Gejerus.
*More commentary available at chapter level.