Pentecost Season · Proper 6 · Year A
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
The Cup of Salvation
June 14, 2026

Overview & Insights
“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:13)
Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving psalm that celebrates deliverance from near-death distress (cf. esp. Ps. 30). It consists of a proclamation of praise and an introductory summary (vv. 1–2), as well as recollections of the distress (v. 3), of the cry to God (v. 4), and of Yahweh’s deliverance (vv. 8–11). Contained in this report is hymnic praise (vv. 5–6; so cf. 30:4–5, which also “interrupts” a report of deliverance) that confesses a general principle of praise exemplified in this testimony. The closing section narrates the thanksgiving rituals and ceremony that accompany the singing of this thanksgiving psalm (vv. 12–14, 17–19), along with more embedded hymnic praise and personal testimony (vv. 15–16).
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Commentary
Commentary on Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 Working Preacher
Lectionary commentary on gratitude and the cup of salvation.
Psalm 116 Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's verse-by-verse notes on deliverance from death and the vow of thanks.
Psalm 116:1 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentaries collected for love of the Lord who hears.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is Psalm 116 sung in Holy Week?
Delivered from the snares of death, the psalmist vows to lift the cup of salvation and pay his vows, words fitting for the night of the Last Supper.
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