Psalm 79:9
New International Version
Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.

New Living Translation
Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.

English Standard Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!

Berean Standard Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.

King James Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

New King James Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!

New American Standard Bible
Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And save us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name.

NASB 1995
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

NASB 1977
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name’s sake.

Legacy Standard Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and atone for our sins for Your name’s sake.

Amplified Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; Rescue us, forgive us our sins for Your name’s sake.

Christian Standard Bible
God of our salvation, help us, for the glory of your name. Rescue us and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God of our salvation, help us— for the glory of Your name. Deliver us and atone for our sins, because of Your name.

American Standard Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for thy name's sake.

Contemporary English Version
Our God, you keep us safe. Now help us! Rescue us. Forgive our sins and bring honor to yourself.

English Revised Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Help us, O God, our savior, for the glory of your name. Rescue us, and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.

Good News Translation
Help us, O God, and save us; rescue us and forgive our sins for the sake of your own honor.

International Standard Version
Help us, God, our deliverer, on account of your glorious name, deliver us and forgive our sins on account of your name.

Majority Standard Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.

NET Bible
Help us, O God, our deliverer! For the sake of your glorious reputation, rescue us! Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation!

New Heart English Bible
Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake.

Webster's Bible Translation
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

World English Bible
Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, "" Because of the glory of Your Name, "" And deliver us, and cover over our sins, "" For Your Name’s sake.

Young's Literal Translation
Help us, O God of our salvation, Because of the honour of Thy name, And deliver us, and cover over our sins, For Thy name's sake.

Smith's Literal Translation
Help us, O God; save us, for the word of the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and cover our sins for sake of thy name.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Help us, O God, our saviour: and for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for thy name's sake:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Help us, O God, our Savior. And free us, Lord, for the glory of your name. And forgive us our sins for the sake of your name.

New American Bible
Help us, God our savior, on account of the glory of your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for your name’s sake.

New Revised Standard Version
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Help us, God our Savior, for the honor of your Name; pardon and save us from our sins because of your Name.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name's sake.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Help us, O God our Saviour; for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us; and be merciful to our sins, for thy name's sake.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for Deliverance
8Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low. 9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name. 10Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.…

Cross References
Daniel 9:19
O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.”

Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.

Ezekiel 36:22-23
Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went. / I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.

Jeremiah 14:7
Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

Psalm 25:11
For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great.

Psalm 106:8
Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.

Isaiah 48:9-11
For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off. / See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. / For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act; for how can I let Myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another.

Exodus 32:12-14
Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. / Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” / So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.

1 Samuel 12:22
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

Isaiah 37:35
‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

Ezekiel 20:9
But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Ezekiel 20:44
Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

Micah 7:18-20
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea. / You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.

Romans 3:25-26
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. / He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace


Treasury of Scripture

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for your name's sake.

for the

Psalm 115:1
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

2 Chronicles 14:11
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Malachi 2:2
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

purge

Psalm 25:11
For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

Psalm 65:3
Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

Daniel 9:9,19
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; …

for thy

Joshua 7:9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

Isaiah 43:25
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Isaiah 48:9
For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

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Psalm 79
1. The psalmist complains of the desolation of Jerusalem
8. He prays for deliverance
13. and promises thankfulness














Help us, O God of our salvation
The psalmist begins with a plea for divine intervention, addressing God as the "God of our salvation." The Hebrew word for "help" is "עָזַר" (azar), which conveys a sense of assistance and support. This plea is not just for any help but for the help that comes from the God who is the source of salvation. The term "salvation" in Hebrew is "יְשׁוּעָה" (yeshuah), which signifies deliverance and victory. This reflects a deep trust in God's ability to save and deliver His people from their troubles. Historically, this plea is set against the backdrop of Israel's distress, possibly during the Babylonian exile, where the need for divine rescue was paramount.

for the glory of Your name
The request for help is not merely for personal or national relief but is tied to the "glory of Your name." In Hebrew, "glory" is "כָּבוֹד" (kavod), which denotes weightiness, honor, and reputation. The psalmist appeals to God's reputation and honor, suggesting that His intervention would uphold His name's sanctity. This reflects a theological understanding that God's actions are ultimately for His glory, and His people's deliverance would demonstrate His power and faithfulness to the nations.

deliver us and atone for our sins
The plea continues with a request for deliverance and atonement. "Deliver" in Hebrew is "נָצַל" (natsal), meaning to snatch away or rescue. This term emphasizes the urgency and necessity of divine intervention. "Atone" is derived from the Hebrew "כָּפַר" (kaphar), which means to cover or make reconciliation. This reflects the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, where atonement was made through sacrifices to cover sins. The psalmist acknowledges the need for both physical deliverance and spiritual reconciliation, recognizing that sin is at the root of their suffering.

for the sake of Your name
The verse concludes by reiterating the motivation for the plea: "for the sake of Your name." This phrase underscores the centrality of God's name and reputation in the psalmist's request. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a deity's name was synonymous with their power and character. By appealing to God's name, the psalmist is invoking His covenant faithfulness and the promises made to His people. This reflects a deep understanding that God's actions are intertwined with His identity and that His people's welfare is a testament to His divine nature.

(9) Purge away.--Rather, put a cover on. So Cicero speaks of political crimes being covered by the plea of friendship.

Our sins.--How is this to be taken in connection with Psalm 79:8? Does the psalmist admit guilt in his own generation, as well as in those of former times? Or is he thinking only of the inherited guilt and punishment? The general tone of post-exile psalms inclines towards the latter view.

Verse 9. - Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name. The calamities suffered have not extinguished all faith or hope. God is still the God of Israel's salvation, i.e. the God from whom alone salvation can be obtained and may be expected. He is entreated to come to Israel's aid, not for their sakes, as they are wholly undeserving, but for his own glory (comp. Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:13; Deuteronomy 9:28; and Exodus 32:27). And deliver us, and purge away our sins; literally, make atonement for our sins (Exodus 30:15); i.e. "cancel them" (Cheyne), or "forgive them" (Hengstenberg, Kay). For thy Name's sake (comp. Psalm 23:3; Psalm 25:11; Psalm 34:3; Ezekiel 36:22).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Help us,
עָזְרֵ֤נוּ ׀ (‘ā·zə·rê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

O God
אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of our salvation,
יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ (yiš·‘ê·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3468: Deliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, welfare

for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the glory
כְּבֽוֹד־ (kə·ḇō·wḏ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness

of Your name;
שְׁמֶ֑ךָ (šə·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

deliver us
וְהַצִּילֵ֥נוּ (wə·haṣ·ṣî·lê·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

and atone
וְכַפֵּ֥ר (wə·ḵap·pêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel

for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

our sins,
חַ֝טֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ (ḥaṭ·ṭō·ṯê·nū)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

for the sake
לְמַ֣עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Preposition
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

of Your name.
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (šə·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name


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OT Poetry: Psalm 79:9 Help us God of our salvation (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 79:8
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