Psalms 20:1-7

1 {To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.} Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob protect thee;

2 May he send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

3 Remember all thine oblations, and accept thy burnt-offering; Selah.

4 Grant thee according to thy heart, and fulfil all thy counsels.

5 We will triumph in thy salvation, and in the name of our God will we set up our banners. Jehovah fulfil all thy petitions!

6 Now know I that Jehovah saveth his anointed; he answereth him from the heavens of his holiness, with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some make mention of chariots, and some of horses, but we of the name of Jehovah our God.

Psalms 20:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm is thought, by some, to be written by David, on account of himself, and as a form to be used by the people for him, when he was about to go to war; particularly with the Ammonites and Syrians, 2 Samuel 10:6; mention being made of chariots in it, Psalm 20:7; of which there was a great number in that war: Arama thinks it was made by him when he got the victory over the Philistines; others think it was written by one of the singers on David's account, and should be rendered, "a psalm, for David," as Psalm 72:1: but rather it is a psalm concerning David; concerning the Messiah, whose name is David; or a psalm of David concerning the Messiah, since he is expressly mentioned, Psalm 20:6; and Aben Ezra says, there are some that interpret it of the Messiah; and some passages in it are, by Jewish writers {m}, applied unto him, as Psalm 20:6; and our countryman, Mr. Ainsworth, says, the whole psalm is a prophecy of Christ's sufferings, and his deliverance out of them, for which the church with him triumphs. Theodoret takes it to be a prophecy of Sennacherib's invasion of Judea, and of Rabshakeh's blasphemy, and of Hezekiah's distress and prayer on that account.

{m} Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 18. 1. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 44. 2.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'set thee up on high.'
• [b]. Or 'turn to ashes;' or 'let thy burnt-offering be fat to him.'