Psalms 20:1-7

1 To victory, the psalm of David. The Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation; the name of God of Jacob defend thee. (To victory, the song of David. May the Lord answer thee in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.)

2 Send he help to thee from the holy place; and from Zion defend he thee.

3 Be he mindful of all thy sacrifice; and thy burnt sacrifice be made fat. (May he remember all thy offerings; yea, may he be pleased with thy rich offerings/with thy burnt sacrifices.)

4 Give he to thee after thine heart; and confirm he all thy counsel. (May he give he thee thy heart's desire; yea, may he grant success to all thy plans.)

5 We shall be glad in thine health; and we shall be magnified in the name of our God. The Lord [ful]fill all thine askings; (We shall be glad for thy victory/We shall be glad for thy salvation, or thy deliverance; and we shall magnify the name of our God. May the Lord grant all thy requests;)

6 now I have known, that the Lord hath made safe his christ. He shall hear him from his holy heaven; the health of his right hand is in powers. (now I know that the Lord hath saved his anointed king. He shall answer him from his holy heaven; with the saving power of his right hand.)

7 These, that is, adversaries, trust in chariots, and these in horses; but we shall inwardly call in the name of our Lord God. (Some, that is, our adversaries, trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we shall call on the name of the Lord 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.