Psalm 20

1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.

2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and aid thee out of Sion.

3 Remember all thy sacrifice, and enrich thy whole-burnt-offering. Pause.

4 Grant thee according to thy heart, and fulfill all thy desire.

5 We will exult in thy salvation, and in the name of our God shall we be magnified: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

6 Now I know that the Lord has saved his Christ: he shall hear him from his holy heaven: the salvation of his right hand is mighty.

7 Some glory in chariots, and some in horses: but we will glory in the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are overthrown and fallen: but we are risen, and have been set upright.

9 O Lord, save the king: and hear us in whatever day we call upon thee.

Psalm 20 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.