Psalms 20

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.)

8 They be bound, and felled down; but we have risen, and be raised. (They stumbled, and fell; but we have risen, and stand upright.)

9 Lord, make thou safe the king; and hear thou us in the day in which we inwardly call thee. (Lord, save thou the king; yea, answer thou us on the day in which we call to thee.)

Psalms 20 Commentary

Chapter 20

This psalm is a prayer for the kings of Israel, but with relation to Christ.

- Even the greatest of men may be much in trouble. Neither the crown on the king's head, nor the grace in his heart, would make him free from trouble. Even the greatest of men must be much in prayer. Let none expect benefit by the prayers of the church, or their friends, who are capable of praying for themselves, yet neglect it. Pray that God would protect his person, and preserve his life. That God would enable him to go on in his undertakings for the public good. We may know that God accepts our spiritual sacrifices, if by his Spirit he kindles in our souls a holy fire of piety and love to God. Also, that the Lord would crown his enterprises with success. Our first step to victory in spiritual warfare is to trust only in the mercy and grace of God; all who trust in themselves will soon be cast down. Believers triumph in God, and his revelation of himself to them, by which they distinguish themselves from those that live without God in the world. Those who make God and his name their praise, may make God and his name their trust. This was the case when the pride and power of Jewish unbelief, and pagan idolatry, fell before the sermons and lives of the humble believers in Jesus. This is the case in every conflict with our spiritual enemies, when we engage them in the name, the spirit, and the power of Christ; and this will be the case at the last day, when the world, with the prince of it, shall be brought down and fall; but believers, risen-from the dead, through the resurrection of the Lord, shall stand, and sing his praises in heaven. In Christ's salvation let us rejoice; and set up our banners in the name of the Lord our God, assured that by the saving strength of his right hand we shall be conquerors over every enemy.

Chapter Summary

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.