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Psalm Twenty
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 20
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
writersF13Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 18. 1. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 44. 2.
, 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.
Psalm 20:1 May
the Lord
answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- A Psalm
of David. Jehovah doth answer thee, In a day of adversity, The name of the God
of Jacob doth set thee on high,
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble,.... All the
days of Christ were days of trouble; he was a brother born for adversity; a man
of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs; he had his own sorrows, and he bore the
griefs of others; he was persecuted by Herod in his infancy; he was tempted by
Satan in the wilderness; he was harassed by the Scribes and Pharisees
continually; he was grieved at the hardness, impenitence, and unbelief, of that
perverse and faithless generation of men, and was sometimes made uneasy by his
own disciples: at some particular seasons his soul or spirit is said to be
troubled, as at the grave of Lazarus, and when in a view of his own death, and
when he was about to acquaint his disciples that one of them should betray him,
John 11:33; but more particularly it was a
day of trouble with him, when he was in the garden, heavy, and sore amazed, and
his sweat was, as it were, drops of blood falling on the ground, and his soul
was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; but more especially this was his case
when he hung upon the cross, and is what seems to be principally respected
here; when he was in great torture of body through the rack of the cross; when
he endured the cruel mockings of men, of the common people, of the chief
priests, and even of the thieves that suffered with him; when he had Satan, and
all his principalities and powers, let loose upon him, and he was grappling
with them; when he bore all the sins of his people, endured the wrath of his
Father, and was forsaken by him: now in this day of trouble, both when in the
garden and on the cross, he prayed unto his Father, as he had been used to do
in other cases, and at other times; and the church here prays, that God would
hear and answer him, as he did: he always heard him; he heard him at the grave
of Lazarus; he heard him in the garden, and filled his human soul with courage
and intrepidity, of which there were immediate instances; he heard him on the
cross, and helped him as man and Mediator, Isaiah 49:8;
the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, God
himself, who is named the God of Jacob, whom Jacob called upon, and trusted in
as his God, and who answered him in the day of his distress: Jacob was
exercised with many troubles, but the Lord delivered him out of them all; and
which may be the reason why the Lord is addressed under this character here; besides,
Israel is one of the names of the Messiah, Isaiah 49:3; on whose account the petition
is put to which may be added, that Jacob may design people of God, the
spiritual sons of Jacob, the church of the living God, whose God the Lord is;
and the phrase may be here used by the church, to encourage her faith in
prayer: the petition, on account of the Messiah, is, that God would
"defend" him, or "set" him on "an high place"F14ישגבך "elevet te", Pagninus, Montanus;
"exaltet te", Vatablus, Museulus, Michaelis; "in edito collocet
te", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; or
"exalt" him: he was brought very low in his state of humiliation; he
was in the form of a servant; he was in a very low and mean condition
throughout the whole of his life; through the suffering of death he was made
lower than the angels, and he was laid in the lower parts of the earth: the
church, in this petition, prays for his resurrection from the dead; for his
ascension into the highest heavens; for his exaltation at the right hand of
God; for the more visible setting him on his throne in his kingdom; in all
which she has been answered.
Psalm 20:2 2 May He send you help from
the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;
YLT
2He doth send thy help from
the sanctuary, And from Zion doth support thee,
Send thee help from the sanctuary,.... Meaning either from
the tabernacle, the holy place, where was the ark, the symbol of the divine
Presence; or rather heaven, the habitation of God's holiness unless the same is
meant by it as by Zion, in the next clause, the church of God, from whence he
sends the rod of his strength;
and strengthen thee out of Zion; and the "help"
and "strength" prayed for are not to be understood of that assistance
and support, which Christ, as man, had from his Father, at the time of his
sufferings, which were promised him, and he believed he should have, and had, Psalm 89:21; since these petitions follow
that which relates to his exaltation; but of the help and strength afforded to
the apostles and ministers of Christ, after they had received the commission
from him to preach the Gospel to every creature; when, as a full answer to
these petitions, God worked with them, greatly assisted them, strengthened them
with strength in their souls; confirmed the word with signs and wonders
following; made it the power of God to salvation to multitudes; and so
strengthened the cause, interest, and kingdom of the Redeemer.
Psalm 20:3 3 May He remember all your
offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
YLT
3He doth remember all thy
presents, And thy burnt-offering doth reduce to ashes. Selah.
Remember all thy offerings,.... The spiritual
sacrifices of prayer and praise which Christ, as the great High Priest, offers
up for his people; or which they offer by him, and are acceptable to God
through him, by virtue of the incense of his mediation; or the offering up of
himself, which answers to, and is the body, the sum and substance, of all the
offerings of the law; they were types of this, and what they could not do this
did; and therefore it is expressed in the singular number in the next clause;
and accept thy burnt sacrifice. The word rendered
"accept" signifies to "reduce to ashes"F15ידשנה "incineret", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius;
"in cinerem vertat", Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator,
Gejerus, Ainsworth. ; and the way in which it was known that sacrifices were
acceptable to God was by fire coming down from heaven upon them and consuming
them, Leviticus 9:24; and therefore the word is
rightly rendered "accept"; and Christ's sacrifice of himself, putting
away sin, and perfecting for ever them that are sanctified, is of a sweet
smelling savour to God; for hereby his justice is satisfied, his law is
magnified and made honourable, the sins of his people are atoned for, their
persons are accepted, and their sacrifices of prayer and praise come up also
with acceptance to him through the virtue of this sacrifice; and so these
petitions have their accomplishment.
Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 20:4 4 May He grant you according
to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.
YLT
4He doth give to thee
according to thy heart, And all thy counsel doth fulfil.
Grant thee according to thine own heart,.... Which is
to see his seed, the travail of his soul, and to have the pleasure of the Lord
prosper in his hand; to have all his people called, preserved, and glorified;
and fulfil all thy counsel; whatever was agreed upon
in the council and covenant of peace between him and his Father, relating to
his own glory, and the salvation of his people.
Psalm 20:5 5 We will rejoice in your
salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May
the Lord
fulfill all your petitions.
YLT
5We sing of thy salvation,
And in the name of our God set up a banner. Jehovah doth fulfil all thy
requests.
We will rejoice in thy salvation,.... That is, "so
will we", &c. or "that we may"F16So Ainsworth; נרננה "ovemus", Vatablus, Piscator, Michaelis;
"cantemus", Gejerus. , &c. or "let us"; these words,
with what follow, point at the end of the church's requests, and what she
resolved to do upon the accomplishment of the above things; for instance, she
would rejoice in the salvation of the Messiah; meaning either the salvation and
deliverance from death and the grave, and all other enemies, which he himself
is possessed of, and which enters into, and is the occasion of the joy of his
people; for not his sufferings and death only, but chiefly his resurrection
from the dead, session at God's right hand, and intercession for them, cause
the triumph of faith in him, and further the joy of it, Romans 8:33; or else the salvation he is
the author of, which being so great, so suitable, so complete and perfect, and
an everlasting one; is matter of joy to all sensible of their need of it, and
who have a comfortable hope of interest in it;
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners; either as a
preparation for war; see Jeremiah 51:27; so when CaesarF17De
Bello Gallico, l. 2. c. 20. set up his banner, it was a sign to his soldiers to
run to their arms and prepare to fight; and then the sense is, putting our
trust in the Lord, relying on his strength, and not on our own, we will
cheerfully and courageously engage with all his and our enemies, sin, Satan,
and the world; as good soldiers of Christ, we will endure hardness, fight his
battles under the banners of the Lord of hosts, in whose service we are
enlisted; or as a sign of victory, when standards were set up, and flags hung
outF18Schindler. Pentaglott. col. 1126. ; see Jeremiah 50:2; and then the meaning is,
Christ, the great Captain of our salvation, having obtained a complete victory
over all enemies, and made us more than conquerors thereby, we will set up our
banners, hang out the flag, and in his name triumph over sin, Satan, the world,
death, and hell;
the Lord fulfil all thy petitions: the same as in Psalm 20:4; this is put here to show that
the church will be in such a frame as before described, when the Lord shall
have fulfilled all the petitions of his Anointed; of which she had a full
assurance, as appears from the following words.
Psalm 20:6 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His
anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of
His right hand.
YLT
6Now I have known That
Jehovah hath saved His anointed, He answereth him from His holy heavens, With
the saving might of His right hand.
Now know I that the Lord saveth his Anointed,.... Not
David, though he was the anointed of the God of Jacob, and was anointed with
material oil to be king of Israel by Samuel, at the express order of God
himself; but David is not here speaking of himself, nor the church of him, but
of the Messiah; anointed by Jehovah king over his holy hill of Zion, with the
oil of gladness, or the Holy Spirit. The church in prayer rises in her faith,
and is strongly assured of the salvation of the Messiah; that though his
troubles would be many and great, he should be delivered out of them all;
should be heard and helped in the day of salvation, and be freed from the
sorrows of death and hell, he should be encompassed with; that he should be
raised from the dead; have all power in heaven and earth given him; ascend on
high, and triumph over all his enemies; and all his people, all the members of
his body, should be saved through him, which is in a sense the salvation of
himself;
he will hear him from his holy heaven; where his
throne and temple are, which is the habitation of his holiness, whither the
prayers of the Messiah when on earth ascended, where they were received, heard,
and answered. Before the church prays that he might be heard, now she believes
he would; and that,
with the saving strength of his right hand; that is, by
the exertion of his mighty power, in strengthening him as man to bear up under
his sorrows, go through his work, and finish it; by upholding him with his
right hand while engaged in it, and by raising him up from the dead with it,
and setting him down at it in the highest heavens.
Psalm 20:7 7 Some trust in
chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
YLT
7Some of chariots, and some
of horses, And we of the name of Jehovah our God Make mention.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses,.... That is,
in chariots and horses prepared for war; which, besides their use for carriage,
did great annoyance to the enemy in battle, and were very terrible to them, and
were greatly trusted in by those that possessed them, Deuteronomy 20:1; such chariots as were
called "currus falcati", that had scythes at the sides of them, which
being drove with fury among the infantry, cut them down as grass is mown with
scythes; such the old Canaanites used, which were very terrible, Joshua 17:16; and horses trained up for war
do much execution in a battle by pawing and trampling; see Job 39:21; though these are vain things for
safety, and not to be depended on, for salvation and victory are of the Lord, Psalm 33:17; and such are the chariots and
horses of the sun, and the idols in which the Gentiles trusted, 2 Kings 23:11; and all external things in
which men depend for salvation, as fleshly privileges, outward works of
righteousness, morality, a profession of religion, a round of duties, &c.
all which are disclaimed by those who know the way of life and salvation by
Christ, Hosea 14:3;
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God; not any of
the names by which the Lord God is called, as Elohim, Elshaddai, Jehovah, and
the like; though each of these are worthy of remembrance, and greatly serve to
encourage faith in him; but rather the perfections of God, such as the
goodness, wisdom, and power of God, which are to be remembered and confided in;
and not the friendship of princes, the schemes of human policy, and the outward
forces of strength; or else God himself is intended, whose name is himself, and
is a strong tower to the righteous: and to remember him is to bear him in mind,
and not forget him; to have the desires of the soul towards him, and to the
remembrance of him; and to make mention of him, of his names, attributes, word,
and works; which is both for his glory and for the encouragement of faith in
him, both in ourselves and others; it is to call upon his name in times of
trouble, and at all times, and also to trust in him and not in an arm of flesh;
for it stands opposed to trusting in chariots and horses; and it is to call to
mind past instances of his goodness, wisdom, and power, and be thankful for
them, and make use of them to engage confidence in him; and which should be
done from the consideration of his being God and not man, and of his being our
God, our covenant God and Father.
Psalm 20:8 8 They have bowed down and
fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.
YLT
8They -- they have bowed and
have fallen, And we have risen and station ourselves upright.
They are brought down and fallen,.... These are they that
rode in chariots and on horses, and trusted in them; who are brought down from
their places of honour and safety; and fall, not into the hands of their
enemies, and into a low and mean estate, but to the ground by death; as also
such who, being like Capernaum, lifted up to heaven with their own outward
attainments, and think to get thither by them, are brought down to hell, and
fall into the pit of corruption;
but we are risen, and stand upright; who remember the name of
the Lord, and trust in him; the church is sometimes in a very low and depressed
condition; it consists of a poor and an afflicted people, and who are
persecuted by men; so the church has been under the Heathen Roman emperors, and
under the Papacy, and will be as long as she is in the wilderness, and the
witnesses prophesy in sackcloth; and especially when they will be slain, and
their bodies lie on the earth unburied; but these shall rise and stand upright,
and ascend to heaven; there will be a glorious state of the church; there will
be a reviving of the interest of Christ, through the bringing in the fulness
and forces of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews; the dry bones will
live again, and stand upon their feet, an exceeding great army; in those days
the righteous will flourish and have abundance of peace and prosperity. This
may also include the first resurrection, which the saints will have a part in;
the dead in Christ will rise first, and will stand before the Lord with
confidence, and not be ashamed; when the ungodly shall not stand in judgment,
nor sinners in, the congregation of the righteous; for though these words are
expressed in the present tense, because of the certainty of them, they belong
to future times; hence the following petitions.
Psalm 20:9 9 Save, Lord! May the King
answer us when we call.
YLT
9O Jehovah, save the king,
He doth answer us in the day we call!
Save, Lord,.... Not "the king", as the Septuagint, Ethiopic, and
Arabic versions read the words, joining the word "king" to them,
which is in the next clause; but this, as Aben Ezra observes, is not right,
because of the accent "athnach", which divides these words from the
following; rather the word us may be supplied; and so the Syriac version
renders it, "the Lord will deliver us"; and the Targum is, "O
Lord", פרק לן,
"redeem us", or "save us"; that is, with a temporal,
spiritual, and eternal salvation: this petition is directed to Jehovah the
Father, as the following is to the King Messiah;
let the King hear us when we call; for not God the Father
is here meant, though he is an everlasting King, the King of kings; and who
hears his people, when they call upon him, and while they are calling; yet he
is rarely, if ever, called "the King", without any other additional
epithet; whereas the Messiah often is, as in the next psalm, Psalm 20:1; and prayer is made to him, and
he hears and receives the prayers of his people; and, as Mediator, presents
them to his Father perfumed with his much incense; for he is a Priest as well
as a King.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》