Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 20:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
1. hear thee ] R.V., answer thee, and so in Psa 20:6 ; Psa 20:9.
the day of trouble ] Or distress, when adversaries (a cognate word) press him hard. The impending campaign is specially, though not exclusively, meant. Cp. Psa 46:1; Num 10:9.
The name &c.] May the God of Jacob prove Himself to be all that His Name implies (see on Psa 5:11): may He Who is a tower of refuge (Psa 9:9, Psa 18:2) set thee up on high in safety from thy enemies. Cp. Pro 18:10. God of Jacob is often synonymous with God of Israel (Psa 46:7; Psa 46:11); yet the choice of this name cannot but suggest the thought of Jehovah’s providential care for the great ancestor of the nation. Cp. the exactly similar language of Gen 35:3: “God, who answered me in the day of my distress; ” and the references to Jacob’s history in Hos 12:4-5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
1 5. The people’s prayer for their king’s success.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble – According to the view expressed in the introduction to the psalm, this is the language of the people praying for their king, or expressing the hope that he would be delivered from trouble, and would be successful in what he had undertaken, in the prosecution of a war apparently of defense. The word trouble here used would seem to imply that he was beset with difficulties and dangers; perhaps, that he was surrounded by foes. It seems that he was going forth to war to deliver his country from trouble, having offered sacrifices and prayers Psa 20:3 for the purpose of securing the divine favor on the expedition. The point or the moment of the psalm is when those sacrifices had been offered, and when he was about to embark on his enterprise. At that moment the people lift up the voice of sympathy and of encouragement, and pray that those sacrifices might be accepted, and that he might find the deliverance which he had desired.
The name of the God of Jacob – The word name is often put in the Scriptures for the person himself; and hence, this is equivalent to saying, May the God of Jacob defend thee. See Psa 5:11; Psa 9:10; Psa 44:5; Psa 54:1; Exo 23:21. Jacob was the one of the patriarchs from whom, after his other name, the Hebrew people derived their name Israel, and the word seems here to be used with reference to the people rather than to the ancestor. Compare Isa 44:2. The God of Jacob, or the God of Israel, would be synonymous terms, and either would denote that he was the Protector of the nation. As such he is invoked here; and the prayer is, that the Great Protector of the Hebrew people would now defend the king in the dangers which beset him, and in the enterprise which he had undertaken.
Defend thee – Margin, as in Hebrew, set thee on a high place. The word means the same as defend him, for the idea is that of being set on a high place, a tower, a mountain, a lofty rock, where his enemies could not reach or assail him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 20:1-9
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble.
A battle prayer
This, it is believed, is the battle prayer or litany which was solemnly chanted in the sanctuary on the eve of the great expedition to crush the formidable rebellion of the Ammonites and their Syrian allies (2Sa 10:1-19), and which was also used in after times upon similar undertakings.
1. To enter into its spirit we must transport ourselves in imagination to the old temple at Jerusalem while the special service invoking the blessing of Jehovah upon the intended enterprise is in progress. The courts are thronged with enthusiastic patriots, each eager to strengthen with his own voice the chorus of supplication for Israels success. The king in his robes of royalty is standing by the altar in the sanctuary. He has just presented his gifts and offered his sacrifice; and now the choir and the whole congregation break out into this mighty hymn on his behalf, assuring him that in this day of trouble, occasioned by the revolt of his subjects or the invasion of strangers, the Lord will hear him, will defend him, will send him help from the sanctuary, and uphold him out of Zion. These his offerings shall be remembered, this his sacrifice shall be accepted; the desire, too, of his heart–the overthrow of the enemy–shall be granted.
2. They cease. The vast multitude stands hushed, while one voice alone is heard; it is that of the king, or of some Levite deputed to speak as his representative. In a strain of fullest confidence he declares the petitions on his behalf have been heard.
3. As the king ceases the choir and people again break out into chorus. (Henry Housman.)
The day of trouble
Have we heard of that day? Is it a day in some exhausted calendar? Is this an ancient phrase that needs to be interpreted to us by men cunning in the use of language and in the history of terms? It might have been spoken in our own tongue: we might ourselves have spoken it. So criticism has no place here; only sympathy has a fight to utter these words; they would perish under a process of etymological vivisection; they bring with them healing, comfort, release, and contentment when spoken by the voice of sympathy. Is the day of trouble a whole day–twelve hours long? Is it a day that cannot be distinguished from night? and does it run through the whole circle of the twenty-four hours? Is it a day of that kind at all? In some instances is it not a life day, beginning with the first cry of infancy, concluding with the last sigh of old age? Is it a day all darkness, without any rent in the cloud, without any hint of light beyond the infinite burden of gloom? Whatever it is, it is provided for; it is recognised as a solemn fact in human life, and it is provided for by the grace and love of the eternal God. He knows every hour of the day–precisely how the day is made up; He knows the pulse beat of every moment; He is a God nigh at hand; so that we have no sorrow to tell Him by way of information, but only sorrow to relate that with it we may sing some hymn to His grace. The whole world is made kin by this opening expression. There is no human face, rightly read, that has not in it lines of sorrow–peculiar, mystic writing of long endurance, keen disappointment, hope deferred, mortification of soul unuttered in speech, but graved as with an iron tool upon the soul and the countenance. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
Defence in the day of trouble
Commentators have positively perverted this whole Psalm. They have put it all down to David; but it is a beautiful dialogue between Christ and His Church,–He addressing her as her Advocate and Intercessor amid all her troubles.
I. Christs recognition of His people in the day of trouble. All have to bear trouble, but the believer has a God to go to. His troubles arise from his inflexible enemies, the world and its children, the devil, the flesh. And from his spiritual conflicts when first brought to conversion. The thunders of Sinai, the Slough of Despond–these are some of his troubles at such time. And when he is pardoned and hugs his pardon in his bosom, there are some troubles yet, through miserable backslidings.
II. The excitement which our intercessor gives us to prayer. The Lord hear thee; this intimates that we are already excited to earnest prayer. For our encouragement let us remember Christs constant intercession on our behalf in heaven.
III. The appeal which the intercessor makes to our covenant head. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Who is the God of Jacob? The God that gave him the blessing of the birthright, though he was the junior; the God that delivered him from the murderous hand of his brother in the day of his trouble; the God that enriched him with Labans spoil, and gave him the desire of his heart; the God that protected him, and manifested Himself to him–his covenant God. How I have been delighted with the thought that Jehovah should recognise the unregenerate name!–for Jacob was the name of the patriarch in his unregeneracy.
IV. The demand for our defence. The name of the God of, etc. But you say, how will the name of the God of Jacob defend me? Try it: I have over and over again; therefore I speak what I do know, and testify what I have seen. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Get encircled with covenant engagements and covenant grace, and covenant promises, and covenant securities; then will the Lord hear you in the time of trouble, and the name of the God of Jacob will defend you. (Joseph Irons.)
The war spirit of the Old Testament
I. The probable time and occasion of its composition. They are related in 2Sa 10:1-19.
II. Its construction. It begins with an address to the monarch under the peculiar circumstances of the exigency. Then, with the words, We will rejoice in Thy salvation, the speakers turn from prayer to the avowal of their confidence and of the spirit in which they would go to the war. Then the high priest might add the next clause, The Lord fulfil all thy petitions. And now there appears to be a pause, and the sacrifices are offered, and the priest, catching sight of the auspicious omen, exclaims, Now know I (from what I observe of the indications of the Divine acceptance of the sacrifices–now know I) that the Lord sayeth His anointed, etc. Then comes a response from the people, encouraged by what they have heard. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses–the very preparations that had been made against them, but we will, etc. The whole closes by the acclamations of the people. The Lord save the king! God will hear us. Save, Lord; let the king hear us when we call: we will pray for the king, we will call upon the Lord, we who remain at home when the army advances to the field. This reminds us of and illustrates a passage from R. Hall, entitled Sentiments Proper to the Present Crisis, a warlike, though at first sight it appears not a very Christian, address, written about forty-four years ago, at the time of the threatened invasion. Addressing a company of volunteers, he introduces a sentiment very similar to that which concludes this Psalm. Go, then, ye defenders of your country, accompanied with every auspicious omen; advance with alacrity into the field, where God Himself musters the hosts to war. Religion is too much interested in your success not to lend you her aid; she will shed over this enterprise her selected influence. While you are engaged in the field, many will repair to the closet, many to the sanctuary; the faithful of every name will employ that prayer which has power with God; the feeble hands which are unequal to any other weapon will grasp the sword of the spirit; and from myriads of humble, contrite hearts the voice of intercession, supplication, and weeping will mingle with the shouts of battle and the shock of arms.
III. Suggestions from this review of the Psalm.
1. Although all this is very imposing and grand, yet it is not the ideal of humanity. We do not wish such scenes to be permanent or universal. It was all very well for the time, but it is not well now. This is not the way in which God should be worshipped, nor the feelings which we should carry away from His altar. The New Testament tells us again and again that its aim is something altogether different from this mustering of the hosts to war–this Go, ye defenders of your country–this murdering and slaughtering. War may be brilliant, but it is not a good thing for the world, for humanity.
2. In proportion as the spirit of the Old Testament has been imbibed by nations, they have been retarded in the development of national character, and in the realisation of the Christian ideal. Ceremonies, hierarchies, ritual, a national priesthood, a vicarious religion, an ecclesiastical eastern special class of men being set apart to spend their nights and days in praying for the people–all these come from Judaisers. And so again with the national war spirit, the military art regarded as a profession, the consecration of colours, and the rest,–these are Jewish, not Christian. We laugh at the Covenanter and the Roundhead, but where they were wrong was in imbibing the Old Testament spirit.
3. War is not always without justification, but we ought to shrink from it as an abhorred thing.
4. Let the Psalm remind you of King Jesus, and of His victory and our own through Him. (Thomas Binney.)
Help in trouble
A sentinel posted on the walls, when he sees a party of the enemy advancing, does not attempt to make head against them himself, but at once informs his commanding officer of the enemys approach, and awaits his word as to how the foe is to be met. So the Christian does not attempt to resist temptation in his own strength, but in prayer calls upon his Captain for aid, and in His might and His Word goes forth to meet it.
The name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
The name of Jehovah
I. The name of Jehovah a consolation in trouble. No character is exempt from the ills of life. The highest dignity cannot guard off trouble; and crowns especially are often lined with thorns. Few plants, says an old writer, have both the morning and the evening sun; and an older than he has said, Man is born to trouble. But in the deepest, darkest, wildest distress, Jehovah is the refuge of His people; and His name soothes the keenest anguish and lifts up the most despairing.
II. The name of Jehovah an inspiring battle cry. In the name of our God will we set up our banners (Psa 20:5). Banners are a part of our military equipage, borne in times of war to assemble, direct, distinguish, and inspirit the soldiers. They have been often used in religious ceremonies. It is the practice of some people to erect a banner in honour of their deity. In a certain part of Thibet it is customary for a priest to ascend a hill every month to set up a white flag and perform some religions ceremonies to conciliate the favour of a dewta, or invisible being, who is the presiding genius of the place. The Hindus describe Siva the Supreme as having a banner in the celestial world. The militant Church goes to war with the name of the Lord of Hosts on her banner.
III. The name of Jehovah is the strength of the militant Church. We will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psa 20:7). The world trusts in the material–in rifles, mitrailleuse, turret ships, and torpedoes; but the Church is taught to trust in the spiritual–the mysterious, invisible, but almighty power of Jehovah. The material fails, the spiritual never. When the saint relies fully on Jehovah, and is absorbed in His holy cause, he is surrounded with an impenetrable defence. (W. L. Watkinson.)
The God of Jacob
I. Its history. The character of Jacob is one of the standing difficulties of the Old Testament, because of the interest and love God cherished for him. David offers to us much the same difficulty: the man after Gods own heart, and yet so base and vile in his great sin. But it is the Bible which tells us what these men were. Its frankness is conspicuous. But David, after all, does not puzzle us as Jacob does. There is a vein of pure nobility and of splendid genius through Davids character and life, which helps us to understand the relation of God to him. But Jacobs character fails to kindle a corresponding enthusiasm. He does not stand out before us a man of genius, as a hearty lover, a faithful friend, or even as a noble and gallant foe. A vein of trickery and treachery runs through his nature, so unlike Davids frank and self-forgetful generosity. Stratagems are his delight; the easy refuge of his weakness. And when we find through life the same tendency to underhand tricks prevailing, we begin to wonder what God could see in the man to make him a prince in the heavenly order, and why throughout the Scripture the name God of Jacob, God of Israel is the name in which He especially delights. It seems to them the purest exercise of the Divine sovereignty on record. But it is sovereignty of the same order as that which moves Him to elect to be the Redeemer of the world. The spring of that redeeming love lies within His own nature. It arose out of the depths of the Divine nature, and must be based, we may be sure, on essential reason. God chose Jacob, and chooses to be called the God of Jacob, just because he was a man so full of human infirmity and littleness, mingled with those higher and nobler qualities without which the spiritual culture of mankind becomes impossible. Had God chosen only to be called the God of Abraham or Moses, and to take supreme interest in such lofty lives alone, alas! for you and for me and for mankind. Jacob is more within our sphere. What God was to him, we can believe that He may be, He will be, to us; thus the name God of Jacob has a sound hill of comfort, full of assurance to our ears. That it might be so, we may be sure. He chose it. Now, see this when developed in history. God, as the God of Jacob, did make Himself a glorious name in the earth (Deu 2:25; Jos 2:4-11). Their internal organisation under the constitution which God had ordained marked them out as a favoured people. There was nothing like them in the wide world, until the German races appeared and brought the same love of freedom, the same domestic affections, the same noble womanhood, the same essential manliness, to build on the foundation of Christian society. Again, Israel was the only nation of freemen, in the largest sense, in the Old World. The people were knit into a brotherhood of liberty, with special safeguards in their constitution as a nation against the lapse of any Jewish freeman into serfdom, or even into penury (Deu 15:1-23; Lev 25:23-31). They were facile princeps among nations, witnessing to the heathen around them of the blessedness of obedience to God. And what men they produced! The Greeks are their only rivals. But while Greece produced the heroes of the schools, the Jews produced the heroes of the common human world. Every man and every people is conscious of a relation to them, such as he sustains to no other race which has played its part in history. The lives of the great Hebrews belong to us as no Greek belongs to us. They are literally part of our history. How few know Greek; who knows not the histories of the Bible? They are our fathers whose lives we read there, our history, our hymns. Mans history is the elucidation of this title; the God of Jacob has written for Himself a glorious name in the records of the world.
II. Its work–the functions which this name fulfils in the culture of our personal spiritual life.
1. The God of Jacob tells us, by the very name, that He is a God who is not deterred by a great transgression, or by great proneness to transgression, from constituting Himself the guide of our pilgrim life. If ever your heart dies down within you under the consciousness of an inbred sinfulness, which you think must alienate you from Gods love and care, let the name of the God of Jacob reassure you. Long suffering is the quality which the name of the God of Jacob seems specially to suggest to us. Jacob was a man of many and grave infirmities. And the God who came to Adam with a promise which implied a pardon came also to Jacob, and comes to us all. God undertook the guidance of that mans pilgrimage, because he was a sinful man, a man full of infirmities and treacheries, but with a nobler nature beneath and behind which He made it His work to educate by suffering, until Jacob the supplanter became Israel the prince. Jacob was as full of folly, falsity, and selfish ambition as most of us; but he had an instinct and a yearning for deliverance. Gods promise rang full sweetly on his ear. The worm Jacob, trained to be a prince, is full of precious suggestions to us all.
2. The God of Jacob must be a God who can bear to inflict very stern chastisement on His children, and to train His pilgrims in a very hard, sharp school of discipline, without forfeiting the name of their merciful and loving God. Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, said the aged patriarch, reviewing his life course before Pharaoh. Why? Because through life he had been under the hard, stern discipline of the hand of God. And so, as his life was spent in learning, it was spent in suffering. God did not shrink from wielding the scourge to the very close. Then, he witnessed a sad confession before Pharaoh, such as Abraham and Isaac would have had no occasion for; for they lived better and happier lives than Jacob. But it is this very discipline which makes Jacobs life so instructive. It teaches us–
(1) The thoroughness of the Divine method, that we have to do with One who will sanctify us wholly; will search out the very real fibres of evil within us, and scathe them, whatever may be the cost.
(2) Let the name of the God of Jacob assure you that there is no extremity in which you have a right to cry, The Lord hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten me. Jacobs life is surely the witness that the veriest exile cannot wander beyond the shelter of the Fathers home; the most utter outcast cannot stray beyond the shield of the Fathers love. There is no condition of darkness, of straits, of anguish, inconsistent with your standing as a son and Gods tenderness as a Father. For–
(3) The God of Jacob is the God who will bring the pilgrims home. He is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city. Led by the God of Jacob, your bones can never whiten the sands of the desert; your choking cry can ever be heard from the waves of Jordan. Mark the splendid and joyous picture of the end of all our pilgrim wanderings, toils, and pains, which is painted there. The Angel which redeemed him from all evil is redeeming us through pain as sharp, through patience as long, through discipline as stern. And He has caused all this to be written for our learning, that the hope of a final and eternal triumph over evil might sustain us through the conflict, through the wanderings, and assure us that in His good time the God of the pilgrim Jacob will bring us into His rest. Weary, worn, with shattered armour and dinted shield, we may struggle on to the shore of the dark river. A moment, a gasp–and there is a white-robed conqueror, with the dew of immortal youth upon his brow, led by the angels before the Throne of God and of the Lamb. (J. Baldwin Brown, B. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
PSALM XX
A prayer for the king in his enterprises, that his prayers may
be heard, his offerings accepted, and his wishes fulfilled,
1-4.
Confidence of victory expressed, 5, 6.
Vain hopes exposed; and supplication made for the king. 7-9.
NOTES ON PSALM XX
It is most likely that this Psalm was penned on the occasion of David’s going to war, and most probably with the Ammonites and Syrians, who came with great numbers of horses and chariots to fight with him. See 2Sa 10:6-8; 1Ch 19:7. It is one of the Dialogue Psalms, and appears to be thus divided: Previously to his undertaking the war, David comes to the tabernacle to offer sacrifice. This being done, the people, in the king’s behalf, offer up their prayers; these are included in the three first verses: the fourth was probably spoken by the high priest; the fifth, by David and his attendants; the last clause, by the high priest; the sixth, by the high priest, after the victim was consumed; the seventh and eighth, by David and his men; and the ninth, as a chorus by all the congregation.
Verse 1. The Lord hear thee] David had already offered the sacrifice and prayed. The people implore God to succour him in the day of trouble; of both personal and national danger.
The name of the God of Jacob] This refers to Jacob’s wrestling with the Angel; Ge 32:24, &c. And who was this Angel? Evidently none other than the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus, in whom was the name of God, the fulness of the Godhead bodily. He was the God of Jacob, who blessed Jacob, and gave him a new name and a new nature. See the notes on the above place in Genesis.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In the day of trouble; in this time of war and danger.
Name of the God of Jacob, i.e. God himself; for names are oft put for persons, as Num 26:53; Act 1:15; 4:12; and the name of God for God, as Deu 28:58; Neh 9:5; Psa 44:8,20; Pr 18:10, and oft elsewhere. He calls him the
God of Jacob, or Israel, partly to distinguish him from false gods; and partly as an argument to enforce the prayer, because God had made a league or covenant with Jacob and his posterity, who are called by the name of
Jacob, Psa 147:19,20; Isa 44:2, and whose cause David was now pleading against their enemies.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. hear theegraciously (Ps4:1).
name ofor manifestedperfections, as power, wisdom, c.
defend theeset thee onhigh from danger (Psa 9:9Psa 18:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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,
Joh 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, Isa 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,
Isa 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” n; 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.
n “elevet te”, Pagninus, Montanus; “exaltet te”, Vatablus, Museulus, Michaelis; “in edito collocet te”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(Heb.: 20:2-6) Litany for the king in distress, who offers sacrifices for himself in the sanctuary. The futures in Psa 20:2, standing five times at the head of the climactic members of the parallelism, are optatives. , Psa 20:6, also continues the chain of wishes, of which even (cf. Psa 69:15) forms one of the links. The wishes of the people accompany both the prayer and the sacrifice. “The Name of the God of Jacob” is the self-manifesting power and grace of the God of Israel. is used in poetry interchangeably with , just like with . Alshch refers to Gen 35:3; and it is not improbable that the desire moulds itself after the fashion of the record of the fact there handed down to us. May Jahve, who, as the history of Jacob shows, hears (and answers) in the day of distress, hear the king; may the Name of the God of Jacob bear him away from his foes to a triumphant height. alternates with (Psa 18:49) in this sense. This intercession on the behalf of the praying one is made in the sanctuary on the heights of Zion, where Jahve sits enthroned. May He send him succour from thence, like auxiliary troops that decide the victory. The king offers sacrifice. He offers sacrifice according to custom before the commencement of the battle (1Sa 13:9., and cf. the phrase ), a whole burnt-offering and at the same time a meat or rather meal offering also, ;
(Note: This, though not occurring in the Old Testament, is the principal form of the plural, which, as even David Kimchi recognises in his Lexicon, points to a verb (just as , , point to , , ); whereas other old grammarians supposed to be the root, and were puzzled with the traditional pronunciation m e nachoth , but without reason.)
for every whole offering and every shelamim – or peace-offering had a meat-offering and a drink-offering as its indispensable accompaniment. The word is perfectly familiar in the ritual of the meal-offering. That portion of the meal-offering, only a part of which was placed upon the altar (to which, however, according to traditional practice, does not belong the accompanying meal-offering of the , which was entirely devoted to the altar), which ascended with the altar fire is called , (cf. Act 10:4), that which brings to remembrance with God him for whom it is offered up (not “incense,” as Hupfeld renders it); for the designation of the offering of jealousy, Num 5:15, as “bringing iniquity to remembrance before God” shows, that in the meal-offering ritual retains the very same meaning that it has in other instances. Every meal-offering is in a certain sense a a esnes . Hence here the prayer that Jahve would graciously remember them is combined with the meal-offerings.
As regards the olah , the wish “let fire from heaven (Lev 9:24; 1Ki 18:38; 1Ch 21:26) turn it to ashes,” would not be vain. But the language does not refer to anything extraordinary; and in itself the consumption of the offering to ashes (Bttcher) is no mark of gracious acceptance. Moreover, as a denominative from , fat ashes, means “to clean from ashes,” and not: to turn into ashes. On the other hand, also signifies “to make fat,” Psa 23:5, and this effective signification is applied declaratively in this instance: may He find thy burnt-offering fat, which is equivalent to: may it be to Him a [an odour of satisfaction, a sweet-smelling savour]. The voluntative ah only occurs here and in Job 11:17 (which see) and Isa 5:19, in the 3 pers.; and in this instance, just as with the cohortative in 1Sa 28:15, we have a change of the lengthening into a sharpening of the sound (cf. the exactly similar change of forms in 1Sa 28:15; Isa 59:5; Zec 5:4; Pro 24:14; Eze 25:13) as is very frequently the case in for . The alteration to or (Hitzig) is a felicitous but needless way of getting rid of the rare form. The explanation of the intensifying of the music here is, that the intercessory song of the choir is to be simultaneous with the presentation upon the altar ( ). is the resolution formed in the present wartime. “Because of thy salvation,” i.e., thy success in war, is, as all the language is here, addressed to the king, cf. Psa 21:2, where it is addressed to Jahve, and intended of the victory accorded to him. It is needless to read instead of , after the rendering of the lxx megaluntheeso’metha . is a denominative from : to wave a banner. In the closing line, the rejoicing of hope goes back again to the present and again assumes the form of an intercessory desire.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Petitions against Sin. | |
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
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 strengthen thee out of Zion; 3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
This prayer for David is entitled a psalm of David; nor was it any absurdity at all for him who was divinely inspired to draw up a directory, or form of prayer, to be used in the congregation for himself and those in authority under him; nay it is very proper for those who desire the prayers of their friends to tell them particularly what they would have to be asked of God for them. Note, Even great and good men, and those that know ever so well how to pray for themselves, must not despise, but earnestly desire, the prayers of others for them, even those that are their inferiors in all respects. Paul often begged of his friends to pray for him. Magistrates and those in power ought to esteem and encourage praying people, to reckon them their strength (Zec 12:5; Zec 12:10), and to do what they can for them, that they may have an interest in their prayers and may do nothing to forfeit it. Now observe here,
I. What it is that they are taught to ask of God for the king.
1. That God would answer his prayers: The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble (v. 1), and the Lord fulfil all thy petitions, v. 5. Note, (1.) Even the greatest of men may be much in trouble. It was often a day of trouble with David himself, of disappointment and distress, of treading down and of perplexity. Neither the crown on his head nor the grace in his heart would exempt him from the trouble. (2.) Even the greatest of men must be much in prayer. David, though a man of business, a man of war, was constant to his devotions; though he had prophets, and priests, and many good people among his subjects, to pray for him, he did not think that excused him from praying for himself. Let none expect benefit by the prayers of the church, or of their ministers or friends for them, who are capable of praying for themselves, and yet neglect it. The prayers of others for us must be desired, not to supersede, but to second, our own for ourselves. Happy the people that have praying princes, to whose prayers they may thus say, Amen.
2. That God would protect his person, and preserve his life, in the perils of war: “The name of the God of Jacob defend thee, and set thee out of the reach of thy enemies.” (1.) “Let God by his providence keep thee safe, even the God who preserved Jacob in the days of his trouble.” David had mighty men for his guards, but he commits himself, and his people commit him, to the care of the almighty God. (2.) “Let God by his grace keep thee easy from the fear of evil.– Prov. xviii. 10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, into which the righteous run by faith, and are safe; let David be enabled to shelter himself in that strong tower, as he has done many a time.”
3. That God would enable him to go on in his undertakings for the public good–that, in the day of battle, he would send him help out of the sanctuary, and strength out of Zion, not from common providence, but from the ark of the covenant and the peculiar favour God bears to his chosen people Israel. That he would help him, in performance of the promises and in answer to the prayers made in the sanctuary. Mercies out of the sanctuary are the sweetest mercies, such as are the tokens of God’s peculiar love, the blessing of God, even our own God. Strength out of Zion is spiritual strength, strength in the soul, in the inward man, and that is what we should most desire both for ourselves and others in services and sufferings.
4. That God would testify his gracious acceptance of the sacrifices he offered with his prayers, according to the law of that time, before he went out on a dangerous expedition: The Lord remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt-sacrifices (v. 3), or turn them to ashes; that is, “The Lord give thee the victory and success which thou didst by prayer with sacrifices ask of him, and thereby give as full proof of his acceptance of the sacrifice as ever he did by kindling it with fire from heaven.” By this we may now know that God accepts our spiritual sacrifices, if by his Spirit he kindles in our souls a holy fire of pious and divine affection and with that makes our hearts burn within us.
5. That God would crown all his enterprises and noble designs for the public welfare with the desired success (v. 4): The Lord grant thee according to thy own heart. This they might in faith pray for, because they knew David was a man after God’s own heart, and would design nothing but what was pleasing to him. Those who make it their business to glorify God may expect that God will, in one way or other, gratify them: and those who walk in his counsel may promise themselves that he will fulfil theirs. Thou shalt devise a thing and it shall be established unto thee.
II. What confidence they had of an answer of peace to these petitions for themselves and their good king (v. 5): “We will rejoice in thy salvation. We that are subjects will rejoice in the preservation and prosperity of our prince;” or, rather, “In thy salvation, O God! in thy power and promise to save, will we rejoice; that is it which we depend upon now, and which, in the issue, we shall have occasion greatly to rejoice in.” Those that have their eye still upon the salvation of the Lord shall have their hearts filled with the joy of that salvation: In the name of our God will we set up our banners. 1. “We will wage war in his name; we will see that our cause be good and make his glory our end in every expedition; we will ask counsel at his mouth, and take him along with us; we will follow his direction, implore his aid and depend upon it, and refer the issue to him.” David went against Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts, 1 Sam. xvii. 45. (2.) “We will celebrate our victories in his name. When we lift up our banners in triumph, and set up our trophies, it shall be in the name of our God; he shall have all the glory of our success, and no instrument shall have any part of the honour that is due to him.”
In singing this we ought to offer up to God our hearty good wishes to the good government we are under and to the prosperity of it. But we may look further; these prayers for David are prophecies concerning Christ the Son of David, and in him they were abundantly answered; he undertook the work of our redemption, and made war upon the powers of darkness. In the day of trouble, when his soul was exceedingly sorrowful, the Lord heard him, heard him in that he feared (Heb. v. 7), sent him help out of the sanctuary, sent an angel from heaven to strengthen him, took cognizance of his offering when he made his soul an offering for sin, and accepted his burnt-sacrifice, turned it to ashes, the fire that should have fastened upon the sinner fastening upon the sacrifice, with which God was well pleased. And he granted him according to his own heart, made him to see of the travail of his soul, to his satisfaction, prospered his good pleasure in his hand, fulfilled all his petitions for himself and us; for him the Father heareth always and his intercession is ever prevailing.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Psalms 20
A NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR ISRAEL
Verses 1-9:
Israel’s Prayer For Her King In Battle
Psalms 20, 21 form a pair of Praise and Prayer songs for Israel. In this 20th Psalm Israel prays for her anointed king as he goes forth to battle, with a word of Divine assurance that the God of Jacob will save his anointed king and people in conflict.
Verse 1 appeals to the Lord to hear or answer his people in the hour of trouble, even as he saved or delivered Jacob in his hour of trouble, as recounted Genesis ch. 32. Then it is added “The name or power and faithfulness of the God of Jacob defend or exalt thee, set thee on high, as a victor in battle,” Psalms 59. See also Psa 34:5-7; Psa 9:10; Pro 18:10; Isa 50:10.
Verse 2 extends the earnest prayer that this exalting God might “send help” to Israel from the sanctuary, even strength “out of Zion,” on the basis of His covenant made with His people there; Zion is the pledged and dedicated seat of His throne, Psa 2:6.
Verse 3 continues to ask that this covenant God of Jacob, of all Israel, would remember and accept His burnt offerings, as David made them, in harmony with the law, before going forth to battle, Lev 2:9; 1Ki 18:38; 1Ch 21:26.
Verse 4 calls upon this covenant God to grant to Israel’s king the protection in battle that He had promised, that He might fulfill all His covenant counsel and purpose for David in Israel. It was a positional type of Jesus Christ and His desire to deliver all men who believe, Isa 53:11; Luk 22:15.
Verse 5 recounts the faith of David and Israel in His help in the hour of their battle. They declared that they would “rejoice in thy salvation,” because it “is of the Lord,” not of man, Joh 2:9. They added that they would then “set up” or raise up their banner, to praise the Lord for victory, as Moses built an altar after defeating Amalek, Psa 60:4; Exo 17:15, it is then added by David that “the Lord (Jehovah) (may he) fulfill all thy petitions,” manifesting His power in times of peace as well as conflict.
Verse 6 recounts the words of the people of Israel, as an ideal person, speaking in the singular, experimentally knew that the Lord had heard, delivered, and protected His anointed people and king as they put their trust in Him. He had heard and answered from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand, as certified Isa 57:15; Isa 63:15. See also Psa 11:4; Joh 17:1; Heb 5:7.
Verse 7 states that some trust in chariots and some in horses; But they of Israel cried out “we will remember (trustfully) the name (power and honor) of the Lord our God.” God had forbidden the use of war-chariots and horses for battle in Israel, leaving them for the heathen and gentiles; The covenant people were to rely on the mighty arm of Jehovah God, instead of horses and chariots in times of battle, Jos 17:16; 2Ch 32:8. David met Goliath without them, 1Sa 17:45; But Solomon disobeyed God to his hurt in this matter, 1Ki 10:26; Deu 17:16; The people’s attitude was holy when they resolved, “we will remember the name of the Lord our God,” Psa 17:7; Psa 18:35.
Verse 8 relates “they are brought down and fallen,’; in defeat. They who trusted in the might of chariots and horses were destroyed, as Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, Exo 14:21-25. The people of Israel rightly concluded that battles were not won by might or power of carnal things like horses and chariots but by the strength, right hand or might of Jehovah, Zec 4:6.
Verse 9 concludes this prayer as it began with a direct address appeal “Save, rescue, liberate, or deliver Lord; let the King (of glory) King absolute over all the earth, answer when we call.” They recognized the God who is (exists) over all, as their King and their help. It is still true today. Besides Him there is no other true, living God, Deu 4:7; Exo 20:1.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The inscription shows that the psalm was composed by David; but though he was its author, there is no absurdity in his speaking of himself in the person of others. The office of a prophet having been committed to him, he with great propriety prepared this as a form of prayer for the use of the faithful. In doing this, his object was not so much to commend his own person, by authoritatively issuing a royal ordinance enjoining upon the people the use of this prayer, as to show, in the exercise of his office as a teacher, that it belonged to the whole Church to concern itself, and to use its endeavors that the kingdom which God had erected might continue safe and prosperous. Many interpreters view this prayer as offered up only on one particular occasion; but in this I cannot agree. The occasion of its composition at first may have arisen from some particular battle which was about to be fought, either against the Ammonites, or against some other enemies of Israel. But the design of the Holy Spirit, in my judgment, was to deliver to the Church a common form of prayer, which, as we may gather from the words, was to be used whenever she was threatened with any danger. God commands his people, in general, to pray for kings, but there was a special reason, and one which did not apply to any other kingdom, why prayer was to be made in behalf of this kingdom; for it was only by the hand of David and his seed that God had determined to govern and maintain his people. It is particularly to be noticed, that under the figure of this temporal kingdom, there was described a government far more excellent, on which the whole joy and felicity of the Church depended. The object, therefore, which David had expressly in view was, to exhort all the children of God to cherish such a holy solicitude about the kingdom of Christ, as would stir them up to continual prayer in its behalf.
1. May Jehovah hear thee, etc. The Holy Spirit, by introducing the people as praying that God would answer the prayers of the king, is to be viewed as at the same time admonishing kings that it is their duty to implore the protection of God in all their affairs. When he says, In the day of trouble, he shows that they will not be exempted from troubles, and he does this that they may not become discouraged, if at any time they should happen to be in circumstances of danger. In short, the faithful, that the body may not be separated from the head, further the king’s prayers by their common and united supplications. The name of God is here put for God himself and not without good reason; for the essence of God being incomprehensible to us, it behoves us to trust in him, in so far as his grace and power are made known to us. From his name, therefore, proceeds confidence in calling upon him. The faithful desire that the king may be protected and aided by God, whose name was called upon among the sons of Jacob. I cannot agree with those who think that mention is here made of that patriarch, because God exercised him with various afflictions, not unlike those with which he tried his servant David. I am rather of opinion that, as is usual in Scripture, the chosen people are denoted by the term Jacob. And from this name, the God of Jacob, the faithful encourage themselves to pray for the defense of their king; because it was one of the privileges of their adoption to live under the conduct and protection of a king set over them by God himself. Hence we may conclude, as I have said before, that under the figure of a temporal kingdom there is described to us a government much more excellent. (470) Since Christ our King, being an everlasting priest, never ceases to make intercession with God, the whole body of the Church should unite in prayer with him; (471) and farther, we can have no hope of being heard except he go before us, and conduct us to God. (472) And it serves in no small degree to assuage our sorrows to consider that Jesus Christ, when we are afflicted, accounts our distresses his own, provided we, at the same time, take courage, and continue resolute and magnanimous in tribulation; which we should be prepared to do, since the Holy Spirit here forewarns us that the kingdom of Christ would be subject to dangers and troubles.
(470) “ Et de le il nous convient recueiller, ce que jay dit, que sous a figure d’un regne temporel nous est descrie un gouvernement bien plus excellent.” — Fr.
(471) As the people of Israel here unite in prayer with and for the monarch of Israel, whom we may picture to our minds as repairing to the tabernacle to offer sacrifices, where this animated ode was sung by the priests and people.
(472) “ Si non qu’il marche derant, et nous conduise a Dieu.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE MESSIANIC PRAYER
It anticipated His coming troubles.
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion (Psa 20:1-2).
It took into account His self-offering.
Remember all Thy offerings, and accept Thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah.
Grant Thee according to Thine own heart, and fulfil all Thy counsel (Psa 20:3-4).
It trusted His unfailing Word.
We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the Name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed: He will hear Him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen, and stand upright.
Save, Lord: let the King hear us when we call (Psa 20:5-9).
THE MESSIAHS PROGRESS
His path is one of pleasure.
The king shall joy in Thy strength, O Lord; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall He rejoice!
Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness; Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head (Psa 21:1-3).
His petitions are all granted.
He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
His glory is great in Thy salvation: honour and majesty hast Thou laid upon Him.
For Thou hast made Him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made Him exceeding glad with Thy countenance.
For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High He shall not be moved (Psa 21:4-7).
His enemies are all vanquished.
Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies: Thy right hand shall find out those that hate Thee.
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of Thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Their fruit shalt Thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
For they intended evil against Thee: they imagined a. mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.
Therefore shalt Thou make them turn their back, when Thou shalt make ready Thine arrows upon Thy strings against the face of them.
Be thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy power (Psa 21:8-13).
THE MESSIAHS PASSION
The passion of fear.
My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? why art Thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto Thee, and were delivered: they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver him: let Him deliver him, seeing he delighted in Him.
But Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts.
I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art my God from my mothers belly.
Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
But be not Thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste Thee to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lions mouth: for Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns (Psa 22:1-21).
His passion of praise.
I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.
Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel.
For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation:
I will pay my vows before them that fear Him (Psa 22:22-25).
His passion of expectation.
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.
For the Kingdom is the Lords: and He is the governor among the nations.
All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this (Psa 22:26-31).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
INTRODUCTION
This is evidently a liturgical psalm, and was intended originally, it would seem, to be sung on behalf of a king who was about to go forth to war against his enemies. As the king stands within the sanctuary offering his sacrifice, the whole assembled crowd of worshippers in the spacious courts lift up their voices in the prayer, that Jehovah would graciously accept those sacrifices, and send him help and victory in the battle. The psalm has no doubt a prophetical aspect, from the fact that the Jewish king was, by virtue of his office, a type of Christ. Calvin is right in saying that inasmuch as this kingdom differed from all other kingdoms, because God had determined to govern and defend His people by the hand of David and of his seed, therefore we ought to recognise, under the type of the temporal kingdom, that better rule on which the joy and happiness of the Church depend.Perowne.
THE NAME OF JEHOVAH
(Psa. 20:1; Psa. 20:5; Psa. 20:7.)
I. The name of Jehovah a consolation in trouble. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee (Psa. 20:1). No character or rank is exempt from the ills of life. The highest dignity cannot guard off troubles; and crowns especially are often lined with thorns. The history of David records many a dark day and sorrowful night. It was a day of distress with Jacob when he fled from his brother Esau, and arrived at Bethel a distracted wanderer (Gen. 35:3). Few plants, says an old writer, have both the morning and the evening sun; and an older than he has saidMan is born to trouble. But in the deepest, darkest, wildest distress Jehovah is the refuge of His people; and His name soothes the keenest anguish, and lifts up the most despairing.
Thy mighty name salvation is,
And keeps my happy soul above;
Comfort it brings, and power, and peace,
And joy, and everlasting love.
II. The name of Jehovah an inspiring battle-cry. In the name of our God we will set up our banners (Psa. 20:5). Banners are a part of military equipage, borne in times of war to assemble, direct, distinguish, and inspirit, the soldiers. They have been often used in religious ceremonies. It is the practice of some people to erect a banner in honour of their deity. In a certain part of Thibet it is customary for a priest to ascend a hill every month, to set up a white flag, and perform some religious ceremonies to conciliate the favour of a dewta, or invisible being, who is the presiding genius of the place. The Hindoos describe Siva the Supreme as having a banner in the celestial world. Every nation has its own expressive battle-cry. For hearth and home was the cry that found a deep and warm response in the breast of the ancient Roman; and, in modern times, the Germans roused the enthusiasm and bravery of every soldier by the cry of Fatherland! But the militant Church goes to war with the name of the Lord of Hosts on her bannersa battle-cry which inspires every heart with holy courage, and binds it with the cincture of a firm, unalterable purpose. It was this that nerved the youthful David with a giants prowess in his victorious combat with Goliath (1Sa. 17:45).
III. The name of Jehovah the strength of the Militant Church. We will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psa. 20:7). The world trusts in the materialin rifles, mitraileuse, turret-ships, and torpedoes; but the Church is taught to trust in the spiritualthe mysterious, invisible, but almighty power of Jehovah. The material fails; but the spiritual never. Many a formidable and rarely-equipped army has
Melted like snow in the glance of the Lord,
while the feeble and despised champions of the Church have stood forth in all the honour and lustre of victory. When the saint relies fully on Jehovah, and is absorbed in His holy cause, he is surrounded with an impenetrable defence. Numa, being told that his enemies were coming upon him as he was offering sacrifice, thought it was sufficient for his safety that he could say, I am about the service of my God; and yet how slow men are to put their trust in that Name where alone all true comfort, the holiest courage, and the mightiest strength are found! It is easy, says Arnot, to persuade papists to lean on priests and saints, on old rags and painted pictures, on any idol; but it is hard to get a Protestant to trust in the living God.
PRAYER A PREPARATION FOR CONFLICT
(Psa. 20:1-5; Psa. 20:9.)
I. Prayer should have reference to future emergencies. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble (Psa. 20:1). War is a time of trouble, both to king and people; and considering the vicissitudes and sufferings of the battlefield, it is wise to implore the aid of Heaven for seasons when earthly resources may be exhausted. Prayer has a prevenient power. To-days prayers can help tomorrows; the congregations present prayers, the kings future prayers. Prayer may bring present power that shall put the mans heart right, and keep it right, so that when the hour of need shall come, the prayer of his heart may be right prayer, and be both heard and answered. Troubles roar like thunder; but the believers voice will be heard above the storm.
II. Prayer invokes the invincible protection of Jehovah. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee (Psa. 20:1). By the name is signified the whole revealed character of Jehovah. He is called the God of Jacob, because He manifested Himself as such, in a fulness of deeds, to Jacob and to his posterity. A heavenlier light is needed to explain all the mystery and glory of the Divine name. There is power in the historical associations of the name to help faith, as the pleading soul recalls the scenes of Bethel, Peniel, Padan-aram, Shechem, and Egypt. The name of Jehovah is an inviolable protection. Defend theeexalt theeto be upraised to a high and fortified place, made safe.Bythner. Set thee up on high, i.e., as in a fortress where no enemy can do thee harm, or on a rock at the foot of which the waves fret and dash themselves in impotent fury.Perowne. The name of God is a more secure retreat than the spot defended by parks of artillery.
III. Prayer should be accompanied with sacrifice. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice (Psa. 20:3). It was customary in ancient times for warriors to offer sacrifice before going into battle; and this was often done with most imposing ceremony, and with lavish liberality. Thy burnt sacrificethy holocaust, a sacrifice of quadrupeds and birds, which are raised altogether upon the altar and burned: the Greek hecatomb seems borrowed from this.Bythner. Acceptgraciously acceptliterally, make fat; in a declarative sense regard as fat, and so receive as fat, i.e., as worthy to be offered, the fattest of the flock being chosen for sacrifice.Perowne. At the present day others as well as David may use this psalm in prayer, for as the person, the circumstances, the time and place, are all different in the new law, so likewise is the sacrifice; but one faith and one spirit abide through all ages, and amid all diversities of places, works, persons. The external varies, the internal remains ever the same.Luther. The individual relation to God is recognised by personal offerings. The separate application of the one sacrifice answers to the separate sacrifices of old. The one sacrifice must have its separate acceptance for the separate individual. Prayer to be efficacious must ever be offered in the spirit of sacrifice.
IV. Prayer is urgent to secure a specific answer to its petitions.
1. As they relate to special blessings. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions (Psa. 20:4-5). Prayer is offered for protection in time of danger, for wisdom to adopt and execute the best measures in the emergencies of war, and for victory over the enemy. Our desires and counsels are completely dependent upon God for their attainment, and ought to be prayers. The more clearly we see our peril, and the more pungently we feel our need, the more fervently do we wrestle for an answer to our petitions. Sometimes God doth not only grant a mans prayer, but fulfilleth his counsel; that is, in that very way, by that very means, which his judgment pitched upon his thoughts.Trapp.
2. As they relate to their immediate subject. Save, Lord; let the king hear us when we call (Psa. 20:9). Rendered by the LXX., O Lord, save the king, and hear us when we call upon Thee. The king is the subject of prayer, that he may be blessed with victory, and that he may be a blessing to others. The ninth verse is a summary of the whole psalm. The wellbeing of a people is suspended on the character and doings of the monarch. Prayer should be offered for him continually that he may be guarded from evil, that he may be wise, equitable, and prosperous. Prayer must not be intermitted even when confidence of Divine help has been inspired. Prayer will still be necessary to sustain that confidence in its trials, for the very confidence is a contingent virtue, and, perhaps, the more subject to risks of deterioration, because it is an inspired thing and not a thing of earth.
V. Answer to prayer is found wherever the presence of Jehovah is manifested. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion (Psa. 20:2). The Jews, whose weakness found it so difficult a task to look up to the Invisible God, were favoured with a visible sanctuary on Zion; thither the devout Israelite directed his prayer; thence he expected help in the day of trouble. Christ is now the sanctuary of His people; and in their worshipping assemblies He is wont to manifest His presence and power. The greatest distress is experienced when God is absent. His return banishes our fears, and nerves us with superhuman bravery. Men of the world despise sanctuary help; but our hearts have learned to prize it beyond all material aid. They seek help out of the armoury, or the treasury, or the buttery; but we turn to the sanctuary. Certain advertisers recommend a strengthening plaster; but nothing can give such strength to the loins of a saint as waiting upon God in the assemblies of His people.Spurgeon. God always puts honour upon His appointed services. His help, when it comes, will come by the way of the sanctuary and out of Zion. The faith to which that help is a response, wherever exercised, was first begotten amid the holy things of the sanctuary. The help has the same stamp as the faith that commands it, the stamp of the sanctuary.
CONFIDENCE IN JEHOVAH THE PLEDGE OF VICTORY
(Psa. 20:5-8.)
I. Confidence in Jehovah fills the heart with gladness. We will rejoice in Thy salvation (Psa. 20:5). The people are so assured of the help of God as to break out in a song of anticipatory triumph. Praise raises the moral tone of an army, and it is on this that its success largely depends. Jehoshaphat, before entering into battle with the vast armies of the Moabites and Ammonites, appointed singers to praise the Lord. He obtained an easy victory (2Ch. 20:20-22). When Louis XIII. of France had invested with his army a city of the Huguenots, the besieged assembled one evening on the city wall and sang, with great sweetness and solemnity, one of their favourite psalms. The king was so impressed with the whole scene and with the spirit of the singers, that he turned to Mazarin, his favourite general, who was by his side, and quietly observed, We can do nothing with this people. The siege was raised; and the persecuted Huguenots triumphed in their Lord. God ought to be remembered in our triumph as well as in our need. We are sometimes so much elated by the triumph as to forget the help by which it has come.
II. Confidence in Jehovah inspires with courage for the conflict. In the name of our God will we set upwaveour banners (Psa. 20:5). When the army has confidence in its General it unfurls its standard with resolute defiance, enters upon the contest with a stout, brave heart, and already anticipates the shouts of victory and the triumphant procession, with banners displayed. Great certainly is the faith which hath such courage by remembering the name of the Lord. Soldiers in our day are wont, when they go into battle, to recall to mind the brave exploits of their fathers, or former victories, and the like, wherewith to warm and stir their hearts. But let our princes remember the name of God, wherein all salvation and victory do stand.Luther. Confession of Christ, as the only name whereby we can be saved, is the banner which distinguishes His faithful people. Oh, that this confession were more distinct, more pure, more zealous, then would His followers be more united, more bold, more successfulterrible as an army with banners.W. Wilson.
III. Confidence in Jehovah secures the exercise of His Almighty power. Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed: He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand (Psa. 20:6). Prayer ought never to stop before it has brought a present sense of help. It is possible to have an inspoken answer to our prayers before the outward crisis to which we are looking has come. The hope suddenly changes into certainty. Now know I that Jehovah hath saved, hath given the victory. The singer speaks in the full assurance of faith that the prayer is heard, and as if he already saw the victory gained. The prayer had been that God would hear and send help from the earthly sanctuary or Zion. Now, the answer is to come from His holy heaven. For if God then condescended to dwell in visible glory among men, yet He would teach His people that He is not limited by the bounds of time and space. He is not like the gods of the heathen, the god of one city or country. He sends help out of Zion, but the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. Calvin sees expressed in the earthly sanctuary made by hands, the grace and condescension of God to His people; in the heavenly, His infinite power, greatness, and majesty.Perowne. Faith, says Quesnel, seems to put the Almighty power of God into the hands of man; whereas unbelief seems to tie up even the hands of the Almighty.
IV. Confidence in Jehovah exposes the inadequacy of the best human contrivances. Some trust in chariots and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psa. 20:7). The remark of a great warrior, that Providence is always on the side of the strongest battalion, may be applauded as an evidence of military penetration, but the sceptical sneer is none the less apparent in the sentiment. According to the law, Israel was forbidden to maintain a standing army. They were taught to trust in God, both for defence and victory (Deu. 20:2-4; Deu. 32:30). Some of the conquests of the chosen people were gained by means which contradicted and defied the ordinary rules of warfare, and seemed absurd to the believer in military skill and prowess. Moral power was pitted against the material, and won the day, as it ever will. When the Israelites depended more upon their armies than their God, they suffered the most humiliating defeats. The most dreaded war-engine of Davids day was the war-chariot, armed with scythes which mowed men down like grass: this was the boast and glory of the neighbouring nations; but the saints considered the name of Jehovah to be a far better defence.
V. Confidence in Jehovah turns apparent defeat into victory. They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen and stand upright (Psa. 20:8). The prophetic vision of faith already sees the issue of the conflict. The ranks of those who trust in chariots and horses, who rely on material aid, seem firm, impenetrable, defiant, and the onset irresistible. But the people of God, whose trust is in the unseen, and who seem overwhelmed and put to the worse, rise up triumphant, while their enemies are brought down and crushedthe instruments of war in which they trusted helping to make their ruin more complete. Faith has surer wheels than pride; and prayer will carry us where power must fall. Faith alone, which commits itself to God, can sing the song of triumph before the victory, and raise the shout of joy before help has been obtained; for to faith all is permitted. It trusts in God, and so really has what it believes, because faith deceives not; as it believes, so is it done.Luther.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Psalms 20
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
To Prayer for a King in Distress, a Favourable Answer is Confidently Awaited.
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., Psa. 20:1-4, Petitions for Divine Succour. Refrain, Psa. 20:5, Promise of Praise for Victory. Stanza II., Psa. 20:6-8, Assuring Answer Acknowledged. Refrain, Psa. 20:9, Praise Offered in Anticipation.
(Lm.) PsalmBy David.
1
May he[188] answer thee in the day of distress,
[188] M.T.: Jehovah.
may the[189] God of Jacob set thee on high;
[189] M.T.: name of the.
2
Send help to thee out of the sanctuary,
and out of Zion uphold thee;
3
Remember all thy grain-offerings,
and thine ascending-sacrifice esteem.[190]
[190] Find thy sacrifice fatDr.
4
Give thee according to thy heart,
and all thy purpose fulfill.
We will ring out our joy in thy victory,[191]
[191] Or: salvation.
and in the name of our God will we exult.[192]
[192] So with many critics, and some copies of Sep. M.T. adds: Jehovah fulfill thy petitions. Prob. repetition from Psa. 20:4.
6
Now hath the hand of Jehovah been made known,[193]
[193] Thus, by Br., conjecturally restored. M.T.: Now do I know that Jehovah hath saved his Anointed One.
Jehovah hath given victory to his Anointed One:
he answereth him out of his holy heavens,
by the mighty deeds of victory of his right hand.
7
These by chariots and horses
but we by Jehovah are strong:[194]
[194] M.T.:
These by chariots and those by horses
But well by the name of Jehovah our God make memorial. But, in any case, according to Ginsburg, make memorial (nazkir) shd. give place to be strong (nigbir).
8
They have bowed down and fallen,
but we have arisen and are established.
9
Jehovah hath given victory to the king,
He answereth us on the day when we call.
(Lm.) To the Chief Musician.
PARAPHRASE
Psalms 20
In your day of trouble, may the Lord be with you! May the God of Jacob keep you from all harm.
2 May He send you aid from His sanctuary in Zion.
3 May He remember with pleasure the gifts you have given Him, your sacrifices and burnt offerings.
4 May He grant you your hearts desire and fulfill all your plans.
5 May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that He has done for you. May He answer all your prayers.
6 God save the kingI know He does! He hears me from highest heaven and sends great victories.
7 Some nations boast of armies and of weaponry, but our boast is in the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will collapse and perish; we will arise to stand firm and sure!
9 Give victory to our king, O Lord; oh, hear our prayer.
EXPOSITION
This psalm and the next, pair well together. The occasion of them (in the present form), was, in all probability, the peril and deliverance of King Jehoshaphat as recorded in 2 Oh. 20. The victory of Jehoshaphat in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, cf. 2 Chronicles 20, gives us a most appropriate historical situation; and the promise of victory, given by the prophet, gives an appropriate explanation of the change from petition to certitude in the two parts of the psalmBriggs. It is observable that whereas the prayer had been that Jehovah would send help out of the sanctuary, the assurance, later on, traces the victory to the holy heavens as its source. There is in reality no contradiction between the two. representations: king and people were already assembled in the house of Jehovah, before the new court, when Jahaziel a Levite, and therefore a servant of the sanctuary, stood forth in the midst of the convocation; and, with the spirit of prophecy upon him, gave the people a Divine assurance of victory. It was rightly felt that this assurance came direct from heaven, as also the signal deliverance which on the next day became an accomplished fact. For if God then condescended to dwell in visible glory among men, yet He would teach his people that he is not limited by the bounds of time and spacePerowne. This turning toward heaven is not inconsistent with the previous turning toward the sanctuary as the source of help, for the conception of theophanic residence in sacred places on earth, did not from the earliest times of the Hebrew religion, lead them away from the thought that the real residence of Yahweh was in heavenBriggs.
Notwithstanding the opinion expressed above that Psalms 20, 21, in their present form, commemorate primarily the peril and deliverance of King Jehoshaphat, both psalms in their original form may have come from David, and may have had special reference to Solomon. From these assumptions, it becomes all the more striking to note how well their main characteristics suit Hezekiah also. The words were a timely prayer for Hezekiah, in whose reign Psa. 20:7-9 were added (note the plural number predominating in the pronouns here)Thirtle, O.T.P., 314.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Read II Chronicles chapter 20 and see if you agree with Rotherham that this psalm as well as the 21st refer to Jehoshaphat. Discuss.
2.
William Graham Scroggie had another concept of this psalmRead the following and discuss:
Psalms 20, 21 are a pair: both are Battle Songs; the twentieth precedes the encounter, the twenty-first follows it; the one is prayer and the other is praise; the one anticipates, and the other reflects. Each of them is in two parts, and taken together present an inverted parallelism. In 20, in the main, the People speak first (Psa. 20:1-5), then the King (Psa. 20:6-8); and in 21, the King speaks first (Psa. 20:1-7), and then the People (Psa. 20:8-9). Read the two Psalms now, with this in mind, and remember, the battle takes place between them.
Both Psalms fit the time of David, and both in their deepest sense are Messianic, and point to Him Who cannot but be victorious at last over all that opposes His Throne. Psa. 20:1-5 are the address of the people to their king, and it is worthy of notice that their confidence is not in the kings strength, skill, or past successes, but in Jehovah, the God of Jacob. The psalmist does not speak of the God of Abram; that would have been less encouraging, for Abram was so great in faith that we feel far removed from him, but we all are more on Jacobs level. Warfare and worship should go together (Psa. 20:3); he who does not sacrifice is not likely to succeed. The LORD will fulfil our petitions when they are on this note and in this vein (Psa. 20:5).
To this desire of the people the king replies (Psa. 20:6-8, or in Psa. 20:6 only, if Psa. 20:7-9 be attributed to the people). They had asked for help from Zion (Psa. 20:2), but the king looks higher up, to heaven (Psa. 20:6). God acts when His people pray. A whisper may start an avalanche. Impotence can set Omnipotence in motion. The Name of the LORD our God is opposed to the enemies, chariots and horses. Whats in a name? It depends upon whose name it is. Nothing can successfully oppose the NAME OF THE LORD.
The address to the earthly king in Psa. 20:1-5 rises to an appeal to the heavenly King in Psa. 20:9. Now for the battle which is not recorded, his, yours, mine!
Thought: Always kneel before you, fight.
From PSALMS, p. 131, 132.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) Day of trouble . . . God of Jacob.This certainly recalls the patriarchs words (Gen. 35:3), I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress. The name alone of the God of Jacob was a safeguard to the people, called after their great forefather Israel. So even under the shadow of the greatness of human monarchs and heroes whole peoples have often felt secure and strong, using no other weapon but his name.
Defend thee.Better, set thee up on high (comp. Psa. 69:29; Psa. 91:14) as in a fortress, out of the reach of foes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1. The Lord hear thee, etc. Literally, Jehovah shall answer thee in the day of distress. A prayer for the king as he enters the battle. See introduction.
The name of the God “Name,” here, may be considered as having the force of a reciprocal pronoun, equal to God himself. The name of Jehovah was a terror to the heathen nations and a shield of protection to Israel. Exo 15:14; Deu 2:25; Jos 2:9-10
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Leading Intercessor Speaks To The People By Way Of Intercession ( Psa 20:1-4 ).
We note here the singular ‘you’. The reference is probably to the whole people seen as one. Or it may be spoken to the king as representing the people. Either way it was probably spoken in the tabernacle/temple precincts while sacrifices were being offered (Psa 20:3), in a day of trouble, possibly when news had come of raids on their territory and possibly more. We do not all suffer from those now, but we do suffer the encroachments of another Enemy.
Psa 20:1-2
‘YHWH answer you in the day of trouble,
The name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
Send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion.’
The leading petitioner (who may be the anointed Prince, or the High Priest) appeals for Yahweh to help them (the people) on the day of trouble that has come on them, and to set them in a place of safety and victory. Reference to ‘the God of Jacob’ may recognise that they are like Jacob, the weak and failing side of Jacob/Israel, but at the same time stressing that they are looking to His mercy, precisely because He was the God of Jacob, the weak and failing one who yet proved his strength with God. Or they may be proudly naming their ancestor, and reminding God that they are descended from one who was His chosen, and that they are His chosen in him. Either way the appeal is that He will establish them ‘on high’, in the place of honour and victory.
‘The name of the God of Jacob set you up on high.’ That is, God as He is revealed through His name.
The deliverance is looked for ‘from the sanctuary’, that is from the invisible God acting from Heaven through His throne over the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH in the Holiest of All. They look for strengthening (‘a holding up’) in their endeavours, in all they sought to do, a ‘holding up’ coming out of Mount Zion, the earthly dwellingplace of God, on which the Tabernacle or Temple stands.
The assumption is that God will hear and answer their cry because by His own choice He has taken up His dwelling among His people, and because He is their God Who has elected to make a covenant with them, and their prince is His anointed one (Psa 20:6), His chosen.
Psa 20:3
‘Remember all your offerings,
And accept as fat your burnt offering. Selah’
So as the offerings for YHWH’s aid are offered, the petitioner appeals to God to remember all their past offerings which have revealed them as His true covenant people, and to especially note these that are now being offered. The offerings are both an admission of sin, a means of atonement and a token of rededication to God’s covenant. To ‘remember’ them will be to act in response to them
‘All your offerings.’ Possibly in mind are the meal offerings (mincha – ‘gift’) which accompanied sacrifices. Also the ‘burnt offering’ (‘whole offering’, i.e. wholly consumed by fire) which was wholly offered to YHWH. These two composed the daily morning and evening offering (Exo 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8). But they were also offered at other times as well, and the fact that the meal offerings are plural suggests that this is referring to extra offerings possibly resulting from the crisis. ‘Accept as fat’ means to treat it as acceptable. The fat was an important part of the offering.
For sacrificial offerings made specifically in preparation for war see 1Sa 7:9-10; 1Sa 13:9-12 and Jer 6:4 which speaks of ‘sanctifying a war’.
Psa 20:4
‘Grant you your heart’s desire,
And fulfil all your counsel.’
The speaker’s final petition is that they will receive what they desire from their hearts, and will be prospered in what they have decided to do in order to deal with the problem on hand.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psalms 20
Psa 20:1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
Psa 20:1
Psa 20:1 “the God of Jacob” – Comments – Why is the name “the God of Jacob” used for God in Psa 20:1? What reference to Jacob applies to this Psalm of help in the day of trouble? Perhaps no other story in the Scriptures displays a desperate man in trouble more than the night when Jacob wrestled with the angel of God all night at Peniel (Gen 32:7). Jacob prayed a prayer of desperate faith, relying of God’s promises, and not upon himself (Gen 32:9-12). If God could deliver Jacob, He could deliver any people.
Gen 32:7, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;”
Psa 20:2-3 Sacrifices in the Sanctuary and Petitions unto the Lord – In Psa 20:2-3 the psalmist describes a person or nation making a sacrifice at the sanctuary of the Lord and looking to God for an answer to prayer. Often, before battle, the children of Israel would offer a sacrifice to God in prayer. We see this being done by Samuel at Mizpah (1Sa 7:7-13) and by King Saul at Gilgal (1Sa 13:4-9). Perhaps this Psalm became a pray that was used before going out to battle in the time of King David. The context of this Psalm supports a prayer before battle (Psa 20:7).
Psa 20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
Psa 20:3 Psa 20:3
Act 10:4, “And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.”
Psa 20:4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
Psa 20:4
Psa 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psa 20:5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
Psa 20:6 Psa 20:7 Psa 20:7
In the history of Israel, the victories were never won on the battlefield, but in the prayer room. The battles may have been fought in the valleys, but the victories were won on the mountaintop. Joshua defeated the Amalekites in the valley while Moses held up the rod on the mountain (see Exo 17:8-16). Note a similar verse in Pro 21:31, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Prayer in Time of War.
v. 1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, v. 2. send thee help, v. 3. remember all thy offerings, v. 5. We will rejoice in thy salvation, v. 6. Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed, v. 7. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, v. 8. They, v. 9. Save, Lord! Let the King hear us when we call,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
THIS psalm seems to have been composed for a special occasion, when David was about to proceed on an expedition against a foreign enemy. It is liturgical, and written to be recited in the court of the tabernacle by the high priest and people. The date of its composition is after the transfer of the ark from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David (2Sa 6:12-19), as appears from Psa 20:2. The conjecture which attaches it to the Syrian War described in 2Sa 10:17-19, is probable. There is no reason to doubt the authorship of David, asserted in the title, and admitted by most critics.
The psalm divides into two portionsthe first of five, and the second of four verses. In the first part, the people chant the whole. In the second, the high priest takes the word, and initiates the strain (2Sa 10:6), while the people join in afterwards (2Sa 10:7-9).
Psa 20:1
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble. The people intercede for their king in a “clay of trouble” or “distress,” when danger impends, and he is about to affront it. They are made to ask, first of all, that God will hear the king’s prayers, which are no doubt being silently offered while they pray aloud. The Name of the God of Jacob defend thee. (On the force of the expression, “the Name of God,” see the comment upon Psa 7:17.) “Jacob’s God”a favourite expression with Davidis the God who made him the promise, “I will be with thee, and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest” (Gen 28:15). “Defend thee” is scarcely a correct rendering. Translate, exalt thee.‘
Psa 20:2
Send thee help from the sanctuary. “The sanctuary” here is undoubtedly the holy place which David had established on Mount Zion, and in which he had placed the ark of the covenant. God’s help was always regarded as coming especially from the place where he had “set his Name.” In the original it is, “Send thy help”the help thou needest and prayest for. And strengthen thee out of Zion; rather, support thee.
Psa 20:3
Remember all thy offerings. (On David’s offerings, see 2Sa 6:13, 2Sa 6:17; 2Sa 24:25; 1Ch 15:26; 1Ch 16:1; 1Ch 21:28; 1Ch 29:21.) It is not to be supposed, however, that David ever sacrificed victims with his own hand, or without the intervention of a priest. And accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. It is a reasonable conjecture that the “Selah” here marks a “pause,” during which special sacrifices were offered, with a view of entreating God’s favour and protection in the coming war (Hengstenberg).
Psa 20:4
Grant thee according to thine own heart; i.e. whatever thy heart desireth “in connection with this expedition, all that thou hopest from it, all that thou wouldst have it accomplish.” And fulfil all thy counsel; i.e. make all thy plans to prosper.
Psa 20:5
We will rejoice in thy salvation. David’s” salvation” is here his triumph over his enemies, which the people confidently anticipate, and promise themselves the satisfaction of speedily celebrating with joy and rejoicing. And in the Name of our God we will set up our banners. Plant them, i.e; on the enemy’s forts and strongholds. The Lord fulfil all thy petitions. A comprehensive prayer, re-echoing the first clause of Psa 20:1 and the whole of Psa 20:4, but reaching out further to all that the monarch may at any future time request of God, The first part of the psalm here ends, and the people pause for a while.
Psa 20:6
Now know I. The employment of the first person singular marks a change in the speaker, and is best explained by supposing that either the high priest or the king himself takes the word. The offering of the solemn prayer (Psa 20:1-5) and of the sacrifices (see the comment on Psa 20:3) has been followed by a full conviction that the prayer is granted, and the triumph of David assured. What was previously hoped for is “now known.” That the Lord saveth (or, hath saved) his anointed (comp. Psa 18:50). He will hear him from his holy heaven; literally, from the heaven of his holiness. With the saving strength of his right hand. God will hear him, i.e; and, having heard him, will help and defend him “with the saving strength of his right hand.”
Psa 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses. The enemies of David towards the northSyrians of Zobah, and Maachah, and Damascus, and Beth-Rehobwere especially formidable on account of their cavalry and their chariots. David on one occasion “took from Hadarezer, King of Zobah, a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen” (1Ch 18:4). On another he “slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots” (1Ch 19:18). His own troops appear to have consisted entirely of footmen. But we will remember the Name of the Lord our God. Our trust, i.e; shall be in the Lord, who has commanded our kings “not to multiply horses” (Deu 17:16).
Psa 20:8
They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen, and stand upright. Confident of the result, the speaker represents it as already achieved. He sees the enemy bowed down to the earth, and fallen; he sees the host of Israel erect and triumphant. All stands out clearly before his vision, as though he were an actual spectator of the fight.
Psa 20:9
Save, Lord! This punctuation is adopted by Delitzsch, Kay, Professor Alexander, Hengstenberg, and our Revisers; but is opposed by Rosenmuller, Bishop Horsley, Ewald, Hupfeld, Cheyne, and the ‘Speaker’s Commentary.’ It has the Hebrew Masoretie text in its favour, the Septuagint and Vulgate against it. Authorities are thus nearly equally balanced on the point; and we are at liberty to translate either, “Save, Lord: may the King hear us when we call!” or, “O Lord save the king: maybe hear us when we call (upon him)!” On the whole, perhaps, the former is preferable.
HOMILETICS
Psa 20:5
The safeguards of prayer.
“The Lord fulfil all thy petitions.” An amazingly bold wish! Especially if you read it in the light of Psa 20:4, “Grant thee thy heart’s desire!” It might be the worst wish we could expresseven for a good manthat God would grant him all he desires. It is written of the rebellious, ungrateful Israelites, “He gave them their own desire.” But it was their ruin (Psa 78:29). We may be conscious of desires springing up in our own heart, even dwelling deep there, which, though we do not know them to be wrong, we ourselves would scarcely venture to put into our prayers. Nevertheless, this bold wish is not larger than our Saviour’s promise to prayer (Mat 21:22; Joh 14:13, Joh 14:14). The text, therefore, suggests
I. GOD‘S INFINITE POWER TO ANSWER PRAYER. Nature, with its innumerable forms, mighty forces, all-comprehending laws, undisclosed secrets, is his. He designed, created, controls it. All hearts and lives are in his hand. All holy creatures do his will. With God all things are possible (Rom 8:28). To some minds, amazing difficulty and doubt beset this glorious fact, that God hears and answers prayer. The special stumbling-block, the objection most frequently urged, is that God works by lawgoverns all nature by unchanging law. Of course he does. So does man work by law; and, instead of governing, is governed by, the laws of nature. What then? This does not hinder men from answering prayergranting, every minute, the requests of children, friends, customers, clients. Can anything, seriously considered, be more absurd than to suppose that God cannot do what he has enabled us to do?that he has so made his universe that he cannot manage it; though, so far as our needs require, we can? Or is it anything less than childish narrowness of thought to suppose that, because we do not understand how the thing asked for can be donethe healing of a disease, e.g; or averting a danger, or giving a prosperous wind to a ship, or converting a sinnertherefore God does not know how to effect it? If there is one lesson the discoveries of modern science should teach, it is that our ignorance is not the measure of possibility, It is no business of ours to scheme how God can grant our prayers; only to see to it, as far as we can, that they are such as he can wisely, justly, and for our true welfare, grant. Infinite power, guided by infinite wisdom and love, suffices. This brings us to speak of
II. THE LIMITS AND SAFEGUARDS OF PRAYER. “All thy petitions” would be too bold and rash a wish, were there no tacit limitation, no fence of safety in the background. We cannot possibly be certain what is best for ourselves, even in the near future; still less how the granting of our petition would affect others. Much more ignorant are we of far-off results. Many a Christian locks back on the unwise prayers he offered, with shuddering thankfulness that his request was denied. Yet, at the time, it seemed so reasonable. In this ignorance we should not dare to praythe hazard would be too greatif we knew that God would give what we asked, whether it were wise or foolish, right or wrong. “With God all things are possible;” but it is certain he will do nothing but what is wise and good. He will not grant his child’s request to his ruin, or to the breaking off of his own gracious purpose (Psa 138:8). It is ours to ask, his to judge. Therefore we may ask boldly, never forgetting,” Not as I will, hut as thou wilt.”
III. THE PLEA AND WARRANT OF OUR PRAYERS IS THE ALL–PREVAILING INTERCESSION OF CHRIST. The title “Anointed” (Psa 20:6)”Messiah”though often applied to David and his descendants, suggests a higher application (as in Psa 2:7, Psa 2:8). So the best Jewish as well as Christian interpreters (comp. Joh 2:1-25 :41, 42). His prayers must always be in perfect accord with both the mind and the will of God, his wisdom and his goodness. When he says to the weakest disciple, “I have prayed for thee’ (Luk 22:32), that disciple cannot perish. Our weak, unworthy prayers are mighty and acceptable in his Name (Joh 15:7; Joh 16:23, Joh 16:24). The glory of heaven is waiting to fulfil his prayer (Joh 17:20-24).
HOMILIES BY C. CLEMANCE
Psa 20:1-9
Prayer for Israel’s king when going forth to battle: a national sermon.
In this psalm, as indeed in the rest, there are most suggestive verses, which might be elaborated into useful discourses. But in this division of the Commentary we refrain from dealing with isolated texts. We desire rather to show how the whole psalm may be used by the expositor of Scripture as the basis of a national sermon in a time of impending war. No doubt, as Mr. Spurgeon remarks, it has been used by court preachers and pressed into the service of unctuous and fulsome flattery. There is, however, another kind of abuse to which it has been subjected, even that of an extreme spiritualizing, in which the words are made to convey a meaning which there is no indication that they were ever intended to bear. No commentator seems to have set forth the bearing of the psalm more clearly and accurately than that prince of expositors, John Calvin. We have no clue, indeed, to the precise occasion on which the psalm was written; but we can scarcely be wrong in regarding it as a prayer to be said or sung in the sanctuary on behalf of the king when he was called forth to defend himself in battle against his enemies. And inasmuch as the kingship of David was a type of that of the Lord Jesus Christ, the psalm may doubtless be regarded as the prayer of the Church of God for the triumph of the Saviour over all his foes. It is said, “Prayer also shall be made for him continually,” and those words are being fulfilled in the ceaseless offering of the petition, “Thy kingdom come.” At the same time, there is such deep and rich significance in the psalm when set on the strictly historical basis, that to develop it from that point of view will occupy all the space at our command. The scenes here brought before us are these: Israel’s king is summoned to go forth to war; sanctuary service is being held on his behalf; a prayer is composed, is set to music, and delivered to the precentor, to be said or sung on the occasion; after sacrifices have been offered, and the signs of Divine acceptance have been vouchsafed, the Levites, the singers, and the congregation join in these words of supplication. Obviously, there is here assumed a Divine revelations; the aid of Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel, is invoked; he is called, “Jehovah our God.” The disclosures of God’s grace in the wondrous history of their father Jacob are brought to mind. They, as a people, have been raised above reliance on chariots and horses alone. The Name of their God has lifted them up on high, “as in a fortress where no enemy can do harm, or on a rock at the foot of which the waves fret and dash themselves in impotent fury.” They know of two sanctuariesone in Zion (verse 2), the other “the heaven of God’s holiness” (verse 6); they know that God hears from the latter, when his people gather in the former. Hence the prayer is sent up from the sanctuary below to that above. We, as Christians, have all Israel’s knowledge, and more. The revelation the Hebrews had through Moses is surpassed by that in Christ. And although, as a “geographical expression,” no nation now has the pre-eminence over any other as before God, yet any praying people can get as near to God now as ever Israel did. All devout souls have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Hence, when any trouble-especially that of warbefalls them, they may betake themselves to their God, and plead with him on behalf of their emperor, their king, their president, their state. And the psalm before us is truly a grand one for preachers to use at such emergencies, that they may cheer a people’s heart, quicken the people’s prayers. The abuse of the psalm by some courtiers, who feared man rather than God, is no reason why the preachers of any day should leave such a psalm unused, still less is it a reason why they should refuse to preach national sermons at all. For a long time, Nonconformists were so treated, that some of their preachers almost lost the national esprit de corps. But it is to be hoped that that is passing away; for on the basis of a psalm like this, some lines of thought may be so expounded and applied from the pulpit as to cause times of national peril and anxiety to be most fruitful in spiritual elevation and power.
I. IT IS AN ANXIOUS TIME FOR ANY PEOPLE WHEN THE HEAD OF THEIR STATE IS CALLED FORTH TO BATTLE. (See 2Ch 20:1-3.) The interests at stake in the conflict itself, and for the promotion of which it is entered upon, must press heavily on the nation’s heart. The fearful bloodshed and unspeakable suffering and distress in private life, which any battle involves, must bring anguish to many mothers, wives, and children; many a home will be darkened, and many a heart crushed, through the war, however large the success in which it may ultimately result.
II. WHEN WARS ARE ENTERED UPON PERFORCE, FOR A RIGHT OBJECT, THE PEOPLE MAY LAY BEFORE THEIR GOD THE BURDEN THAT IS ON THEIR HEARTS. (2Ch 20:5-15.) There is a God. He is our God. He has a heart, tender as a father’s, and a hand gentle as a mother’s; while, with all such pitying love, he has a strength that can speed worlds in their course. Nothing is too large for him to control; nought too minute for him to observe. And never can one be more sure of a gracious response than when, with large interests at stake, a people are united as one in spreading before the throne of God their case with all its care. If “the very hairs of our head” are all numbered, how much more the petitions of the heart!
III. AT SUCH TIMES THE INTENSEST SYMPATHIES OF THE PEOPLE GATHER BOUND THEIR ARMY AND THEIR THRONE. (Verse 5.) “We will rejoice in thy deliverance,” etc. Whatever may have been the sentiment in bygone times, we now know that the king is for the people, not the people for the king. Hence his victory or defeat is theirs. The soldiers, too, who go forth loyally and obediently to the struggle, with their lives in their hands, leaving at home their dear ones weeping as they leave them lest they should see the loved face no more, how can it but be that a nation’s warmest, strongest sympathies should gather round them as they go to the war?
IV. THE NAME OF GOD IS A STRONGER DEFENCE TO SUCH A PEOPLE THAN ALL MATERIAL FORCES CAN COMMAND. (Verses 6, 7.) This is so in many senses.
1. God himself can so order events as to ensure the victory to a praying people, however strong and numerous the foes.
2. An army sent out with a people’s prayers, knowing that it is so sustained, will fight the more bravely.
3. To the generals in command, God can give, in answer to prayer, a wisdom that secures a triumphant issue.
4. All chariots and horsemen are at his absolute disposal, and he can cause them all to vanish in an hour. The army of Sennacherib, The Spanish Armada. History is laden with illustrations of Divine interposition (Psa 107:43).
V. WHEN THE PEOPLE TRUSTINGLY LAY THE WHOLE MATTER BEFORE GOD, THEY MAY PEACEFULLY LEAVE IT TO HIM AND CALMLY AWAIT THE RESULT. (cf. verse 8.) When once their affairs are rolled over on God, they are on his heart, and will be controlled by his hand on their behalf. Hence the wonderfully timely word of Jahaziel (2Ch 20:15), “The battle is not yours, but God’s.” Such a thought may well inspire the people with the calmness of a holy courage, and may well lead them patiently to wait and see “the end of the Lord.” Note: By such devotional use of national crises, they may become to a nation a holy and blessed means of grace; whereby the people at large may learn more of the value and power of prayer than in many a year of calm, and may be drawn more closely together for ever through a fellowship in trouble and in prayer.C.
HOMILIES BY W. FORSYTH
Psa 20:1
The day of trouble.
Such a day comes sooner or later to all. Nations have their “day of trouble,” when they are visited with pestilence, famine, or war, or torn by internal strifes. Individuals also have their “day of trouble” (Job 5:6, Job 5:7). Trouble is a test. It shows what manner of persons we are. Happy are we, if, like the king and people of this psalm, trouble brings us nearer to God and to one another in love and service! The day of trouble should
I. DRIVE THE SOUL TO GOD. In prosperity there are many helps, but in adversity there is but one. God is the true Refuge. His ear is ever open, and can “hear.” His hand is ever stretched out, and can “defend.” His resources are infinite, and he can “strengthen us out of Zion.” The name here given to God, “the God of Jacob,” is richly suggestive. It holds out hope to the sinful; for God was very merciful to Jacob. It assures comfort to the distressed; for God was with Jacob, to keep him during all his wanderings. It encourages trust, for God had a gracious purpose with Jacob, and made all the trials of his life contribute to his moral advancement. “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God!” (Psa 146:5).
II. BRING ALL THE GOOD TOGETHER IN HOLY SERVICE. In face of a common danger, there is a tendency to unite. So “Pilate and Herod were made friends” (Luk 23:12). So Jehoshaphat and the King of Israel entered into alliance (1Ki 22:2). So, in a nobler way, God’s people come together for mutual edification and comfort, and to call upon the Name of the Lord (Mal 3:16). The Jews had the temple and the sacrifices, and the high priest to plead for them. But we have greater privileges. For us our great High Priest, “having offered one sacrifice for sin for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb 10:12, Heb 10:13). We have common dangers and needs, and can do much to help one another. When David was in trouble in the wood of Ziph, Jonathan went down to him, and strengthened his hands in God. When Peter was in prison, and in peril of death, “prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him” (Act 12:5). When the Jerusalem Christians were in sore straits, the sympathies of their fellow-Christians in happier circumstances were called forth in their behalf (Rom 15:26). So when the truth is assailed, and the interests of the kingdom are endangered, it is the duty of all true lovers of Christ to band together, and by prayer and holy effort to “contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.”
III. STRENGTHEN OUR ATTACHMENT TO THE SUPREME PRINCIPLES OF RIGHT. There are many things dear to us which we may have to defend, but we must make a difference. “The day of trouble” is a searching and a sifting time. In drawing near to God, and by mutual warnings, we find out what is really of the highest value; what we may let go, and what we should keep; what we may safely relinquish, and what we should fight for to the last gasp; what is only of temporary or of secondary importance, and what is essential and more to be valued than all worldly and personal advantages, or even life itself (Dan 3:16-18; Act 4:18-20).
IV. PREPARE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE COMING VICTORY OF GOOD OVER EVIL. Waiting upon God gives hope. Praying and working inspire confidence. Imagination, kindled by the thought of God’s Name, portrays in glowing colours the near deliverance. There is something very inspiriting in the “I know” of the psalmist. Job says, “I know” (Job 19:25); Paul says, “I know” (2Ti 1:12); and so we may join with the psalmist in saying, “Now know I that the Lord sayeth his anointed.” We are too apt to think only of our troubles; but let us rather “remember the Name of the Lord.” We are too ready to wish the defeat of our opponents, but let us rather seek the vindication of truth and the triumph of right, and, if God will, the transformation of foes into friends, so that they, as well as we, may share in the joys of the great day.W.F.
HOMILIES BY C. SHORT
Psa 20:1-9
Help from the sanctuary for the battle of life.
A liturgical psalm, which was sung on behalf of the king, who was about to go forth to battle. It was chanted in alternate voices by the congregation and the priest or Levite who led the choir. As the king stands within the sanctuary, offering his sacrifice, the crowd of worshippers in the spacious courts lift up their voices in the prayer of the first five verses; then the answering chant of the priest or leader from Psa 20:6 to 8; then all join in the prayer of the ninth verse, “God save the king!” Help from the sanctuary for the battle of life. Influences to be gathered there.
I. A SENSE OF GOD‘S HELPFUL RELATIONS TO US. (Psa 20:1, Psa 20:2.) He hears in trouble, defends us in danger, and strengthens us for conflict; and thus helps us by means of the worship of the sanctuary. It is thus he remembers our offerings and accepts our worship.
II. GOD GRANTS THE DESIRES AND FULFILS THE COUNSELS WHICH ARE INSPIRED IN HIS SERVICE. (Psa 20:4.) “If we ask anything according to his will, we know that he heareth us.”
III. WE CAN WIN THE BATTLE ONLY SO FAR AS WE REALIZE THAT IT IS GOD‘S BATTLE..(Psa 20:5.) “In the Name of our God must we set up our banners.” He is the Captain of our salvation, and if we are loyal to him we shall rejoice in a victorious cause.
IV. TRUE FAITH IN GOD IS ASSURED OF VICTORY BEFORE THE BATTLE IS FOUGHT. (Psa 20:6.) “I know whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that,” etc.; “Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory!” “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
V. “RIGHT IS MIGHT” TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT OF GOD. (Psa 20:7, Psa 20:8.) They do not trust in material strength, but in the justice of their cause, i.e. in the power of God, and not in chariots and horses. God, therefore, is not, in any historical war, on the side of the strongest battalions. “They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
VI. THE PERSISTENT AND FINAL CRY OF THE TRUE WORSHIPPER IS FOB THE SALVATION OF GOD. (Psa 20:9.)S.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Psalms 20.
The church blesseth the king in his exploits: her confidence in God’s succour.
To the chief musician, A Psalm of David.
Title. lamnatseach mizmor ledavid. This Psalm is supposed to have been written for the service of the tabernacle, and to be sung in parts by the congregation and David himself, (See the note on Psa 20:9.) in order to pray for his good success in some great expedition; which it is probable, from Psa 20:7., was against the Ammonites and Syrians, who came with great numbers of horsemen and chariots to fight with him. See 2Sa 6:8. 1Ch 19:7. Mudge observes, that the three first verses seem to have been spoken by the people, or priests of the temple rather, upon the king’s coming to offer sacrifice, before he set out upon his expedition. The five next, not by David, but by the high-priest, upon seeing the sacrifice promise well, by being happily consumed to ashes, joined perhaps with the other usual signals of favour; which makes him break out afresh in the 6th verse; Now know I, &c. The last verse was sung by the people or priests as a chorus.
Psa 20:1. Defend thee Raise thee up. Houb.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psalms 20
To the chief musician, a Psalm of David
1The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
The name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2Send thee help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen thee out of Zion;
3Remember all thy offerings,
And accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4Grant thee according to thine own heart,
And fulfil all thy counsel.
5We will rejoice in thy salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
The Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed;
He will hear him from his holy heaven
With the saving strength of his right hand.
7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8They are brought down and fallen:
But we are risen, and stand upright.
9Save, Lord:
Let the king hear us when we call.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Its Contents and Composition. The assistance of God is implored for a king, with reference to a war with foreign enemies, and indeed, as it seems, not in general at his entering upon his government (Hupf.); or without any reference to a special case as a formula of a prayer for authorities in general (Calv., Luth., Geier); or in a direct Messianic sense pointing to Christ and the Church militant (J. H. Mich., et al.); or embracing the two last references (Hengst.); but on his going forth to war, and with the sacrifices usual upon such occasions (1Sa 13:9-12, most interpreters). On account of the mention of Zion in connection with the sanctuary (Psa 20:2), this king cannot be Saul, to whom and of whom David might speak, but rather David himself, who in the second expedition against the Syrians marched forth himself personally (2Sa 10:17), and knew how to vanquish his enemies who were provided with chariots (2Sa 8:4). The speaker is then, naturally, not David, but either the congregation assembled at the sacrifice (most interpreters), or some one speaking in their name. The supposition of a responsive song between the choir and a single voice (Psa 20:6), either a Levite (Ewald, Delitzsch), or the king (Knapp et al.), makes the Psalm more vivid, but is not plainly given by the text.
The transparent language and the simple arrangement, the smooth symmetry and the quiet advance in thought, are not in favor of a poetical effusion of the feelings of the moment, but of its being a hymn previously composed for Divine service on a special occasion. It is more natural to suppose that the author was David, than an unknown poet, as there are some things that remind us of his style. Hitzig, with reference to the next psalm as one closely connected with the present, considers the king here addressed as Uzziah who at the beginning of his government had to contend with the Philistines (2Ch 26:6), and the prophet Zechariah (who exerted some influence upon Uzziah, who was then sixteen years old, 2Ch 26:5), as the speaker. But the threads of this hypothesis are finer than a spiders web (comp. Psalms 21).
The first half of the psalm expresses the desire for the success of the king through the assistance of Jehovah, in such a way that its fulfilment is not only formally presupposed, but forms the real foundation for the victorious shouts of the congregation (Psa 20:5). The imperfects have from the earliest times been constantly regarded as optatives, only by Hitzig and Sachs as futures in the sense of comforting and encouraging exhortation, as an expression of a hope, which is said to form the prelude to the conviction expressed in Psa 20:6. But the certainty of Divine help which appears in Psa 20:6, with now, which does not at all lead to a later composition of this section (Maurer), but to a confirmation of the faith in Divine help, as it has been declared in sacrifices and prayers, agrees better with the supposition that the preceding verbs are optatives. Only from this foundation of certainty does the language rise (Psa 20:6 b) to the expression of the hope of the victory (which is described in Psa 20:7-8, in dramatic antithesis) and close with prayer corresponding with this course of thought (Psa 20:9). The perfects in Psa 20:6; Psa 20:8, express the sure future.
Str. I. [Psa 20:1. The name of the God of Jacob.Barnes: The word name is often put in the Scriptures for the person himself; and hence this is equivalent to saying may the God of Jacob defend thee. See Psa 5:11; Psa 9:10; Psa 44:5; Psa 54:1; Exo 23:21. Jacob was one of the patriarchs from whom, after his other name, the Hebrew people derived their name Israel, and the word seems here to be used with reference to the people rather than to the ancestor. Comp. Isa 44:2. The God of Jacob, or the God of Israel, would be synonymous terms, and either would denote that he was the Protector of the nation. As such He is invoked here; and the prayer is, that the Great Protector of the Hebrew people would now defend the king in the dangers which beset him, and in the enterprise which he had undertaken.Defend thee, literally as the margin of A. V. set thee on a high place. Perowne: set thee upon high that is, as in a fortress where no enemy can do thee harm, or on a rock at the foot of which the waves fret and dash themselves in impotent fury.
Psa 20:2. From the sanctuary, parallel with out of Zion, as the earthly abode of God among His people whither they are to go up as to His palace, and from whence as from His throne they are to receive help and strength, vid. Psa 14:7; Psa 3:5.C. A. B.]
Psa 20:3. Remember all thy meat-offerings. [A. V. offerings].This expression naturally refers to the evidence of his piety previously given by the king, but it is not opposed (Hupf.) to the reference to an offering now being made, but rather leads to this, as it is thus even now presented in the burnt offerings of the king. The bloodless meat offerings of meal with oil and incense (Leviticus 2), with few exceptions, accompanied the burnt offerings which were entirely consumed on the altar, or whole burnt offerings (Leviticus 1); hence both expressions properly complement one another, and their separate mention has only a rhetorical significance. May God remember the previous offerings of the king, let Him be pleased with the present offerings. The latter sense is contained in the expression: may He find fat, [A. V. accept] literally; may He make fat (Psa 23:5); but the piel includes likewise the meaning of declare. It was not commanded that the animals offered should be fat (Lev 22:18 sq.), it was so much the more an evidence of the willingness and gladness of the offerer. The translation of some of the more ancient interpreters after Aben Ezra: turn to ashes [A. V. margin] regards the words as a denominative of , but leads to the expectation of its being kindled by heavenly fire as a sign of its gracious acceptance, as Lev 9:24; 1Ki 18:37; 1Ch 21:26, which is not at all justified by the text. With this derivation, moreover, the sense would properly be may He cleanse from ashes.
[Psa 20:4. Counsel.Perowne: All thy plans and measures in the warC. A. B.]
Str. II. Psa 20:5. [Thy salvation.Hupfeld. Help, or appointed victory (Psa 33:17), corresponds with the contents of Psa 20:1-2.C. A. B.]29Wave banners, that is, as an expression of joy on account of victory. The translation of more ancient interpreters: set up banners as a memorial of victory [A. V.] does not correspond with the form of the Hebrew word. It is questionable, likewise, whether the translation of the Sept. Vulg. as well as the Pesch. , magnificabimus, exultabimus, can be derived from the same word, as after the Arabic, or whether we are to accept another reading instead [Fulfil all thy petitions, repeats the contents of Psa 20:4.C. A. B.]
[Str. III. Psa 20:6. Perowne: The hope suddenly changes into certainty. Now know I that Jehovah hath saved, hath given victory. The singer speaks in the full assurance of faith, that the prayer is heard, and as if he already saw the victory gained. The prayer had been (Psa 20:1-2) that God would hear and send help from the earthly sanctuary or Zion. Now the answer is said to come from His holy heaven. For if God then condescended to dwell in visible glory among men, yet He would teach His people that He is not limited by the bounds of time and space. He is not like the gods of the heathen, the god of one city or country. He sends help out of Zion, but the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him (see the recognition of this truth in Solomons prayer, 1Ki 8:27, etc.). Calvin sees expressed in the earthly sanctuary made by hands the grace and condescension of God to His people; in the heavenly, His infinite power, greatness, and majesty.Mighty deeds [A. V. strength].Delitzsch means here not the fullness of strength (comp. Psalms 90), but the exhibition of strength (Psa 106:2; Psa 145:4; Psa 150:2; Isa 63:15), by which His right hand works salvation, that is, victory, for them who are battling.
Psa 20:7. Some of chariots and some of horses, but we make mention of the name of Jehovah our God.Delitzsch: According to the law Israel should have no standing army; the law for the king, Deu 17:16, denounces the keeping of many horses. So was it likewise under the judges and still under David; under Solomon already it changed, he procured for himself a great number of horses and chariots. 1Ki 10:26-29. Psa 20:7 gives a very decisive confession of the time of David, that Israels boast against his enemies, especially the Syrians, is the firm defence and arms of the name of his God. David speaks similarly to Goliath, 1Sa 17:45.The A. V. does not give the force and beauty of the original. Trust should not be inserted in the first clause, and remember does not give the idea of the second clause.
Psa 20:8. Hupfeld: The contrast of the previous verse is continued with reference to the consequences which both have derived from their confidences. Delitzsch: The prterites are prt. confidentia triumphal ode before the victory as Luther remarks,a cry of joy before the help.They have bowed down and fallen (not as A. V.: They are brought down).The idea is that they first sink down upon their knees and then fall to the ground.But we have risen and stood firm (A. V. stood upright).Delitzsch: Since does not mean stand, but stand up, presupposes that the enemies then had the upper hand. But the condition of affairs changes. Those who are standing fall, those who are lying rise up; the former remain lying, the latter keep the field.C. A. B.]
Str. IV. Psa 20:9. Help the king.This is the basis of the hymn: domine salvum fac regem, and the national hymns which have been derived from it in accordance with the Sept., Vulg. According to the Masoretic accentuation, which is advocated by Hengst. and Delitzsch,30 it would be translated, Jehovah help: May the king hear us. Thus the Pesch. [and A. V.]. The king would then be Jehovah, since the hearing of prayer is a predicate of Jehovah; according to ancient interpreters, Christ. Since, however, the psalm has already spoken of another king, the supposition of such a transition to Jehovah is the more objectionable, since it is true He is called a great king (Psa 48:2) yet never merely, the king. This objection would be partly set aside, if with the Chald. we might translate, O king! especially as the call of prayer, help is used Psa 12:1; Psa 118:25, without an accusative. But the third person of the verb does not suit the vocative, which the Vulg. arbitrarily changes into the second person. The whole manifestly stands in manifest relation to Psa 20:6, so that Psa 20:9 is distinguished from Psa 20:1, by the fact that the closing petition is based upon the intervening promise, Since the words in Psa 20:9; Psa 20:6 correspond in other respects entirely with one another, it is certain that the anointed has the same meaning as king. [Delitzsch: The New Testament cry of Hosanna is a particularizing of this Davidic, God save the king mediated by Psa 118:25. The closing line is a developed Amen.C. A. B.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. It is an evidence of great grace and a source of rich blessing in a land, if prince and people meet in the presence of God, with common desires and bring the same cares in united prayer before the throne of the Eternal. For prince and people belong so closely together, that the need of the one is likewise the calamity of the other, but the common good is essentially advanced by concord, and concord is best confirmed and advanced by union in common devotion to God.
2. A king shows that he is an anointed of the Lord, and a king by Gods grace, especially by not only surrounding the actions of his government with prayer and Divine service, but by personally participating therein as a shining example for the whole congregation. A people proves itself to be a people of the Lord and a congregation of God by not only huzzahing such a ruler and wishing him success and victory, salvation and blessings, but likewise by praying with him and for him. Thus this psalm may serve as a devout and holy watchword. (Luther.)
3. Joyfulness in prayer and confidence of being heard are nourished and strengthened by the remembrance of the exhibitions of help, with which God has already previously declared and magnified His name, and particularly by those with which He has glorified it in our predecessors and ancestors who are the models of our faith. It arises moreover from the assurance that we are in the same covenant of grace with our fathers and that we prove ourselves to be members of it. It is true, we call upon God with a deeper, richer and mightier name than the Israelites could, but the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the same God as the God of Jacob, whose name the Israelites brought to remembrance (Gen 35:3) when they prayed to Jehovah on Zion. The difference is merely in the stages of His revelation, and accordingly in the depth and fulness of the knowledge of Him. The places, forms and methods of Divine service have been altered in a corresponding way. But the change in them has taken place through the spirit of the new Covenant in order to fulfil the old; the God who is enthroned in the sanctuary of heaven, still ever meets with His people in sanctuaries on earth, and lets His gracious help flow forth from thence upon His congregation, whilst He comes to help them from heaven with the mighty deeds of salvation.
4. The congregation of God is distinguished from the world by the fact that in the day of trouble it does not rely upon earthly means of help, even when it makes use of them in a proper manner and according to the commandment of God. But it puts its confidence in the assistance of God, and for this reason before and afterwards gives His name the glory (comp. 1Sa 17:45; Isa 31:3; Psa 33:17). For this, however, a strong and living faith is necessary. But the faith which relies upon God, can sing the triumphant ode before the victory, and make a cry of joy before the help ensues; whereas everything is allowed to faith. For he believes in God and thus truly has, what he believes, because faith does not deceive; as he has faith, so will it happen unto him. (Luther).
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
A king does well if, before he leads his people to battle against the enemy, he leads them into the house of God to prayer.It is well for a land whose king is the model of piety, whose people have this motto: Jehovah help the king!He chooses the best portion in war who does not rely upon earthly means of power, but puts his confidence in the assistance of God.Natural courage is not to be despised; but the confidence of trust in God surpasses it, in worth, duration and strength.The communion of faith unites stronger than the same danger and need, more intimately than the same hope and joy.Happy the land whose king cares for the good of the people and whose people rejoice in the salvation of the king.Divine service has the precedence of the service of kings.The confidence of trust in God and the assurance of the hearing of prayer do not constitute the beginning of communion with God, but are a consequence and fruit of it.We should not only pray with one another, but likewise for one another.God has His dwelling-place not only in heaven, but likewise on the earth, and from both places He sends forth blessing, consolation and help to His people.Mans drawing near to God has for its reason as well as its consequence Gods drawing near to man.
Starke: Although the Christian Church is weak and weaponless, it has a strong tower in the name of God.The sacrifices of the Christian are a broken and a contrite heart, a holy life and an earnest praise of God.The Lord does what those who fear God desire; but they desire nothing that is opposed to God.If the world reckons to its honor what it has accomplished alone with its own power, on the other hand it is a strange thing of which believers boast, of the help which has come from God.Just as Israel could lift up its banner with joy in the name of God, so every believing Christian can now likewise in his office, station and calling venture upon it. confident in God, and can assure himself of His gracious assistance.What is heard in heaven must be powerfully executed on earth.Carnal plans are generally of poor success and turn out badly; on the other hand what is begun with God, lasts.Our best arsenal is in heaven and in the right hand of God.The ungodly have never yet been able to sing a true triumphant ode over the downfall of the pious, their boasting is false; but believers can here and in heaven forever sing the glorious victory of the Lord (1Co 15:57; Rev 12:10).
Luther: God must help and advise; our plans and actions are otherwise of no value.Osiander: Great, exalted titles do not make a king invincible, but Gods help, which is gained by the prayer of faith. The victory is a gift of God, and is not accomplished by great preparation or a great host.Selnekker: What is begun with God issues favorably; but the greater part of the world transact all things without Gods advice, without fearing Him and calling upon Him.Taube: Faith and prayer always join hands in the Christian heart and cannot live apart. Prayer supports faith and faith strengthens prayer.Diedrich: The God of Israel, who is in our midst and in us, is He who is enthroned above all heavens and rules all things from thence.All depends upon our belonging to Gods followers and our daily stationing ourselves by His banner, that is, His word, and from it deriving chastisement and consolation, warning and confidence.
[Matth. Henry: The prayer of others for us must be desired, not to supersede, but to second our own for ourselves.Those who make it their business to glorify God may expect that God will, one way or other, gratify them; they who walk in His counsel may promise themselves that He will fulfil theirs.In singing these verses, we should encourage ourselves to trust in God, and stir up ourselves to pray earnestly, as we are in duty bound, for those who are in authority over us, that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty.Barnes: Never should we look for success unless our undertaking has been preceded by prayer; and when our best preparations have been made, our hope of success is not primarily and mainly in them, but only in God.Spurgeon: Chariots and horses make an imposing show, and with their rattling, and dust, and fine caparisons, make so great a figure that vain man is much taken with them; yet the discerning eye of faith sees more in an invisible God than in all these. The most dreaded war-engine of Davids day was the war-chariot, armed with scythes, which mowed down men like grass: this was the boast and glory of the neighboring nations; but the saints considered the name of Jehovah to be a far better defence.C. A. B.]
Footnotes:
[29][Perowne: This may mean the help and victory vouchsafed by God to the king; but Thrupp observes: The almost instinctive dependence of the Israelites upon their king, as the man who should save them (comp. 1Sa 10:27), fully justifies us in interpreting the expression, thy salvation Psa 20:5, in its most natural sense, not as the salvation bestowed by God upon the king, but as that wrought by the king for his people. Alexander thinks that both ideas are included. The explanation of Hupfeld is the most proper.C. A. B.]
[30][Delitzsch, however, agrees with the author in the translation save the king. Vid. closing remarks.C. A. B.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
We have here a prayer, put up by the whole church in faith, for Jehovah’s prospering the cause of his glorious Messiah, the Church’s king. And the Church, already taking for granted that what is asked in faith shall assuredly be obtained, in the close celebrates the victory, and sets up banners.
To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
Psa 20:1
It is a sad hindrance to our full enjoyment of divine and spiritual things, that our more frequent acquaintance and intercourse with things altogether earthly makes us overlook the grand object intended by the Holy Ghost, in leading the mind of the Church wholly to the Lord Jesus. Here is a prayer for no other purpose, but for the prosperity of Christ, as King in Zion, the glorious head and mediator of his Church. As such the prayer is directed to Jehovah; and the sole object of it is, that Jesus may, for his Church and people, subdue all his and her adversaries.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 20
The famous physician, Sir James Y. Simpson, was one of a family which had the privilege of a pious mother. She was early left a widow, and had many a perplexing thought and sore struggle in providing bread for her household. When she was hard pressed with thinking and toiling, and could not see her way through, she used to sit down and repeat the 20th Psalm. She rose refreshed, and her children learned to call it ‘mother’s Psalm’.
Jehovah hear thee in the day
When trouble He doth send:
And let the name of Jacob’s God
Thee from all ill defend.
O let Him help send from above,
Out of His sanctuary:
From Sion, His own holy hill,
Let Him give strength to thee.
John Ker.
References. XX. 1. J. Baldwin Brown, The Sunday Afternoon, p. 45. J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages from the Psalms, p. 9. XX. 1, 2. Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ii. p. 414. XX. 1-7. J. Bowstead, Practical Sermons, vol. ii. p. 222.
Psa 20:3
This text was quoted by Henri Perreyve in the letter he wrote to his friend Charles Perraud from Hyres on 18 December, 1857. Henri Perreyve was at that time a deacon, looking forward to priest’s orders. Charles Perraud had just been ordained to the priesthood. The motto of the letter, repeated for each paragraph, is ‘the sacramental greeting of the deacon,’ ‘The Lord be with you’. ‘May He be with you in your griefs to comfort you! With you in your joys to sanctify them! With you in your longings to make them fruitful. Memor sit omnis sacrificii tui et holocaustum tuum pingue fiat .’
References. XX. 5. D. Burns, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiii. p. 81. J. Bunting, Sermons, vol. ii. p. 99. XX. 7. H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 1593. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 177. XXI. 2. M. G. Pearse, Sunday Magazine, 1884, p. 605.
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson
Psa 20
[Note. This is supposed to be a relic of the ancient liturgy, an antiphonal Temple hymn; the assembled congregation sings one part, and the priest the other, whilst the king is offering sacrifice in view of the struggle against the formidable hosts of heathenism. It has been supposed that the psalm was composed in Asa’s reign. The simple grandeur of the style, and the cordial expression of trust in the living God, seem to point to the date as the time of David. The psalm is represented as a noble embodiment of the conviction that in the opinion of the heroes of Israel right is might.]
Spiritual Knowledge
This psalm is often used at coronations. It fixes itself the occasions on which it may be used fittingly and usefully. This is a psalm which will not fit into every day or every set of circumstances; this bird of song will only sing in the darkness. This is a fit speech for a congregation to make to a minister who is in sorrow or stress of any kind. It is also a fit speech to make to any Christian soul who is feeling the darkness and burdensomeness of life. Under all such circumstances the words have a right to be heard; no apology is needed for introducing them. They seem to come up from eternity, clothed with heavenly dignity, and breathing celestial music, and they claim, without any assertion in words (which is the poorest of all claims), a right to be heard. Beside this, no heart in such circumstances can decline their aid. The heart itself is a witness to inspiration. Why torture the naked intellectual faculties to say anything about inspiration when they know nothing about it? It is asking those to speak a language who never heard of it, or asking men to sing who have no sense of music. It is the heart that must determine these great questions; and never was there a heart in sorrow that knew anything of serious and eternal things that did not at once recognise these words as a special and direct message from the very Soul of the universe. “My sheep know my voice.” That is a much larger doctrine than it might at first sight seem to be: being in harmony with God, we know everything that God says; that is to say, on hearing it we can at once decide whether God ever said that or not. A marvellous faculty is set within us, which we describe by the faculty of discrimination a faculty which knows noise from music, right from wrong, the noble from the mean. A child has this faculty of discernment: “There is a spirit in man.” We differ upon all matters of mere opinion, and all matters which are limited by words and terms and phrases; but under all these things there is a necessity which the religious answer alone can satisfy a cry bitter with the soul’s distress, to which only a religious cry can appeal. Psalms like this, therefore, are infinitely valuable because they speak the universal language. We are not careful to inquire into their literal antiquity, or the particular circumstances under which they were written or sung; they belong to all climes, to all languages, to ail suffering hearts, conscious of a wish to be and to do that which is right. It is this that gives the Bible its place in history and its influence in human life: it belongs to no nationality; It speaks no dialect; it is a great mighty rushing wind from heaven, belonging to all the race and to all the ages with royal and divine impartiality.
“In the day of trouble.” Have we heard of that day? is it a day in some exhausted calendar? is this an ancient phrase which needs to be interpreted to us by men cunning in the use of language and in the history of terms? It might have been spoken in our own tongue: we might ourselves have spoken it So criticism has no place here: only sympathy has a right to utter these words; they would perish under a process of etymological vivisection; they bring with them healing, comfort, release, and contentment when spoken by the voice of sympathy. Is the day of trouble a whole day twelve hours long? Is it a day that cannot be distinguished from night? and does it run through the whole circle of four-and-twenty hours? Is it a day of that kind at all? In some instances, is it not a life-day, beginning with the first cry of infancy, concluding with the final sigh of old age? Is it a day all darkness, without any rent in the cloud, without any hint of light beyond the infinite burden of gloom? Whatever it is, it is provided for; it is recognised as a solemn fact in human life, and it is provided for by the grace and love of the eternal God. He knows every hour of the day precisely how the day is made up; he knows the pulse-beat of every moment; he is a God nigh at hand; so that we have no sorrow to tell him by way of information, but only sorrow to relate, that with it we may sing some hymn to his grace. The whole world is made kin by this opening expression. There is no human face, rightly read, that has not in it lines of sorrow peculiar, mystic writing of long endurance, keen disappointment, hope deferred, mortification of soul unuttered in speech, but graved as with an iron tool upon the soul and the countenance. Who are these that flee as doves to their windows? They are the souls in sorrow that are fleeing to the twentieth psalm. The air is quite blackened with them; they fly in one direction, and swiftly they flap their wings, as with the energy of despair towards this psalm of comfort A book filled with words of this kind holds its own, not as the result of some great battle in criticism, but as the result of speaking deeper words to the human heart than ever were spoken to it by any other voice.
The trouble is dignified by the very kind of help it needs:
“The name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion” ( Psa 20:1-2 ).
Then this is no skin-wound; this sorrow is not a passing tear; this bitterness and fret and wear of life cannot be ranked as a mere chafing of sensibilities. Learn the dignity of the woe from the dignity of the Physician who alone can cure it: “The Lord hear thee.” There are speeches which men cannot hear; at east, though they make some appeal to the outward hearing, the speeches themselves are not heard in all the tones of their unutterable meaning. Here we often lack the faculty of discrimination, for we know not one sorrow from another, but include all human distress under some common appellation. If only God can cure the sorrow it must be of a peculiar kind; and if he will condescend to cure it there must be something in it which is not in any common form of grief. This is heart-woe; this is anguish in the very seat of life; this is mortal sorrow. “A wounded spirit who can bear?” Who can look into the heart, or dare, but God? We are physicians to each other up to a given point: we can speak to one another about the medicine, we can never provide it; or we can dwell with delighted gratitude upon the remedies it has wrought out, the cures it has effected, but we cannot ourselves administer it. It is something to be able to name it, to point to it, to call attention to it, to cause the mind itself to be awakened in the direction of its origin; but God himself alone can, so. to say, open this bottle, and cause the healing drops to follow one another in the right number, and present the draught to those who die for want of it. It is well thus, and otherwise, often to be shut up to God. It is a grand religious education to be above the reach of man and to be enclosed within the very solitude of God. They are little sorrows, merely physical tears, which can be treated by human voices and by human hands; they are the great agonies that will not, and cannot, be touched by any fingers but God’s. At the last we may have some hint of the meaning of this; for we read that in the final summing up of earth’s probation and life’s discipline God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. They are not shed of themselves; they are not dropped out of the eye-wells by any action of the law of gravitation: they are removed by the hand divine, and when God shuts no man can open.
Nor can we know what true joy is until we have known what this true sorrow is. We cannot be converted until we have been distressed, impoverished, rendered utterly self-helpless, and have had a face-to-face interview with God in agony God in Christ. It is a sophism of the most dangerous kind to suppose that men can fall asleep sinners and awaken saints; that by some mysterious and happy transition people who have been committing sin begin to pray, and hence on are clothed in white and are fit for the companionship of angels. Infinite may be the differences as between one experience and another, but somewhere there is a point which can best be described by the word agony a point of surrender, a point at which self is laid down, nailed to the Cross, and in the strength of Christ’s grace abandoned in purpose and in love for ever. This would no doubt reduce very much the number of nominal Christians, but such a reduction would be no loss to Christ. The Christian cause is burdened by those who know nothing about it. The Church can meet every enemy but the enemy of nominal consent and assent. Who, then, can be saved? That is a question to which there is no answer possible in words. The reply can only be found in an experience that never can be written, that can be but dimly and faintly hinted at by the most vivid and redundant eloquence.
Now the tone changes, as is customary in the Psalms. From the fifth verse especially from the sixth verse the whole tone rises into one of confidence and triumph. The morning was dull, the evening was fine. So have we seen it in life. We have often been afraid of the morning too bright; we have said, “It is too bright to last.” Concerning some houses we say to their occupants, “You do not get the morning sun here, do you?” and the reply has been, “No: here we do not get the morning sun, but soon after midday the room is filled with light; we see beautiful sunsets; we have long, warm afternoons and eventides.” That may be best. Has it not been a sort of tragical experience to us that we have seen so many who had their sunshine only in the morning? They laughed, as was natural; they danced for very rapture of soul, which was not improper; but have we not known, as we saw this demonstration of delight, that probably the day would darken towards afternoon? We have seen the young minister in sudden popularity, developed all at once, quite the growth of one little hour how triumphant! how delighted by popular acclamation! how highly-fed with public appreciation! Presently the brightness has vanished, and in the obscurity of a cloudy afterday the idol has been forgotten. Have we not seen men struggling in the morning when there was no light upon their window, raising themselves for a moment’s relaxation, sighing not the expiration of weakness, but a sigh that means there is still latent strength which shall be developed? Have we not seen them patiently working, confidently keeping on, pressing forward, persevering with that persistence which is itself a kind of inspiration when lo! one slanting beam came to the workshop; then every moment after the beam broadened and made room for other beams, and the afternoon was bright, and at eventide there was light? It is sad when people have all their good fortune in the beginning of life. It is pitiable to see a man starting life with many thousand pounds, and with the world’s key in his hand, opening what doors he pleases. It is a sad sight to see a well-dressed pampered child. Blessed are they who have had their clouds in the morning, and whose windows look westward, and catch the afternoon light, and have a great blaze of glory at the time of the setting sun. Those of you who are cursed with prosperity in the beginning of life should voluntarily renounce it. They are the wise men, and will eventually be the happy men, who have set their fortune aside and gone to live in the most destitute parts of the metropolis, that they might divide the burdens which weaker men are carrying.
The Psalmist says, “Now know I” ( Psa 20:6 ). There comes a point of knowledge in the spiritual education of the soul. For a long time the soul knows nothing, can explain nothing, is groping after everything, but is quite sure that it is groping in the right direction. Then there comes a point of positive knowledge a birthday a day never to be forgotten. Such days there are in intellectual illumination. The scholar, opening his book, knows nothing; the first few pages are weary reading; he asks if he may not omit a good many of the pages, but he is told that not a single word is to be omitted. The reward is not on the first page; it begins about the middle of the book, but only begins to those who have carefully read every word up to that point; then for the first time the reader sees one beam. Now his interest in the book deepens; every page becomes an enjoyment, and he is only regretful when the last page is reached. We know the meaning of this kind of illumination in the acquisition of languages. For a long time we seem to be speaking incoherently, even foolishly; the sounds are so unusual to our own ears that when we say them aloud to any listener we smile, as if we had made a possible mistake, or might be mistaken for persons who had altogether misapprehended their natural talent and genius. A little further on we speak, perhaps, with a shade less hesitation; then mingling with people who are always speaking the language, we get into the hum and music of the utterance, and then venture our first complete sentence, and when it is answered as we expected it to be answered, a great satisfaction comes into our soul, and from that point progress is comparatively easy. These illustrations all help us to understand some little about the religious life. When a man first hears his own voice in prayer, it is as if it thundered. It is a terrible thing to hear the voice the first time in prayer to those who are naturally timid and self-obliterating. But there is a point of knowledge. The Psalmist reached it in the sixth verse. He felt the saving hands of God were under him and round about him, and his confidence was grand. After this, what would he do? He would set up his banners that is to say, he would bear public testimony. There should be no doubt about which side of the war he was on. “In the name of our God we will set up our banners;” the heathen are setting up their banners, and unfurling their flags on every height they can clear. “In the name of our God we will set up our banners;” the fact of our having a banner is nothing; the heathen have banners, and are not ashamed of them; the thing to be noted is the name in which the banner is to be set up; they are our banners, but it is God’s name.
Now the Psalmist, being in triumph himself, passes easily into a mood of ridicule high intellectual taunting when he views the poor trusts of the world: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses.” The chariots are of iron, the steeds are caparisoned, the show is one of pomp, but it is only show; the chariots shall be broken, the horses shall be slain. “We will remember the name of the Lord our God” eternal name! They who trust in chariots and in horses “are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.” The end must test everything. Viewed within given limits, there is nothing so absurd as spiritual trust. Compared with chariots and horses, what is spiritual trust? a ghostly, shadowy thing; a praying into the air; a calling up avenues that have no end into heavens that have no God. See the chariots, count the horses, watch the gleaming steel, that is trust. Within the limits we have alluded to, the judgment is right. The young man who said to the prophet, Behold all these chariots and horses! they are coming nearer and nearer, and thou wilt surely be crushed by the tremendous weight, was right; in the exercise of his physical faculties alone he could come to no other judgment. The prophet, quiet, serene, too powerful to be in a tumult, too dignified to be in any haste, too sure of God to have any fear of man, simply said, “Lord, open his eyes”; and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and behold, the mountain was alive with angels, with chariots of fire, with the horses of Omnipotence. We are only afraid when we are blind. What we want is open vision, clear eyesight, a proper estimate of realities, and not appearances; so when Jesus passeth by we will say, when he says to us, What is your petition? Lord, that we might receive our sight!
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
PSALMS
XI
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS
According to my usual custom, when taking up the study of a book of the Bible I give at the beginning a list of books as helps to the study of that book. The following books I heartily commend on the Psalms:
1. Sampey’s Syllabus for Old Testament Study . This is especially good on the grouping and outlining of some selected psalms. There are also some valuable suggestions on other features of the book.
2. Kirkpatrick’g commentary, in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” is an excellent aid in the study of the Psalter.
3. Perowne’s Book of Psalms is a good, scholarly treatise on the Psalms. A special feature of this commentary is the author’s “New Translation” and his notes are very helpful.
4. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. This is just what the title implies. It is a voluminous, devotional interpretation of the Psalms and helpful to those who have the time for such extensive study of the Psalter.
5. Hengstenburg on the Psalms. This is a fine, scholarly work by one of the greatest of the conservative German scholars.
6. Maclaren on the Psalms, in “The Expositor’s Bible,” is the work of the world’s safest, sanest, and best of all works that have ever been written on the Psalms.
7. Thirtle on the Titles of the Psalms. This is the best on the subject and well worth a careful study.
At this point some definitions are in order. The Hebrew word for psalm means praise. The word in English comes from psalmos , a song of lyrical character, or a song to be sung and accompanied with a lyre. The Psalter is a collection of sacred and inspired songs, composed at different times and by different authors.
The range of time in composition was more than 1,000 years, or from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra. The collection in its present form was arranged probably by Ezra in the fifth century, B.C.
The Jewish classification of Old Testament books was The Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The Psalms was given the first place in the last group.
They had several names, or titles, of the Psalms. In Hebrew they are called “The Book of Prayers,” or “The Book of Praises.” The Hebrew word thus used means praises. The title of the first two books is found in Psa 72:20 : “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The title of the whole collection of Psalms in the Septuagint is Biblos Psalman which means the “Book of Psalms.” The title in the Alexandrian Codex is Psalterion which is the name of a stringed instrument, and means “The Psalter.”
The derivation of our English words, “psalms,” “psalter,” and “psaltery,” respectively, is as follows:
1. “Psalms” comes from the Greek word, psalmoi, which is also from psallein , which means to play upon a stringed instrument. Therefore the Psalms are songs played upon stringed instruments, and the word here is used to apply to the whole collection.
2. “Psalter” is of the same origin and means the Book of Psalms and refers also to the whole collection.
3. “Psaltery” is from the word psalterion, which means “a harp,” an instrument, supposed to be in the shape of a triangle or like the delta of the Greek alphabet. See Psa 33:2 ; Psa 71:22 ; Psa 81:2 ; Psa 144:9 .
In our collection there are 150 psalms. In the Septuagint there is one extra. It is regarded as being outside the sacred collection and not inspired. The subject of this extra psalm is “David’s victory over Goliath.” The following is a copy of it: I was small among my brethren, And youngest in my father’s house, I used to feed my father’s sheep. My hands made a harp, My fingers fashioned a Psaltery. And who will declare unto my Lord? He is Lord, he it is who heareth. He it was who sent his angel And took me from my father’s sheep, And anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were goodly and tall, But the Lord took no pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the Philistine. And he cursed me by his idols But I drew the sword from beside him; I beheaded him and removed reproach from the children of Israel.
It will be noted that this psalm does not have the earmarks of an inspired production. There is not found in it the modesty so characteristic of David, but there is here an evident spirit of boasting and self-praise which is foreign to the Spirit of inspiration.
There is a difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint. Omitting the extra one in the Septuagint, there is no difference as to the total number. Both have 150 and the same subject matter, but they are not divided alike.
The following scheme shows the division according to our version and also the Septuagint: Psalms 1-8 in the Hebrew equal 1-8 in the Septuagint; 9-10 in the Hebrew combine into 9 in the Septuagint; 11-113 in the Hebrew equal 10-112 in the Septuagint; 114-115 in the Hebrew combine into 113 in the Septuagint; 116 in the Hebrew divides into 114-115 in the Septuagint; 117-146 in the Hebrew equal 116-145 in the Septuagint; 147 in the Hebrew divides into 146-147 in the Septuagint; 148-150 in the Hebrew equal 148-150 in the Septuagint.
The arrangement in the Vulgate is the same as the Septuagint. Also some of the older English versions have this arangement. Another difficulty in numbering perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another, viz: In the Hebrew often the title is verse I, and sometimes the title embraces verses 1-2.
The book divisions of the Psalter are five books, as follows:
Book I, Psalms 1-41 (41 chapters)
Book II, Psalms 42-72 (31 chapters)
Book III, Psalms 73-89 (17 chapters)
Book IV, Psalms 90-106 (17 chapters)
Book V, Psalms 107-150 (44 chapters)
They are marked by an introduction and a doxology. Psalm I forms an introduction to the whole book; Psa 150 is the doxology for the whole book. The introduction and doxology of each book are the first and last psalms of each division, respectively.
There were smaller collections before the final one, as follows:
Books I and II were by David; Book III, by Hezekiah, and Books IV and V, by Ezra.
Certain principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection:
1. David is honored with first place, Book I and II, including Psalms 1-72.
2. They are grouped according to the use of the name of God:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovah psalms;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohim-psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovah psalms.
3. Book IV is introduced by the psalm of Moses, which is the first psalm written.
4. Some are arranged as companion psalms, for instance, sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes more. Examples: Psa 2 and 3; 22, 23, and 24; 113-118.
5. They were arranged for liturgical purposes, which furnished the psalms for special occasions, such as feasts, etc. We may be sure this arrangement was not accidental. An intelligent study of each case is convincing that it was determined upon rational grounds.
All the psalms have titles but thirty-three, as follows:
In Book I, Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 33 , (4 are without titles).
In Book II, Psa 43 ; Psa 71 , (2 are without titles).
In Book IV, Psa 91 ; Psa 93 ; Psa 94 ; Psa 95 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 97 ; Psa 104 ; Psa 105 ; Psa 106 , (9 are without titles).
In Book V, Psa 107 ; III; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 135; 136; 137; 146; 147; 148; 149; 150, (18 are without titles).
The Talmud calls these psalms that have no title, “Orphan Psalms.” The later Jews supply these titles by taking the nearest preceding author. The lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; and 10 may be accounted for as follows: Psa 1 is a general introduction to the whole collection and Psa 2 was, perhaps, a part of Psa 1 . Psalms 9-10 were formerly combined into one, therefore Psa 10 has the same title as Psa 9 .
QUESTIONS
1. What books are commended on the Psalms?
2. What is a psalm?
3. What is the Psalter?
4. What is the range of time in composition?
5. When and by whom was the collection in its present form arranged?
6. What the Jewish classification of Old Testament books, and what the position of the Psalter in this classification?
7. What is the Hebrew title of the Psalms?
8. Find the title of the first two books from the books themselves.
9. What is the title of the whole collection of psalms in the Septuagint?
10. What is the title in the Alexandrian Codex?
11. What is the derivation of our English word, “Psalms”, “Psalter”, and “Psaltery,” respectively?
12. How many psalms in our collection?
13. How many psalms in the Septuagint?
14. What about the extra one in the Septuagint?
15. What is the subject of this extra psalm?
16. How does it compare with the Canonical Psalms?
17. What is the difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint?
18. What is the arrangement in the Vulgate?
19. What other difficulty in numbering which perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another?
20. What are the book divisions of the Psalter and how are these divisions marked?
21. Were there smaller collections before the final one? If so, what were they?
22. What principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection?
23. In what conclusion may we rest concerning this arrangement?
24. How many of the psalms have no titles?
25. What does the Talmud call these psalms that have no titles?
26. How do later Jews supply these titles?
27. How do you account for the lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ?
XII
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS (CONTINUED)
The following is a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms:
1. The author: “A Psalm of David” (Psa 37 ).
2. The occasion: “When he fled from Absalom, his son” (Psa 3 ).
3. The nature, or character, of the poem:
(1) Maschil, meaning “instruction,” a didactic poem (Psa 42 ).
(2) Michtam, meaning “gold,” “A Golden Psalm”; this means excellence or mystery (Psa 16 ; 56-60).
4. The occasion of its use: “A Psalm of David for the dedication of the house” (Psa 30 ).
5. Its purpose: “A Psalm of David to bring remembrance” (Psa 38 ; Psa 70 ).
6. Direction for its use: “A Psalm of David for the chief musician” (Psa 4 ).
7. The kind of musical instrument:
(1) Neginoth, meaning to strike a chord, as on stringed instruments (Psa 4 ; Psa 61 ).
(2) Nehiloth, meaning to perforate, as a pipe or flute (Psa 5 ).
(3) Shoshannim, Lilies, which refers probably to cymbals (Psa 45 ; Psa 69 ).
8. A special choir:
(1) Sheminith, the “eighth,” or octave below, as a male choir (Psa 6 ; Psa 12 ).
(2) Alamoth, female choir (Psa 46 ).
(3) Muth-labben, music with virgin voice, to be sung by a choir of boys in the treble (Psa 9 ).
9. The keynote, or tune:
(1) Aijeleth-sharar, “Hind of the morning,” a song to the melody of which this is sung (Psa 22 ).
(2) Al-tashheth, “Destroy thou not,” the beginning of a song the tune of which is sung (Psa 57 ; Psa 58 ; Psa 59 ; Psa 75 ).
(3) Gittith, set to the tune of Gath, perhaps a tune which David brought from Gath (Psa 8 ; Psa 81 ; Psa 84 ).
(4) Jonath-elim-rehokim, “The dove of the distant terebinths,” the commencement of an ode to the air of which this song was to be sung (Psa 56 ).
(5) Leannoth, the name of a tune (Psa 88 ).
(6) Mahalath, an instrument (Psa 53 ); Leonnoth-Mahaloth, to chant to a tune called Mahaloth.
(7) Shiggaion, a song or a hymn.
(8) Shushan-Eduth, “Lily of testimony,” a tune (Psa 60 ). Note some examples: (1) “America,” “Shiloh,” “Auld Lang Syne.” These are the names of songs such as we are familiar with; (2) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” are examples of sacred hymns.
10. The liturgical use, those noted for the feasts, e.g., the Hallels and Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150).
11. The destination, as “Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)
12. The direction for the music, such as Selah, which means “Singers, pause”; Higgaion-Selah, to strike a symphony with selah, which means an instrumental interlude (Psa 9:16 ).
The longest and fullest title to any of the psalms is the title to Psa 60 . The items of information from this title are as follows: (1) the author; (2) the chief musician; (3) the historical occasion; (4) the use, or design; (5) the style of poetry; (6) the instrument or style of music.
The parts of these superscriptions which most concern us now are those indicating author, occasion, and date. As to the historic value or trustworthiness of these titles most modern scholars deny that they are a part of the Hebrew text, but the oldest Hebrew text of which we know anything had all of them. This is the text from which the Septuagint was translated. It is much more probable that the author affixed them than later writers. There is no internal evidence in any of the psalms that disproves the correctness of them, but much to confirm. The critics disagree among themselves altogether as to these titles. Hence their testimony cannot consistently be received. Nor can it ever be received until they have at least agreed upon a common ground of opposition.
David is the author of more than half the entire collection, the arrangement of which is as follows:
1. Seventy-three are ascribed to him in the superscriptions.
2. Some of these are but continuations of the preceding ones of a pair, trio, or larger group.
3. Some of the Korahite Psalms are manifestly Davidic.
4. Some not ascribed to him in the titles are attributed to him expressly by New Testament writers.
5. It is not possible to account for some parts of the Psalter without David. The history of his early life as found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1and 2 Chronicles, not only shows his remarkable genius for patriotic and sacred songs and music, but also shows his cultivation of that gift in the schools of the prophets. Some of these psalms of the history appear in the Psalter itself. It is plain to all who read these that they are founded on experience, and the experience of no other Hebrew fits the case. These experiences are found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.
As to the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition, I have this to say:
1. This theory has no historical support whatever, and therefore is not to be accepted at all.
2. It has no support in tradition, which weakens the contention of the critics greatly.
3. It has no support from finding any one with the necessary experience for their basis.
4. They can give no reasonable account as to how the titles ever got there.
5. It is psychologically impossible for anyone to have written these 150 psalms in the Maccabean times.
6. Their position is expressly contrary to the testimony of Christ and the apostles. Some of the psalms which they ascribe to the Maccabean Age are attributed to David by Christ himself, who said that David wrote them in the Spirit.
The obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result if it be Just, is a positive denial of the inspiration of both Testaments.
Other authors are named in the titles, as follows: (1) Asaph, to whom twelve psalms have been assigned: (2) Mosee, Psa 90 ; (3) Solomon, Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ; (4) Heman, Psa 80 ; (5) Ethem, Psa 89 ; (6) A number of the psalms are ascribed to the sons of Korah.
Not all the psalms ascribed to Asaph were composed by one person. History indicates that Asaph’s family presided over the song service for several generations. Some of them were composed by his descendants by the game name. The five general outlines of the whole collection are as follows:
I. By books
1. Psalms 1-41 (41)
2. Psalms 42-72 (31)
3. Psalms 73-89 (17)
4. Psalms 90-106 (17)
5. Psalms 107-150 (44)
II. According to date and authorship
1. The psalm of Moses (Psa 90 )
2. Psalms of David:
(1) The shepherd boy (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 ).
(2) David when persecuted by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ).
(3) David the King (Psa 101 ; Psa 18 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 110 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 21 ; Psa 60 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 3:4 ; Psa 64 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 ).
3. The Asaph Psalms (Psa 50 ; Psa 73 ; Psa 83 ).
4. The Korahite Psalms (Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 84 ).
5. The psalms of Solomon (Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ).
6. The psalms of the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah (Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 )
7. The psalms of the Exile (Psa 74 ; Psa 79 ; Psa 137 ; Psa 102 )
8. The psalms of the Restoration (Psa 85 ; Psa 126 ; Psa 118 ; 146-150)
III. By groups
1. The Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovistic;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic Psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovistic.
2. The Penitential Psalms (Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 )
3. The Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134)
4. The Alphabetical Psalms (Psa 9 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 37 ; 111:112; Psa 119 ; Psa 145 )
5. The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 11-113; 115-117; 146-150; to which may be added Psa 135 ) Psalms 113-118 are called “the Egyptian Hallel”
IV. Doctrines of the Psalms
1. The throne of grace and how to approach it by sacrifice, prayer, and praise.
2. The covenant, the basis of worship.
3. The paradoxical assertions of both innocence & guilt.
4. The pardon of sin and justification.
5. The Messiah.
6. The future life, pro and con.
7. The imprecations.
8. Other doctrines.
V. The New Testament use of the Psalms
1. Direct references and quotations in the New Testament.
2. The allusions to the psalms in the New Testament. Certain experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart, such as: (1) his peaceful early life; (2) his persecution by Saul; (3) his being crowned king of the people; (4) the bringing up of the ark; (5) his first great sin; (6) Absalom’s rebellion; (7) his second great sin; (8) the great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 ; (9) the feelings of his old age.
We may classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time, thus:
1. His peaceful early life (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 )
2. His persecution by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 7 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 120 ; Psa 140 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ; Psa 17 ; Psa 18 )
3. Making David King (Psa 27 ; Psa 133 ; Psa 101 )
4. Bringing up the ark (Psa 68 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 15 ; Psa 78 ; Psa 96 )
5. His first great sin (Psa 51 ; Psa 32 )
6. Absalom’s rebellion (Psa 41 ; Psa 6 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 109 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 39 ; Psa 3 ; Psa 4 ; Psa 63 ; Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 5 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 )
7. His second great sin (Psa 69 ; Psa 71 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 103 )
8. The great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 (Psa 2 )
9. Feelings of old age (Psa 37 )
The great doctrines of the psalms may be noted as follows: (1) the being and attributes of God; (3) sin, both original and individual; (3) both covenants; (4) the doctrine of justification; (5) concerning the Messiah.
There is a striking analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch contains five books of law; the Psalms contain five books of heart responses to the law.
It is interesting to note the historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms. These were controversies about singing uninspired songs, in the Middle Ages. The church would not allow anything to be used but psalms.
The history in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah is very valuable toward a proper interpretation of the psalms. These books furnish the historical setting for a great many of the psalms which is very indispensable to their proper interpretation.
Professor James Robertson, in the Poetry and Religion of the Psalms constructs a broad and strong argument in favor of the Davidic Psalms, as follows:
1. The age of David furnished promising soil for the growth of poetry.
2. David’s qualifications for composing the psalms make it highly probable that David is the author of the psalms ascribed to him.
3. The arguments against the possibility of ascribing to David any of the hymns in the Hebrew Psalter rests upon assumptions that are thoroughly antibiblical.
The New Testament makes large use of the psalms and we learn much as to their importance in teaching. There are seventy direct quotations in the New Testament from this book, from which we learn that the Scriptures were used extensively in accord with 2Ti 3:16-17 . There are also eleven references to the psalms in the New Testament from which we learn that the New Testament writers were thoroughly imbued with the spirit and teaching of the psalms. Then there are eight allusions ‘to this book in the New Testament from which we gather that the Psalms was one of the divisions of the Old Testament and that they were used in the early church.
QUESTIONS
1. Give a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms.
2. What is the longest title to any of the psalms and what the items of this title?
3. What parts of these superscriptions most concern us now?
4. What is the historic value, or trustworthiness of these titles?
5. State the argument showing David’s relation to the psalms.
6. What have you to say of the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition?
7. What the obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result, if it be just?
8. What other authors are named in the titles?
9. Were all the psalms ascribed to Asaph composed by one person?
10. Give the five general outlines of the whole collection, as follows: I. The outline by books II. The outline according to date and authorship III. The outline by groups IV. The outline of doctrines V. The outline by New Testament quotations or allusions.
11. What experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart?
12. Classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time.
13. What the great doctrines of the psalms?
14. What analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms?
15. What historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms?
16. Of what value is the history in Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah toward a proper interpretation of the psalms?
17. Give Professor James Robertson’s argument in favor of the Davidic authorship of the psalms.
18. What can you say of the New Testament use of the psalms and what do we learn as to their importance in teaching?
19. What can you say of the New Testament references to the psalms, and from the New Testament references what the impression on the New Testament writers?
20. What can you say of the allusions to the psalms in the New Testament?
XVII
THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS
A fine text for this chapter is as follows: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me,” Luk 24:44 . I know of no better way to close my brief treatise on the Psalms than to discuss the subject of the Messiah as revealed in this book.
Attention has been called to the threefold division of the Old Testament cited by our Lord, namely, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luk 24:44 ), in all of which were the prophecies relating to himself that “must be fulfilled.” It has been shown just what Old Testament books belong to each of these several divisions. The division called the Psalms included many books, styled Holy Writings, and because the Psalms proper was the first book of the division it gave the name to the whole division.
The object of this discussion is to sketch the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah, or rather, to show how nearly a complete picture of our Lord is foredrawn in this one book. Let us understand however with Paul, that all prophecy is but in part (1Co 13:9 ), and that when we fill in on one canvas all the prophecies concerning the Messiah of all the Old Testament divisions, we are far from having a perfect portrait of our Lord. The present purpose is limited to three things:
1. What the book of the Psalms teaches concerning the Messiah.
2. That the New Testament shall authoritatively specify and expound this teaching.
3. That the many messianic predictions scattered over the book and the specifications thereof over the New Testament may be grouped into an orderly analysis, so that by the adjustment of the scattered parts we may have before us a picture of our Lord as foreseen by the psalmists.
In allowing the New Testament to authoritatively specify and expound the predictive features of the book, I am not unmindful of what the so-called “higher critics” urge against the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament and the use made of them. In this discussion, however, these objections are not considered, for sufficient reasons. There is not space for it. Even at the risk of being misjudged I must just now summarily pass all these objections, dismissing them with a single statement upon which the reader may place his own estimate of value. That statement is that in the days of my own infidelity, before this old method of criticism had its new name, I was quite familiar with the most and certainly the strongest of the objections now classified as higher criticism, and have since patiently re-examined them in their widely conflicting restatements under their modern name, and find my faith in the New Testament method of dealing with the Old Testament in no way shattered, but in every way confirmed. God is his own interpreter. The Old Testament as we now have it was in the hands of our Lord. I understand his apostle to declare, substantially, that “every one of these sacred scriptures is God-inspired and is profitable for teaching us what is right to believe and to do, for convincing us what is wrong in faith or practice, for rectifying the wrong when done, that we may be ready at every point, furnished completely, to do every good work, at the right time, in the right manner, and from the proper motive” (2Ti 3:16-17 ).
This New Testament declares that David was a prophet (Act 2:30 ), that he spake by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:16 ), that when the book speaks the Holy Spirit speaks (Heb 3:7 ), and that all its predictive utterances, as sacred Scripture, “must be fulfilled” (Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:16 ). It is not claimed that David wrote all the psalms, but that all are inspired, and that as he was the chief author, the book goes by his name.
It would be a fine thing to make out two lists, as follows:
1. All of the 150 psalms in order from which the New Testament quotes with messianic application.
2. The New Testament quotations, book by book, i.e., Matthew so many, and then the other books in their order.
We would find in neither of these any order as to time, that is, Psa 1 which forecasts an incident in the coming Messiah’s life does not forecast the first incident of his life. And even the New Testament citations are not in exact order as to time and incident of his life. To get the messianic picture before us, therefore, we must put the scattered parts together in their due relation and order, and so construct our own analysis. That is the prime object of this discussion. It is not claimed that the analysis now presented is perfect. It is too much the result of hasty, offhand work by an exceedingly busy man. It will serve, however, as a temporary working model, which any one may subsequently improve. We come at once to the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah.
1. The necessity for a Saviour. This foreseen necessity is a background of the psalmists’ portrait of the Messiah. The necessity consists in (1) man’s sinfulness; (2) his sin; (3) his inability of wisdom and power to recover himself; (4) the insufficiency of legal, typical sacrifices in securing atonement.
The predicate of Paul’s great argument on justification by faith is the universal depravity and guilt of man. He is everywhere corrupt in nature; everywhere an actual transgressor; everywhere under condemnation. But the scriptural proofs of this depravity and sin the apostle draws mainly from the book of the Psalms. In one paragraph of the letter to the Romans (Rom 3:4-18 ), he cites and groups six passages from six divisions of the Psalms (Psa 5:9 ; Psa 10:7 ; Psa 14:1-3 ; Psa 36:1 ; Psa 51:4-6 ; Psa 140:3 ). These passages abundantly prove man’s sinfulness, or natural depravity, and his universal practice of sin.
The predicate also of the same apostle’s great argument for revelation and salvation by a Redeemer is man’s inability of wisdom and power to re-establish communion with God. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he thus commences his argument: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? -For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach-ing to save them that believe.” He closes this discussion with the broad proposition: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and proves it by a citation from Psa 94:11 : “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”
In like manner our Lord himself pours scorn on human wisdom and strength by twice citing Psa 8 : “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Mat 11:25-26 ). “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mat 21:15-16 ).
But the necessity for a Saviour as foreseen by the psalmist did not stop at man’s depravity, sin, and helplessness. The Jews were trusting in the sacrifices of their law offered on the smoking altar. The inherent weakness of these offerings, their lack of intrinsic merit, their ultimate abolition, their complete fulfilment and supercession by a glorious antitype were foreseen and foreshown in this wonderful prophetic book: I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goat out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all of the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:8-13 .
Yet again it speaks in that more striking passage cited in the letter to the Hebrews: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers, once purged should have no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, (the which are offered according to the law), then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:1-9 ).
This keen foresight of the temporary character and intrinsic worthlessness of animal sacrifices anticipated similar utterances by the later prophets (Isa 1:10-17 ; Jer 6:20 ; Jer 7:21-23 ; Hos 6:6 ; Amo 5:21 ; Mic 6:6-8 ). Indeed, I may as well state in passing that when the apostle declares, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” he lays down a broad principle, just as applicable to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. With reverence I state the principle: Not even God himself by mere appointment can vest in any ordinance, itself lacking intrinsic merit, the power to take away sin. There can be, therefore, in the nature of the case, no sacramental salvation. This would destroy the justice of God in order to exalt his mercy. Clearly the psalmist foresaw that “truth and mercy must meet together” before “righteousness and peace could kiss each other” (Psa 85:10 ). Thus we find as the dark background of the psalmists’ luminous portrait of the Messiah, the necessity for a Saviour.
2. The nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah. In no other prophetic book are the nature, fullness, and blessedness of salvation so clearly seen and so vividly portrayed. Besides others not now enumerated, certainly the psalmists clearly forecast four great elements of salvation:
(1) An atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit offered once for all (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:4-10 ).
(2) Regeneration itself consisting of cleansing, renewal, and justification. We hear his impassioned statement of the necessity of regeneration: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” followed by his earnest prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” and his equally fervent petition: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51 ). And we hear him again as Paul describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin Psa 32:1 ; Rom 4:6-8 .
(3) Introduction into the heavenly rest (Psa 95:7-11 ; Heb 3:7-19 ; Heb 4:1-11 ). Here is the antitypical Joshua leading spiritual Israel across the Jordan of death into the heavenly Canaan, the eternal rest that remaineth for the people of God. Here we find creation’s original sabbath eclipsed by redemption’s greater sabbath when the Redeemer “entered his rest, ceasing from his own works as God did from his.”
(4) The recovery of all the universal dominion lost by the first Adam and the securement of all possible dominion which the first Adam never attained (Psa 8:5-6 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 ; 1Co 15:24-28 ).
What vast extent then and what blessedness in the salvation foreseen by the psalmists, and to be wrought by the Messiah. Atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit; regeneration by the Holy Spirit; heavenly rest as an eternal inheritance; and universal dominion shared with Christ!
3. The wondrous person of the Messiah in his dual nature, divine and human.
(1) His divinity,
(a) as God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa 45:6 and Heb 1:8 ) ;
(b) as creator of the heavens and earth, immutable and eternal: Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end Psa 102:25-27 quoted with slight changes in Heb 1:10-12 .
(c) As owner of the earth: The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein, Psa 24:1 quoted in 1Co 10:26 .
(d) As the Son of God: “Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee” Psa 2:7 ; Heb 1:5 .
(e) As David’s Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:41-46 .
(f) As the object of angelic worship: “And let all the angels of God worship him” Psa 97:7 ; Heb 1:6 .
(g) As the Bread of life: And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven Psa 78:24 ; interpreted in Joh 6:31-58 . These are but samples which ascribe deity to the Messiah of the psalmists.
(2) His humanity, (a) As the Son of man, or Son of Adam: Psa 8:4-6 , cited in 1Co 15:24-28 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Compare Luke’s genealogy, Luk 3:23-38 . This is the ideal man, or Second Adam, who regains Paradise Lost, who recovers race dominion, in whose image all his spiritual lineage is begotten. 1Co 15:45-49 . (b) As the Son of David: Psa 18:50 ; Psa 89:4 ; Psa 89:29 ; Psa 89:36 ; Psa 132:11 , cited in Luk 1:32 ; Act 13:22-23 ; Rom 1:3 ; 2Ti 2:8 . Perhaps a better statement of the psalmists’ vision of the wonderful person of the Messiah would be: He saw the uncreated Son, the second person of the trinity, in counsel and compact with the Father, arranging in eternity for the salvation of men: Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 . Then he saw this Holy One stoop to be the Son of man: Psa 8:4-6 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Then he was the son of David, and then he saw him rise again to be the Son of God: Psa 2:7 ; Rom 1:3-4 .
4. His offices.
(1) As the one atoning sacrifice (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 ).
(2) As the great Prophet, or Preacher (Psa 40:9-10 ; Psa 22:22 ; Heb 2:12 ). Even the method of his teaching by parable was foreseen (Psa 78:2 ; Mat 13:35 ). Equally also the grace, wisdom, and power of his teaching. When the psalmist declares that “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Psa 45:2 ), we need not be startled when we read that all the doctors in the Temple who heard him when only a boy “were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luk 2:47 ); nor that his home people at Nazareth “all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luk 4:22 ); nor that those of his own country were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom?” (Mat 13:54 ); nor that the Jews in the Temple marveled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (Joh 7:15 ) ; nor that the stern officers of the law found their justification in failure to arrest him in the declaration, “Never man spake like this man” (Joh 7:46 ).
(3) As the king (Psa 2:6 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 45:1-17 ; Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:42-46 ; Act 2:33-36 ; 1Co 15:25 ; Eph 1:20 ; Heb 1:13 ).
(4) As the priest (Psa 110:4 ; Heb 5:5-10 ; Heb 7:1-21 ; Heb 10:12-14 ).
(5) As the final judge. The very sentence of expulsion pronounced upon the finally impenitent by the great judge (Mat 25:41 ) is borrowed from the psalmist’s prophetic words (Psa 6:8 ).
5. Incidents of life. The psalmists not only foresaw the necessity for a Saviour; the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation; the wonderful human-divine person of the Saviour; the offices to be filled by him in the work of salvation, but also many thrilling details of his work in life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is not assumed to cite all these details, but some of the most important are enumerated in order, thus:
(1) The visit, adoration, and gifts of the Magi recorded in Mat 2 are but partial fulfilment of Psa 72:9-10 .
(2) The scripture employed by Satan in the temptation of our Lord (Luk 4:10-11 ) was cited from Psa 91:11-12 and its pertinency not denied.
(3) In accounting for his intense earnestness and the apparently extreme measures adopted by our Lord in his first purification of the Temple (Joh 2:17 ), he cites the messianic zeal predicted in Psa 69:9 .
(4) Alienation from his own family was one of the saddest trials of our Lord’s earthly life. They are slow to understand his mission and to enter into sympathy with him. His self-abnegation and exhaustive toil were regarded by them as evidences of mental aberration, and it seems at one time they were ready to resort to forcible restraint of his freedom) virtually what in our time would be called arrest under a writ of lunacy. While at the last his half-brothers became distinguished preachers of his gospel, for a long while they do not believe on him. And the evidence forces us to the conclusion that his own mother shared with her other sons, in kind though not in degree, the misunderstanding of the supremacy of his mission over family relations. The New Testament record speaks for itself:
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them Luk 2:48-51 (R.V.).
And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Joh 2:3-5 (R.V.).
And there come his mother and his brethren; and standing without; they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him. Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother Mar 3:31-35 (R.V.).
Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not fulfilled. Joh 7:2-9 (R.V.).
These citations from the Revised Version tell their own story. But all that sad story is foreshown in the prophetic psalms. For example: I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. Psa 69:8 .
(5) The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was welcomed by a joyous people shouting a benediction from Psa 118:26 : “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mat 21:9 ); and the Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem predicts continued desolation and banishment from his sight until the Jews are ready to repeat that benediction (Mat 23:39 ).
(6) The children’s hosanna in the Temple after its second purgation is declared by our Lord to be a fulfilment of that perfect praise forecast in Psa 8:2 .
(7) The final rejection of our Lord by his own people was also clear in the psalmist’s vision (Psa 118:22 ; Mat 21:42-44 ).
(8) Gethsemane’s baptism of suffering, with its strong crying and tears and prayers was as clear to the psalmist’s prophetic vision as to the evangelist and apostle after it became history (Psa 69:1-4 ; Psa 69:13-20 ; and Mat 26:36-44 ; Heb 5:7 ).
(9) In life-size also before the psalmist was the betrayer of Christ and his doom (Psa 41:9 ; Psa 69:25 ; Psa 109:6-8 ; Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:20 ).
(10) The rage of the people, Jew and Gentile, and the conspiracy of Pilate and Herod are clearly outlined (Psa 2:1-3 ; Act 4:25-27 ).
(11) All the farce of his trial the false accusation, his own marvelous silence; and the inhuman maltreatment to which he was subjected, is foreshown in the prophecy as dramatically as in the history (Mat 26:57-68 ; Mat 27:26-31 ; Psa 27:12 ; Psa 35:15-16 ; Psa 38:3 ; Psa 69:19 ).
The circumstances of his death, many and clear, are distinctly foreseen. He died in the prime of life (Psa 89:45 ; Psa 102:23-24 ). He died by crucifixion (Psa 22:14-17 ; Luk 23 ; 33; Joh 19:23-37 ; Joh 20:27 ). But yet not a bone of his body was broken (Psa 34:20 ; Joh 19:36 ).
The persecution, hatred without a cause, the mockery and insults, are all vividly and dramatically foretold (Psa 22:6-13 ; Psa 35:7 ; Psa 35:12 ; Psa 35:15 ; Psa 35:21 ; Psa 109:25 ).
The parting of his garments and the gambling for his vesture (Psa 22:18 ; Mat 27:35 ).
His intense thirst and the gall and vinegar offered for his drink (Psa 69:21 ; Mat 27:34 ).
In the psalms, too, we hear his prayers for his enemies so remarkably fulfilled in fact (Psa 109:4 ; Luk 23:34 ).
His spiritual death was also before the eye of the psalmist, and the very words which expressed it the psalmist heard. Separation from the Father is spiritual death. The sinner’s substitute must die the sinner’s death, death physical, i.e., separation of soul from body; death spiritual, i.e., separation of the soul from God. The latter is the real death and must precede the former. This death the substitute died when he cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” (Psa 22:1 ; Mat 27:46 ).
Emerging from the darkness of that death, which was the hour of the prince of darkness, the psalmist heard him commend his spirit to the Father (Psa_31:35; Luk 23:46 ) showing that while he died the spiritual death, his soul was not permanently abandoned unto hell (Psa 16:8-10 ; Act 2:25 ) so that while he “tasted death” for every man it was not permanent death (Heb 2:9 ).
With equal clearness the psalmist foresaw his resurrection, his triumph over death and hell, his glorious ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords, as a high Driest forever, as invested with universal sovereignty (Psa 16:8-11 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 68:18 ; Psa 2:6 ; Psa 111:1-4 ; Psa 8:4-6 ; Act 2:25-36 ; Eph 1:19-23 ; Eph 4:8-10 ).
We see, therefore, brethren, when the scattered parts are put together and adjusted, how nearly complete a portrait of our Lord is put upon the prophetic canvas by this inspired limner, the sweet singer of Israel.
QUESTIONS
1. What is a good text for this chapter?
2. What is the threefold division of the Old Testament as cited by our Lord?
3. What is the last division called and why?
4. What is the object of the discussion in this chapter?
5. To what three things is the purpose limited?
6. What especially qualifies the author to meet the objections of the higher critics to allowing the New Testament usage of the Old Testament to determine its meaning and application?
7. What is the author’s conviction relative to the Scriptures?
8. What is the New Testament testimony on the question of inspiration?
9. What is the author’s suggested plan of approach to the study of the Messiah in the Psalms?
10. What the background of the Psalmist’s portrait of the Messiah and of what does it consist?
11. Give the substance of Paul’s discussion of man’s sinfulness.
12. What is the teaching of Jesus on this point?
13. What is the teaching relative to sacrifices?
14. What the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah and what the four great elements of it as forecast by the psalmist?
15. What is the teaching of the psalms relative to the wondrous person of the Messiah? Discuss.
16. What are the offices of the Messiah according to psalms? Discuss each.
17. Cite the more important events of the Messiah’s life according to the vision of the psalmist.
18. What the circumstances of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as foreseen by the psalmist?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Psa 20:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
A Psalm of David ] Or, concerning David; so Kimchi. Or, for and on the behalf of David; so Aben Ezra. David, as a prophet, dictated this form of prayer to be made by the people for himself, their king; when he went forth to fight their battles, probably, against the Ammonites and Syrians; or, when he fled from Absalom, and was to help them from the city by his prayers, 2Sa 18:3 , as Aben Ezra thinketh.
Ver. 1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble ] Great men, though gracious, as David, have their distresses, and must pray for themselves then; not trusting to the prayers of others for them; as did that profane Earl of Westmoreland, who said he had no need to pray, since he had tenants enough to pray for him (Camden).
The name of the God of Jacob defend thee
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
This, again, is the personal Witness for the God-fearing Jew, Messiah in the day of trouble. “To the chief musician, a psalm of David.” It is not Messiah as Jewish unbelief and carnality conceived, but Messiah in the day of distress. How could it be otherwise if He were found in an ungodly people? But He is over, whatever come, the faithful Witness: and God takes care to have those who see Him thus and love Him the more for it; whose heart is drawn to Him because He is so unworthily hated and despised. Hence the outburst of confidence which closes the psalm. Thus the godly remnant in the latter-day trouble see Christ as their object and hope, where the ungodly are to fall under the deceit of the enemy and a wilful king after their heart, son of perdition for himself and them. In the Messiah that disdains not but enters into Jacob’s trouble they discern the Anointed of Jehovah, appreciate His piety God-ward as well as His desires and counsels which embrace them as His own. Hence their assurance of His triumph as identified with Jehovah’s name and glory, and of the King’s hearing them. They were learning the secret of His person.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 20:1-3
1May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
2May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!
3May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.
Psa 20:1-5 This strophe is a prayer, as is Psa 20:4-5, to plead with YHWH to help His covenant representative (i.e., the Davidic king, cf. 1Sa 8:7; 1Sa 10:19) in battle (cf. Psa 20:5; Psa 20:7).
Notice the series of imperfects used in a jussive sense (cf. NASB, NRSV, REB, NIV, JPSOA, i.e., prayer requests) in Psa 20:1-5.
1. May the Lord answer you BDB 772, KB 851, Qal imperfect
2. May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high BDB 960, KB 1305, Piel imperfect
3. May He send you help from the sanctuary BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal imperfect
4. May He support you from Zion BDB 703, KB 761, Qal imperfect
5. May He remember all your meal offerings BDB 269, KB 269, Qal imperfect
6. May He grant you your heart’s desire BDB 678, KB 733, Qal imperfect, cf. Psa 21:2; Psa 37:4
7. May He fulfill all your counsel/purpose BDB 569, KB 583, Piel imperfect
8. May He fulfill all your petitions same as #7
Psa 20:1 in the day of trouble This is a recurrent phrase (cf. Gen 35:3; 2Ki 19:3; Psa 50:15; Psa 77:2; Psa 86:7; Pro 24:10; Pro 25:19; Isa 37:3; Jer 16:19; Oba 1:12; Oba 1:14; Nah 1:7; Hab 3:16). It stands for many different life problems that occur in this fallen world. The news is that God is aware of our problems (i.e., Exo 3:7-8) and is with us in the midst of those problems. He is the answer to all human need and amazingly He is pursuing us!
The term day (BDB 398) has several connotations.
SPECIAL TOPIC: DAY (YOM)
the name of the God of Jacob There are two Special Topics that illuminate this phrase.
1. Special Topic: Names For Deity
2. Special Topic: The Name of YHWH
NASBset you securely on high
NKJVdefend you
NRSV, TEV,
NJB, LXXprotect you
JPSOAkeep you safe
REBbe your tower of strength
The MT verb (BDB 960, KB 1305, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense) is from the root to be high, and thereby inaccessible and secure (cf. Psa 59:1; Psa 69:29; Psa 91:14; Psa 107:41). This is the same imagery of a high, defensible fortress used in Psa 18:2!
Psa 20:2 from the sanctuary. . .from Zion These are parallel lines of poetry. Both refer to the temple in Jerusalem. It was not built in David’s day but the tabernacle was there. Jerusalem was built on seven hills; the temple was built on Mt. Moriah (cf. 1Ch 21:18; 2Ch 3:1). Mt. Zion was the site of the Jebusite fortress captured by David (cf. 2Sa 5:7; 1Ch 11:5), as well as the site for his palace. It came to be the name used for the entire city of Jerusalem and the phrase daughter of Zion for the Israelite people (cf. 2Ki 19:21).
Notice that Psa 20:6 uses the phrase from His holy heaven, which is another parallel.
Psa 20:3 Selah See note at Psa 3:2 and Introduction to Psalms, VII.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
To the chief Musician. See App-64.
The LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. See App-4.
hear = answer.
name. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the person himself. Occurs three times in this Psalm: Psa 20:1, the Defending Name; Psa 20:5, the Displayed Name; Psa 20:7, the Delivering Name.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
God of Jacob = Jacob’s God: i.e. the God Who met Jacob when he had nothing and deserved nothing (but wrath), and gave him everything. The N.T. “God. of all grace”, See note on Gen 32:28; Gen 43:6; Gen 45:26, Gen 45:28; this Divine title occurs in Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11; Psa 75:9; Psa 76:6; Psa 81:1, Psa 81:4; Psa 84:8; Psa 94:7; Psa 114:7; Psa 146:5.
defend = shall defend. To this day the calling out the name of a person of rank or power will bring protection to one in danger from the violence of an enemy. In Psalms always used of God.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 20:1-9 is to the chief musician also. It is a psalm of David.
The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble ( Psa 20:1 );
Actually, Jehovah, “May Jehovah hear you in the day of trouble.”
the name of the God of Jacob [which is Jehovah or Yahweh] defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice ( Psa 20:1-3 );
In other words, “May the Lord hear you, the name of the Lord, or Jehovah, the name of the God of Jacob defend you. May He send help and strengthen you, and remember, or take notice of all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifices.”
May he grant thee according to your own heart [that is, the desires of your heart], and fulfill all of your counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God [Yahweh or Jehovah] we will set up our banners: for Jehovah fulfill all your requests. Now know I that Jehovah saves his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, some in horses: but we will remember the name of Jehovah our God. They are brought down [those that are trusting in horses and chariots], and they are fallen: but [because we have trusted in the name of the Lord,] we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call ( Psa 20:4-9 ). “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
The 20th Psalm is a prayer for the King; not only for David or Solomon, but for great Davids greater Son, the true King of the Church. As if the Church saw Jesus going forth to his work, she offers up a prayer for him.
Psa 20:1. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
And so it came to pass; in that dread night in Gethsemane, Jesus was heard in that he feared. The God of wrestling Jacob heard the cries of his dear Son, and defended him, or supported him, as it is in the marginal reading.
Psa 20:2. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
And you know how there came, from yonder heavenly Jerusalem, an angel strengthening him. The celestial messenger stood. at his side amidst the gloom of the olive garden, and brought him comfort and succor from Gods right hand.
His earnest prayers. his deepening groans,
Were heard before angelic thrones;
Amazement wrapt the sky:
Go, strengthen Christ! the Father said:
The astonished seraph bowd his head
And left the realms on high.
Psa 20:3. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
And so he did; there was never such acceptance given to any burnt sacrifice as was given to our Divine Lord when he covered up himself.
Psa 20:4. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel.
Is it not written, Prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised? Here, then, is a suitable prayer for you to present on behalf of the Lord Jesus, that God would grant him according to his own heart, and fulfill all his counsel.
Psa 20:5. We will rejoice in thy salvation,
Come, brothers and sisters, let us make this verse true; and even if we have anything to sigh over, let us lay it aside while we now devote ourselves to the happy work of rejoicing in the glorious salvation of our Lord and King.
Psa 20:5-9. And in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfill all thy petitions. Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
What a blessing it is that our King does hear us when we call upon him ! He is full of sympathy with all his people, for, in the time of his sojourn on earth, he often knew what it was to plead with his Father; and as God heard him then, so does he himself hear us now. All glory be to his blessed name!The 21st Psalm views the King as having ended his battle, and achieved his victory.
This exposition consisted of readings from PSALMS 20. and 21.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Psa 20:1-5
A PSALM OF DAVID
The ancient superscription carries the notation, “A Psalm of David.” It is a liturgical hymn used ceremonially upon the occasion of a king’s coronation, or upon the occasion of his going into battle.
“A Psalm of David” may mean merely, “A Psalm about David,” and not necessarily a Psalm written by David. As far as we can understand the passage, it really makes no difference which it means.
If it means that David wrote the Psalm, there is the suggestion of a problem in the usage of the words of other people in a prayer for himself, which to modern ears sounds unnatural; but David may have composed this prayer to be prayed by the people upon behalf, not merely of himself, but on behalf of kings who would arise after him. In this view, the use of the second person in Psa 20:1-5 is not unnatural.
It was John Calvin’s opinion that, “Under the figure of the temporal kingdom, God here laid down the principle reiterated in the New Testament to the effect that public prayers should be offered for kings, rulers, and other persons invested with high authority (1Ti 2:1-2). Baigent pointed out that this Psalm is still used ceremonially in prayers for the Queen of England in Anglican services.
Regarding the date of the Psalm. we find the speculations of various writers about “when” any given Psalm was written are of little interest and still less importance. Cheyne attempted to date this Psalm in the times of Simon Maccabaeus. However, the use of the word “king” refutes such a supposition, because Simon Maccabaeus was never, in any sense, a king. Furthermore, “The reference to the army of Israel as unequipped with cavalry and chariots (Psa 20:7) favors the early date. After the times of Solomon, Israel possessed many chariots and horses. There is no king whatever in the whole history of Israel whose times fit the situation that surfaces in this psalm, except those of King David.
This psalm naturally falls into three divisions as signalled by the “we …. I” and “we, the first person plural, and the first person singular and the first person plural pronouns appearing in Psa 20:5-7.
The occasion that prompted the writing of this psalm is supposed to have been that of David’s start of a war against Syria, at some considerable time after the return of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem by King David. It is stated by Rawlinson that this “conjecture is probable.
As many have pointed out, this psalm is a companion with Psalms 21, their relation being that of a prayer for victory in Psalms 20 and a thanksgiving for victory in Psalms 21.
Psa 20:1-5
“Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble
The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;
Send thee help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen thee out of Zion;
Remember all thy offerings,
And accept thy burnt-sacrifice; (Selah)
Grant thee thy heart’s desire,
And fulfill all thy counsel.
We will triumph in thy salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners;
Jehovah fulfill all thy petitions.”
The first person plural pronoun in Psa 20:5 shows that it is the voice of the people who are vocalizing this petition in the sanctuary itself upon behalf of their king.
“In the day of trouble” (Psa 20:1). Alas, it is the destiny of every child of God to confront the day of trouble. It is the eternal assignment for every Christian that he, “Must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God” (Act 14:22). It was also true of David. This Syrian war was the occasion of his adultery with Bathsheba and of his heartless murder of her husband Uriah. With the possible exception of Absalom’s rebellion, this was perhaps the most terrible trouble David ever faced.
“Help from the sanctuary … out of Zion” (Psa 20:2). This indicates that the ark of the covenant had now been transferred to Jerusalem, an event which is described in 2Sa 6:12-19. “This means that the psalm is pre-exilic.
“Remember all thy offerings … accept thy burnt-sacrifice” (Psa 20:3). This might be a reference to the prayers and offerings of King David in days gone by; but as Ash wrote, “It more likely refers to the sacrifices being offered upon the occasion of the Psalm’s use.” The word “Selah” inserted at this place in the psalm may be a reference to a pause in the ceremonies during which sacrifices were actually offered.
“Fulfill all thy counsel” (Psa 20:4). “This means, `Make all thy plans to prosper.’
“We will triumph in thy salvation” (Psa 20:5). The blessing of God upon the king or ruler is automatically a blessing upon all of his subjects; and the people vocalizing this petition here acknowledge this principle.
“We will set up our banners” (Psa 20:5). In all ages, the smaller units of an army have always cherished their own individual banners, tokens, or emblems; and this reference is to the fact that the children of Israel here promised to acknowledge their allegiance to God in the various standards that would be elevated by the various tribes. As Baigent accurately noted, these banners, “Are a reference to tribal standards displayed when camping or marching.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 20:1. David is the author of this psalm but he wrote it as a song or prayer to be offered by the people. They were to appeal to God in behalf of their king who was about to contact his enemies in battle. This view of the situation will explain why the 2nd or 3rd person was used, although David was composing the passage.
Psa 20:2. The sanctuary was the holy place and it was in Zion, a place in the city of Jerusalem. God was officially located there, wihch made it a source of help.
Psa 20:3. David had made many sacrifices to Gad, and the people were to ask that the sacrifices be remembered.
Psa 20:4. The prayer at this point should be considered as being conditional. The desires and advice of the king should be granted as far as they were acceptable to the Lord
Psa 20:5. Thy salvation means the salvation of David their king in his struggles for success over his enemies. Such results would bring rejoicing to the people and they would be encouraged to set up banners which means raising the flag of triumph.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
This and the next psalms are certainly closely connected. The first is the prayer of the people on behalf of the king as he goes forth to battle. The first five verses were sung in chorus and express the consciousness of the supreme need in this day of trouble. The foes are gathered, the battle must be fought. Help must come from the sanctuary and strength from Zion. In the name of God the banners must be set up. The next verse is a solo. The voice of the king is heard announcing his confidence in Jehovah. Immediately the chorus takes up the music and contrasts the confidence of the foe in chariots and horses with the confidence of those who follow the king in the name of Jehovah, who is their God.
Following the contrast of confidence is that of issue: They are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen, and stand upright.
The whole ends with a prayer in such form as recognizes the kingship of Jehovah. Today, the weapons of our warfare are no longer carnal, but we have a conflict to wage and the secrets of strength for us are revealed as clearly here as for those of olden times.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
the Saving Strength of Gods Right Hand
Psa 20:1-9
This may have been written on such an occasion as 2Sa 10:1-19.
The prayer of the soldiers, Psa 20:1-4. Ready, drawn up for the battle, they salute their king. Gods name is His character. The God of Jacob cannot forsake us, though we are unworthy as the patriarch. Thou worm Jacob! Isa 41:14.
The resolve, Psa 20:5. Our banners may wave proudly in the breeze, but all is vain if God be not our trust. The Lord is our banner, Exo 17:15. We succeed only as we set out in His name and for His glory.
The kings voice, Psa 20:6. Strength is plural, signifying the variety and infinity of Gods resources, on which we may count.
The final chorus of the host, Psa 20:7-9. As they look across the field, they contrast the might of their foes with their slender equipment. But as they gaze, those embattled hosts are dispersed, as clouds before a gale. Save! is the battle-cry.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Thus far in our attempt to expound this portion of the Word of God I have not called attention to the beauties of some of these headings. For instance, Psalms 19, 20, and 21 are all headed alike, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Psalm 22 is also dedicated To the chief Musician. But then you have a Hebrew term following that which is said to mean, hind of the morning, referring to the antlers on the head of a deer as picturing the rays of the rising sun.
This expression, The chief Musician, surely ought to come home to our hearts. Who is the chief Musician? We read, In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee (Psa 22:22), and the speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It ought to give character to our songs of praise to realize that it is He who leads the praises of His people, and surely our songs of praise then should be, in some measure at least, worthy of Him. I am afraid sometimes we sing what we call gospel songs that He would never lead. But when we approach Him with reverence and in gratitude the Lord Jesus delights to lead out our praises. So when we see these Psalms dedicated To the chief Musician let us always think of Christ and say, Here is something that the Spirit of God inspired David to write, and he dedicated it to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
It is an interesting fact that very frequently in the book of Psalms the last verse of one Psalm is a key to the next one. We see that right here. The last verse of Psalm 19 ends up with the words, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer, and the 20th Psalm celebrates the strength and the redemption of our God. Then in the same way the last verse of the 20th Psalm says, Save, Lord: let the King hear us when we call. And the 21st Psalm is the Psalm of the King in His glory. It begins, The king shall joy in Thy strength, O Lord. When reading in the Psalms watch for those intimate connections. Sometimes you will get a series of five, six, seven, or nine Psalms all linked like that, the last verse of one introducing the first of the next with certain words, certain expressions common to each and seemingly binding these Psalms together like a golden chain. In Psalm 19 we have had the testimony of creation and the testimony of the Word of God, all telling of a Redeemer that God has provided. Then in Psalm 20 we have the redemption, the salvation which that Redeemer has obtained for us.
Look at the first three verses of Psalm 20. The soul is resting, as it were, upon the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Of course all the offerings and all the burnt sacrifices speak of Christ so everything here is based upon sacrifice. All future blessing for Israel and for the nations as well as for the individual soul rests upon the one offering of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary. All these sacrifices that were offered in the past dispensations were just so many pictures of the work that He accomplished there and it is on the basis of this that all blessing comes to us. It is because of His offering that God hears those who call. The God of Jacob will undertake for us.
I do love that term, The God of Jacob. Do you know that only once in the Bible we read of The God of Isaac and only twice of The God of Abraham? Once we read of The Lord God of Elijah but about twenty-two times in the book of the Psalms we read of The God of Jacob. Why does He call himself The God of Jacob? I think there are a number of suggestive thoughts. Perhaps the first is that He is the God that the poor sinner needs, for Jacob was a poor crooked stick from the time he first came into this world right on through the years. The name means the grafter or the cheat literally, the heel catcher. A man who would trip another by catching his heel. It is like the flesh in every one of us; what heel catchers we are! But God is The God of Jacob. Isaac was a nice, colorless sort of man. He never did anything exciting. He was never excitingly good, never excitingly bad. You might have thought that God would far rather have delighted to call Himself, The God of Isaac, but only once in the Word is He so called. It is The God of Jacob because He wants you and me to know that He is the God who is interested in poor sinners. And then again I think the thought of The God of Jacob suggests the God of the individual. God singles people out. I am that mans God, and He singled you and me out, and we can look up into His face and say, Thou art my God. And then there is this thought, He is the God of patience, and what patience He had with Jacob! He dealt with him; He disci- plined him; He took that crooked man and chastened, educated him, and taught him by discipline until at last when an old man he became a quiet, patient, godly worshiper. We read that Jacob, when he was dying, worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff (Heb 11:21). It took him a long time to reach that place but he attained it at last. What patience God has had with some of us!
The last section includes verses 4 to 6 where we have the blessing that comes to the people of God in answer to prayer. Verses 1, 2, and 3 are in the nature of a prayer, and you notice they conclude with the word, Selah. In our version the sentence is not completed but actually you should have a period there, for the word Selah itself would indicate that. This word Selah literally means to lift up. Just as, for instance, in playing the piano the pianist comes to a rest and just lifts her hands for a moment. When the music was played the musician would just lift his hand and indicate that there was a rest in the music. When I was a boy, a dear old saint said, Whenever I see that word Selah I always read it as, Stop and consider! It is the Lord saying, I have been telling you something of importance; you just stop now and think it over. It is divine punctuation. Stop and think this over before you go on with the next strain.
The fourth verse, instead of being a part of the petition, should be a declarative sentence. A better translation is this, He will grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. The prayer was in the other three verses, May the Lord do thus and so for you, and now the answer comes, He will grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. Some one says, Doesnt God always do that? does He not grant everybody according to his heart and fulfil all their counsels? He has never promised to do that in an indiscriminate kind of way. But He does say, Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psa 37:4). And again, If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (Joh 15:7). Here, you see, you have the soul occupied with Christ, occupied with His work, and now the cry goes out to God on the cloud of the burnt sacrifices and the answer comes, He will grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. When you and I are really taken up with Him, when His will is our will, when we are delighting ourselves in Him, when His Word abides in us and we are consciously in communion with Him, we may ask what we will and it will be done. Well, somebody said to me one time, if that is true, why dont you ask the Lord for a million dollars and pay up everything and not have to take up any more collections? I could not do that if I am delighting myself in Him. He does not tell me to ask for a million dollars. If He did, I would do it. When George Mueller delighted himself in Him and he asked for a million pounds, God gave it to him during a lifetime of fifty years, when running that orphanage. If I had a responsibility like that I could go to the Lord about it too. If you and I are really living in communion with Him the Holy Spirit dwelling within us will move our hearts and show us that for which we should ask, and as we pray in the Holy Spirit we can be assured of an answer.
Now then faith speaks in verses 5 and 6, We will re- joice in Thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions. In verse 6 you have a term used that refers throughout all the prophetic Scripture to our Lord Jesus Himself, that which the Jews used for the coming Saviour, Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed. Anointed is the same as Messiah. The Messiah was the One for whom the Jews were waiting all down through the centuries. But it was predicted that Gods Anointed was to suffer, to be rejected, to die, and then was to come forth from the grave in triumph. And so the Psalmist looks on to the day of victory and says, Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. And the same power that raised Messiah from the dead is the power that undertakes for us. So we can say, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. We are trusting in God alone. How apt we are in the hour of stress and trial to turn for help to that which is merely earthly or human and so often fails us. If you once know the blessedness of depending on God, you will find it is a luxury to trust in Him. Your confidence will not be in the natural but in the spiritual.
They are brought down-those who trust only in temporal things-and fallen: but we-we who trust in God- are risen, and stand upright. The Psalm closes with Christ in view. Save, Lord: let the King hear us when we call. And of course the King is none other than our blessed Lord Jesus. And that introduces us direcdy to Psalm 21, for the very first verse, as we have seen, celebrates the glory of the King.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets
Psa 20:1
I. The God of Jacob tells us, by the very name, that He is a God who is not deterred by a great transgression, or by great proneness to transgression, from constituting Himself the Guide to our pilgrim life.
II. The God of Jacob must be a God who can bear to inflict very stern chastisement on His children, and to train His pilgrims in a very hard, sharp school of discipline, without forfeiting the name of their merciful and loving God. This thought has two suggestions. (1) It expounds the thoroughness of the Divine method. (2) Let the name of the God of Jacob assure you that there is no extremity in which you have a right to cry, “The Lord hath forsaken me; my God has forgotten me.”
III. The God of Jacob is the God who will bring the pilgrims home.
J. Baldwin Brown, The Sunday Afternoon, p. 45 (see also p. 35).
References: Psa 20:1-J. Irons, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. vii., p. 1; J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages from the Psalms, p. 9. Psa 20:1, Psa 20:2.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ii., p. 414. Psa 20:2.-W. M. Taylor, Old Testament Outlines, p. 102. Psa 20:5.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. vi., p. 16; D. Burns, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiii., p. 81.
Psa 20:7
The Psalmist remembers the name of the Lord his God, not any one property or attribute of God, but the whole combination of Divine perfections. And he remembers this name, the expression implying, not a transient thought, but meditation, consideration; and yet the result of the recollection is gladness and confidence.
I. When the mind gives itself to the contemplation of the Divine perfections, it launches on an ocean unfathomable and without a shore. But we may certify ourselves of truths which we cannot fathom or scan. And the Divine perfections, while we readily confess that they transcend all our powers, may be objects of our faith, of our study, of our adoration. Wheresoever there is the simple desire and the earnest endeavour to obey the Divine precepts, the properties of our Maker have only to be made the subject of careful remembrance, and they must furnish the materials of comfort.
II. We go on to admit that there are properties or attributes of God which, because they seem arrayed against sinful beings, can hardly be supposed to be the subjects of encouraging remembrance. The name of the Lord our God includes justice and holiness; and these are qualities from which we seem instinctively to shrink, as though we felt that they must necessarily be opposed to rebellious and polluted creatures. But the attributes of Deity meet and harmonise in the plan of our redemption. It is the Christian alone who can view God in every character and yet view Him without dread. The Christian, when he would remember the name of the Lord, may place himself beneath the shadow of the tree on which the Lord Jesus died.
III. The Psalmist’s reference would seem to be specially to seasons of fear and anxiety. In times of sorrow Christians call to remembrance their grief rather than God, the blow rather than the hand whence it comes; but let them call to mind the Divine attributes, the evidences which they have already had of God’s love, and the reasons which they have for being persuaded that all things are ordered by Him so as to work together for good, and come trouble, come death, they may still exclaim, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but enough for us that we can remember the name of the Lord our God.”
H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 1593.
References: Psa 20:7.-G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 177. Psalm 20-A. Maclaren, Life of David, p. 203; I. Williams, The Psalms Interpreted of Christ, p. 371. Psa 21:1.-J. Irons, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. vii., p. 409. Psa 21:2.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. vi., p. 17; M. G. Pearse, Sunday Magazine, 1884, p. 605.
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
Psalm 20
Christ and His Salvation as Contemplated by His People
1. What God has done for Christ (Psa 20:1-4)
2. The salvation His people enjoy (Psa 20:5-9)
Psa 20:1-4. My Redeemer was the last word of the previous Psalm. Christ the Redeemer of His people is revealed in this Psalm. His death and sacrificial work, revealed in Psa 22:1-31, are here anticipated. He who humbled Himself has been heard by Jehovah, He has set Him upon high (marginal reading), He has sent Him help, He has accepted His great offering, the whole burnt offering which typifies the death of the cross. All the desires of His heart are given to Him and all His counsels will be fulfilled. The believing remnant is contemplating the Redeemer and His salvation. Because He has been heard, because His offering is accepted, because He is set on high, they possess salvation.
Psa 20:5-9. This salvation is now celebrated in inspired song. It is anticipatory of that coming salvation. They will rejoice in His salvation, His heavenly people, now rejoice in it. Banners, the symbol of victory won, will be set up. The intercessions of His Anointed (Christ) will be answered, all enemies are bowed down and fallen. But we are risen and stand upright refers to the day of Israels national and spiritual resurrection. In anticipation of the trouble of the last days we read the prayer of this godly remnant. Save LORD! Let the King hear us when we call.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
defend
Heb. “set thee on an high place.”
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
am 2968, bc 1036
hear: Psa 41:1, Psa 46:1, Psa 50:5, Psa 60:11, Psa 91:15, Psa 138:7, Jer 30:7, Mat 26:38, Mat 26:39, Heb 5:7
name: Psa 9:10, Psa 83:18, Exo 34:5-7, Pro 18:10, Isa 50:10
God: Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11, Gen 32:27-29, Gen 48:15, Gen 48:16, Exo 3:13-15
defend: Heb. set thee on an high place, Psa 18:2, Psa 91:14, Psa 114:2
Reciprocal: Jos 1:17 – only the Lord 1Ki 1:47 – bless 2Ch 6:19 – to hearken Psa 9:9 – be a refuge Psa 59:9 – defence Psa 89:24 – in my Psa 108:12 – Give Psa 118:12 – in the name Isa 38:3 – Remember Nah 1:7 – in the 1Ti 2:2 – kings 3Jo 1:2 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psalms 19
Proper Psalm for Christmas Day (Morning).
Psalms 19-21 = Day 4 (Morning).
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Christ and His salvation.
To the chief musician: a psalm of David,
With the last word of the nineteenth psalm is struck the key-note of that which follows. This is truly a blessed psalm, and its beauty will be seen the more, the more we contemplate it. Not that there is much wonder about that: the lustre of all God’s jewels is only dimmed by our indifference.
The two psalms now before us are Jewish, no doubt: and the lack of the apprehension of this causes much of the difficulty of discerning their true character. We have to distinguish between the form and the essence, -or rather, to give frankly to the ancient people of God all that belongs to them; and by so doing we shall surely find what is our own, and of how little we have deprived ourselves by this mere justice. The Gentile’s Christ is also Israel’s Messiah; and wherever we find Him we have our inalienable title to and interest in Him. On His head are many crowns; but these can surely not obscure the features with which we are familiar.
The twentieth psalm speaks of Christ and His salvation, objectively given, as contemplated by the people, and not, as in the twenty-second, subjectively, as the language and experience of the Lord Himself. This, as has been said before, is the manner of the middle three of the nine psalms of which this is the central one, and which show us faith’s reception of the Messiah. The prophecy is here as direct as Isaiah’s picture of Jehovah’s Servant, (Isa 52:13-15,) and should be given as direct announcement, and not, as in our common version, as a prayer. The nine verses are, as usual with this number, 3 x 3, the symbol of divine fullness and manifestation intensified by repetition: from which the importance of its contents may be anticipated.
1. The first section declares God to be for “His Anointed,” who is seen in the day of His “strait,” which is that of His “offering.” This Anointed is the King of Israel, whose deliverance is in some way the salvation of His people, and seems to bring their hearts back to the remembrance of Jehovah their God; and thus they “rise and stand upright.” There is no difficulty in seeing that, however else the psalm may have had partial fulfillment, Christ alone is the complete one. And this interpretation it is that gives it its place in the series of psalms that we are considering. The partial ones, taken as the whole, if they could be satisfactorily and not merely conjecturally made out, would break up the unity of the book, as well as lower immeasurably the character of the fragments remaining. How insignificant these “offerings” and this “burnt sacrifice” of a king in his “strait,” were it Uzziah or Asa or David himself, compared with that one sacrifice of the glorious King, who is always the great subject of the Spirit’s testimony.
Looked at in this way, a flood of light is thrown upon the psalm which transfigures it completely. In the very first verse thus, where the king is seen in his strait, it is the name of the God of Jacob” that sets him on high. This is then only another reading of the New Testament text that “Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.” (Rom 6:4.) God’s “name” is His glory: it is the display of Himself. It is this that is the blessedness of the gospel, that God is displayed in it in His grace. Here, too, the God of Jacob, when we realize the meaning of this name, Jacob, and remember the history in connection with it, which the book of Genesis so dwells upon, may well stand for -indeed can stand for nothing else but -the God of grace. Grace alone could take up the “supplanter” to make of him an Israel, a “prince of God.” Thus it is for the declaration of God’s grace, -of the gospel in its essence, -that the One seen here is delivered from His strait, -is set on high. The resurrection and ascension of Christ give to this its full and blessed significance. The story is that of God’s grace, whether it be in the going forth of the gospel in its fullness now, or in the deliverance of Israel in days to come. It is still the work of Christ that is the foundation of all blessing, and by which the glory of God is displayed in abounding grace.
In the second verse there is a twofold answer implied; for the sanctuary and Zion are in different lines of thought. The one is the place of priesthood; the other the seat of royal power. Christ is both Priest and King; but then, in connection with Him, the sanctuary in the midst of Israel can be no more than “the figure of the true:” and this is plainly declared in the sixth verse, where the answer of God is “from His holy heaven.” This is the answer with which we are now, blessed be His name, familiar. But we have taken it in such a way as to discredit the other, and to make a difficulty where there is absolute simplicity. Christ is yet to be answered out of Zion, -the kingly power in Israel put into His hand. Indeed in that day the two answers will be brought into fullest agreement: the “priest after the order of Melchizedek” will be a “priest upon His throne.” The grace implied in priesthood will be manifested in Him who reigns with absolute power; and this will be full blessing for the people of His choice.
The third verse, Leviticus-like, shows us the basis of all this in sacrifice. The whole range of offerings here comes in; for what less could show the various perfection of the one offering that has once for all put away sin for every soul that trusts it? but yet the burnt-offering holds before God its special place. No wonder! It is that which tells of the perfectly tried obedience found perfect, all of its sweet savor brought out by the fierceness of the flame consuming it.
How blessed a picture is given us then in these three verses! how impossible for it to be the picture of any other than the One whom it so admirably portrays!
2. We have now the effect of this interposition of God for Him in the deliverance and blessing of His people. This is not, however, what we shall find, when His work is fully told out -forgiveness and salvation from sin. He is their King, and His being raised up naturally connects itself with their deliverance. That this is, and must be, in grace, we have already seen; but this is, as yet, more national than individual, and the depths of their need are not as yet explored.
We find at once, however, that there are counsels of His heart, though what these are is left to be inferred by what follows. They are worthy of that work which lays the ground of their accomplishment; and the people, rejoicing in. His deliverance, set up their banners in that Name which has been declared to them, -the name of Jacob’s God, the God of grace. There is certainly here a national movement, in the face of enemies, but with confidence; and evidently in His advocacy with whose requests their hearts go out in sympathy. Faith in them has linked itself with Him, and that faith expresses itself in joyful certainty, in the voice of a believing nation in the latter day. These are now receiving the testimony with which the psalm began, and the faith of the prophet in the first part of it is answered at last by that of a generation to be new born to God in days yet to come. The transition here will be no difficulty to those who have noted the similar style of prophecy elsewhere.* Thus Israel will yet awake to the acceptance with God of Him whom as the Crucified they have refused and scorned. They have heard as yet but the Voice which cried, Thou hearest not,” and to that which presently said, “Thou hast heard Me,” they have been deaf and unbelieving. At last the “Ephphatha” will be uttered which will give ears and tongue alike their office, and they will say, “Now I know that Jehovah saveth His Anointed! He answereth Him from His holy heaven, with the saving strength of His right hand.”
{*Thus in Isa 52:13-15; Isa 53:1-3 there is a similar transition from the future and the personating by the prophet of the unbelief (as here the faith) of a generation to come.}
3. The third section must be characterized as the resurrection of Israel. We see them in fact brought back to God, as through faith in Christ they will be, with the necessary effect of this, that they find God for them. The last verse, if we are to read it according to the common punctuation, goes on to the further discovery, full indeed of blessing, that Messiah, their King, and Jehovah are the same: a truth certainly not beyond the Psalms to give, and which we shall find fully before us in the fourth book.
The name of God is once more uttered by them here. Well may they be glad to remember it now, after so long a time of forgetfulness. Now no earthly confidence will they boast in, but only in Jehovah. The sure result follows: while other hopes deceive, Jehovah manifests Himself for them. Their enemies (these boasters) are brought down and fallen. Israel rises from her sorrow and degradation and not temporarily merely: they rise and stand upright.
The psalm ends with a prayer, in which Jehovah is invoked still to deliver, a prayer which the “King” is besought to hear. Jehovah and the King are one!
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary
Psa 20:1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble It was often a day of trouble with David. Neither the crown on his head, says Henry, nor the grace in his heart, would exempt him from trouble. But in his trouble he had recourse to God; and in this all, even the greatest of men, ought to imitate him. Though he was a man of business, and a man of war, yet he was constant to his devotions. Though he had prophets, and priests, and many good people among his subjects to pray for him, yet he did not think that excused him from praying for himself. None must expect benefit by the prayers of the church, or of their ministers or friends for them, who are capable of praying for themselves, and yet neglect it. The prayers of others for us must be desired, not to supersede, but to second our own for ourselves. The name of the God of Jacob That is, God himself, for names are often put for persons. He calls him the God of Jacob, or Israel, not only to distinguish him from false gods, but as an argument to enforce the prayer, because God had made a covenant with Jacob and his posterity. Let God by his providence keep thee safe, and secure from the reach of evil, even the God who preserved Jacob in the days of his trouble; and let God by his grace keep thee easy and happy from the fear of evil.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 20:1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble. We read in Psalms 83. that nearly all the surrounding nations, after David was made king, entered into a league to demolish the Jewish nation, and put down their king. But this psalm is understood to refer to an expedition against the Ammonites. David composed it to assist the church in praying for his success, for it was indeed a day of trouble: and God, who inspired his people with sentiments of confidence, crowned all their hopes with the laurels of victory.
Psa 20:9. Save Lord: let the king hear us when we call. This is an unsuccessful reading, for the address is to the Lord alone, and not jointly to God and the king. The LXX, Oh Lord, save the king, and hear us in the day that we call upon thee. The Latin reads as the LXX.
REFLECTIONS.
From the example of the Hebrew church, we learn the duty of calling upon the Lord in the day of trouble, as well as to make proper efforts to repel the danger. So Moses raised his hands to heaven while Joshua raised his sword against Amalek for hanging on the rear of the Hebrew camp, and slaying the aged and the sick. All nations have done the same in time of war and invasion.
In prayer, we may mention and plead the kindness and grace of God to our fathers. It was an augmentation of the plea to call on the God of Jacob, who, by the Angel of his presence, had redeemed him from all evil and mischief. So Elijah on mount Carmel, in the day of extremity, called on the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. We must not trust in horses and in arms, but in the name of the Lord.
Prayer inspires our efforts with confidence, and the joy of salvation, even before the day of conflict. Nay, it sees the enemy as already fallen and brought low.
In particular, we should pray for the king, and for leaders and commanders, who cover their country with defence; for human skill and courage fail when defence is denied from heaven. But above all, let us pray for the success of the Redeemers kingdom, that all enemies may fall down before him, and that the nations may serve him to the ends of the earth.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
XX. A prayer for deliverance from national disaster, changing (probably after the sacrifice has been offered) into confidence at Psa 20:6; Now know I, etc. The mention of a king or anointed one would seem to place the Ps. in pre-exilic times, unless we are prepared to carry it down to the reign of Aristobulus I (p. 608), the first of the Maccabees who took the royal title (105 B.C.). Certainly the religious tone is in favour of a Maccabean date.
Psa 20:9. Follow mg.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
PSALM 20
The testimony of Christ – the faithful witness – in the midst of an evil world.
This psalm reviews the whole history of Christ in His path of suffering through this world. They see in Him the faithful witness for God, and that all their blessing is secured through Christ. Hence their only plea before God is Christ; His sacrifice and His petitions. It is no longer the witness of creation, as in Psalm 19, but the witness of a living Person – God’s Anointed – come down into the midst of an ungodly people, and suffering at the hands of men.
The psalm anticipates the recognition by the godly Jews that the suffering and rejected Christ is the Anointed of God – their Savior. Simeon, in the gospel day sees in Christ God’s salvation, while at the same time he recognizes that He will be rejected of the nation – One that is spoken against (Luk 2:34). Simeon and those associated with him represent the godly remnant of the latter day, and anticipate their experiences.
(v. 1) The godly identifying themselves with the rejected Christ, see Him in the day of trouble surrounded by His enemies, and look to Jehovah to defend Him.
(v. 2) They see the trouble deepen. Gethsemane is reached, and they look to Jehovah to send Him help and strength (Luk 22:43).
(v. 3) The cross comes into view, and the godly desire that the great sacrifice may go up as a sweet savor to Jehovah.
(v. 4) On the ground of the accepted sacrifice, they look to Jehovah to answer the desires of the heart of Christ.
(v. 5) The godly, realizing that their blessing is bound up with the deliverance of Christ from death by the intervention of God, express their joy and confidence in God. They say, We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. Owning that all blessing depends upon Christ, and not upon themselves, they say, The Lord hear thee; defend thee; send thee help; strengthen thee; Remember all thy offerings; Accept thy burnt sacrifice; fulfill all thy counsel, and fulfil all thy petitions.
(vv. 6-9) The assurance of faith that Christ will be heard, and that Jehovah will intervene with the saving strength of his right hand, and deliver His Anointed in resurrection power, gives the remnant the confidence that all His enemies will be brought down, and His own raised up. Thus Christ, risen and exalted, becomes the resource of His people.
Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible
20:1 [To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The {a} LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the {b} name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
(a) By this kings are also admonished to call to God in their affairs.
(b) The virtue, power and grace of God.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Psalms 20
Before a battle with an enemy, David found encouragement in the intercession of his people to trust God for victory.
"This psalm gives a good example of what it means to intercede for another." [Note: Carl Armerding, Psalms in a Minor Key, p. 52.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. The intercession of the people 20:1-5
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The people lifted their voices to God concerning their king (Psa 20:6) and prayed that God would give him success in this royal psalm (cf. Psa 21:2). Meal and burnt offerings of worship often accompanied prayers for God’s help in Israel’s worship. Their purpose was not just to atone for sin but also to seek God’s favor and consecrate oneself for war (cf. 1Sa 7:9-10; 1Sa 13:9-12).
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 20:1-9
THIS is a battle song followed by a chant of victory. They are connected in subject and probably in occasion, but fight and triumph have fallen dim to us, though we can still feel how hotly the fire once glowed. The passion of loyalty and love for the king, expressed in these psalms, fits no reign in Judah so well as the bright noonday of Davids, when “whatever the king did pleased all the people.” Cheyne, indeed, would bring them down to the Maccabean period, and suggests Simon Maccabaeus as the ruler referred to. He has to put a little gentle pressure on “king” to contract it to fit the man of his choice, and appeals to the “good old Semitic sense” of “consul.” But would not an appeal to Hebrew usage have been more satisfactory? If “king” means “king,” great or small, the psalm is not post-exilic, and the Davidic date will not seem impossible. It does not seem impossible that a poet-king should have composed a national hymn praying for his own victory, which was the nations also.
The psalm has traces of the alternation of chorus and solo. The nation or army first pours out its united prayer for victor in Psa 20:1-5, and is succeeded by a single voice (possibly that of the officiating priest or the king himself) in Psa 20:6, expressing confidence that the prayer is answered, which, again, is followed by the closing chorus of many voices throbbing with the assurance of victory before a blow is struck, and sending one more long-drawn cry to God ere battle is joined.
The prayer in Psa 20:1-5 breathes self-distrust and confidence in Jehovah, the temper which brings victory, not only to Israel, but to all fighters for God. Here is no boasting of former victories, nor of mans bravery and strength, nor of a captains skill. One name is invoked. It alone rouses courage and pledges triumph. “The name of the God of Jacob set thee on high.” That name is almost regarded as a person, as is often the case. Attributes and acts are ascribed to it which properly belong to the Unnameable whom it names, as if with some dim inkling that the agent of revealing a person must be a person. The name is the revealed character, which is contemplated as having existence in some sense apart from Him whose character it is. Possibly there is a reference to Gen 35:3, where Jacob speaks of “the God who answered me in the day of my distress.” That ancient instance of His power to hear and help may have floated before the singers mind as heartening faith for this day of battle. To “set on high” is a familiar natural figure for deliverance. The earthly sanctuary is Jehovahs throne: and all real help must come thence, of which help His dwelling there is a pledge. So in these two verses the extremity of need, the history of past revelation, and the special relation of Jehovah to Israel are woven into the peoples prayer for their king. In Psa 20:3-4, they add the incense of their intercession to his sacrifices. The background of the psalm is probably the altar on which the accustomed offerings before a battle were being presented. {1Sa 13:9} The prayer for acceptance of the burnt offering is very graphic, since the word rendered “accept” is literally “esteem fat.”
One wish moved the sacrificing king and the praying people. Their common desire was victory, but the people are content to be obscure, and their loyal love so clings to their monarch and leader that they only wish the fulfilment of his wishes. This unit of feeling culminates in the closing petitions in Psa 20:6, where self-oblivion wishes “May we exult in thy salvation.” arrogating none of the glory of victory to themselves, but ascribing all to him, and vows “In the name of our God we will wave our standards,” ascribing victory to Him. its ultimate cause. An army that prays, “Jehovah fulfil all thy petitions, will be ready to obey all its captains commands and to move in obedience to his impulse as if it were part of himself.” The enthusiastic community of purpose with its chief and absolute reliance on Jehovah. with which this prayer throbs, would go far towards securing victory anywhere. They should find their highest exemplification in that union between Christ and us in which all human relationships find theirs, since, in the deepest sense, they are all Messianic prophecies, and point to Him who is all the good that other men and women have partially been, and satisfies all the cravings and necessities which human relationships, however blessed, but incompletely supply.
The sacrifice has been offered; the choral prayer has gone up. Silence follows, the worshippers watching the curling smoke as it rises; and then a single voice breaks out into a burst of glad assurance that sacrifice and prayer are answered. Who speaks? The most natural answer is, “The king”; and the fact that he speaks of himself as Jehovahs anointed in the third person does not present a difficulty. What is the reference in that now at the beginning of Psa 20:6. May we venture to suppose that the kings heart swelled at the exhibition of his subjects devotion and hailed it as a pledge of victory? The future is brought into the present by the outstretched hand of faith, for this single speaker knows that “Jehovah has saved,” though no blow has yet been struck. The prayer had asked for help from Zion; the anticipation of answer looks higher; to the holier sanctuary, where Jehovah indeed dwells. The answer now waited for in sure confidence is “the mighty deeds of salvation of His right hand,” some signal forth putting of Divine power scattering the foe. A whisper may start an avalanche. The prayer of the people has set Omnipotence in motion. Such assurance that petitions are heard is wont to spring in the heart that truly prays, and comes as a forerunner of fulfilment, shedding on the soul the dawn of the yet unrisen sun. He has but half prayed who does not wait in silence, watching the flight of his arrow and not content to cease till the calm certainty that it has reached its aim fills his heart.
Again the many voices take up the song, responding to the confidence of the single speaker and, like him, treating the victory as already won. Looking across the field to the masses of the enemys cavalry and chariots, forces forbidden to Israel, though employed by them in later days, the song grandly opposes to these “the name of Jehovah our God.” There is a world of contempt and confidence in the juxtaposition. Chariots and horses are very terrible, especially to raw soldiers unaccustomed to their whirling onset: but the Name is mightier, as Pharaoh and his array proved by the Red Sea. This reference to the army of Israel as unequipped with cavalry and chariots is in favour of an early date, since the importation and use of both began as soon as Solomons time. The certain issue of the fight is given in Psa 20:8 in a picturesque fashion, made more vigorous by the tenses which describe completed acts. When the brief struggle is over, this is what will be seen-the enemy prone, Israel risen from subjection and standing firm. Then comes a closing cry for help, which, according to the traditional division of the verse, has one very short clause and one long, drawn out, like the blast of the trumpet sounding the charge. The intensity of appeal is condensed in the former clause into the one word “save” and the renewed utterance of the name, thrice referred to in this short psalm as the source at once of strength and confidence. The latter clause, as in the A.V. and R.V. transfers the title of King from the earthly shadow to the true Monarch in the heavens, and thereby suggests yet another plea for help. The other division of the verse, adopted in the LXX and by some moderns, equalises the clauses by transferring “the king” to the former (“O Lord save the king, and answer us,” etc.). But this involves a violent change from the second person imperfect in the first clause to the third person imperfect in the second. It would be intolerably clumsy to say, “Do Thou save; may He hear,” and therefore the LXX has had recourse to inserting “and” at the beginning of the second clause, which somewhat breaks the jolt, but is not in the Hebrew. The text, as it stands, yields a striking meaning, beautifully suggesting the subordinate office of the earthly monarch and appealing to the true King to defend His own army and go forth with it to the battle which is waged for His name. When we are sure that we are serving Jehovah and fighting for Him, we may be sure that we go not a warfare at our own charges nor alone.