Psalm 20

Psalm 20 belongs to Book One (Psalms 1–41) of the Book of Psalms. Its superscription reads "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David." It follows Psalm 19, which celebrates creation and the law. Together with Psalm 21, which expresses thanksgiving after victory, it is commonly described as one of a pair of psalms centered on the king.

Structure

• Verses 1–3 The people pray for the king. They ask that the LORD answer him in the day of trouble, send him help from the sanctuary and strengthen him out of Zion, and accept his offerings and burnt sacrifices. Verse 3 ends with "Selah."
• Verses 4–5 The people pray that the desires of the king's heart and his plans ("counsel") will be fulfilled. They declare that in victory they will set up their banners in the name of God and rejoice in song.
• Verse 6 The voice shifts to a single speaker with the words "Now know I." The speaker expresses confidence that the LORD saves His anointed.
• Verses 7–8 Those who trust in chariots and horses are contrasted with "we," who glory in the name of the LORD. The former are brought down and fall, while "we" rise and stand upright.
• Verse 9 The psalm closes with a brief petition for salvation.

Key Verses

• Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." This is the central confession of the psalm. It expresses trust in God rather than in chariots and horses, which symbolized military power at the time.
• Psalm 20:4 "Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel." Originally a blessing for the king, it is frequently quoted today as a blessing for individuals.
• Psalm 20:6 "Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed." This verse marks the turning point at which petition gives way to confidence.

People and Places

• David: Named as the author in the superscription.
• The king: Addressed in the text as "thee" and as the LORD's "anointed"; the people pray on his behalf. Anointing was the rite by which a king was installed.
• Jacob: Mentioned in the phrase "the God of Jacob." The name also designates the people of Israel as a whole.
• Zion: The site of Jerusalem and its sanctuary, portrayed as the place from which God's help comes.

Interpretive Considerations

• A prayer for the king: Scholars classify this psalm as a royal psalm, set against the background of the sacrifices and prayers offered before a king went out to battle. Some take the superscription "A Psalm of David" to mean that David himself composed it, while others understand it more broadly as a psalm associated with the Davidic dynasty.
• Messianic reading: The Hebrew word for "anointed" is the same word as Messiah. Christian tradition has sometimes read this psalm as pointing to Christ. Other interpreters limit its meaning to a prayer for a king in Israel's history. No passage in the New Testament quotes this psalm directly.
• Translation differences in verse 9: Following the Masoretic Text, the Korean Revised Version (like the KJV, "let the king hear us when we call") reads the king as the one who answers. The Septuagint and some modern translations read the king as the one who is saved, along the lines of "save the king, and answer us when we call."
• The psalm is also known to be recited in the weekday morning prayers of Judaism.

In the Korean Church

Verse 7 is frequently used as a sermon text urging believers to rely on God rather than on human strength or wealth. Verse 4 is commonly quoted in blessings, prayers, and greeting cards for church members facing entrance examinations, opening a business, or making a new start.