Bible Commentaries
Psalms 20

Verses 1-9

Psalms 20:0

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;

Psalms 20:1 “the name of the God of Jacob defend thee” - Comments - Jesus taught the disciples to use His name in healing the sick and casting out demons. He also taught us to use His name in prayer.

Psalms 20:1 “the God of Jacob” - Comments - Why is the name “the God of Jacob” used for God in Psalms 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 (Genesis 32:7). Jacob prayed a prayer of desperate faith, relying of God's promises, and not upon himself (Genesis 32:9-12). If God could deliver Jacob, He could deliver any people.

Genesis 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;”

Psalms 20:2-3 Sacrifices in the Sanctuary and Petitions unto the Lord - In Psalms 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 (1 Samuel 7:7-13) and by King Saul at Gilgal (1 Samuel 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 (Psalms 20:7).

Psalms 20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

Psalms 20:3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

Psalms 20:3 Illustration The alms and prayers of Cornelius came up before the throne of God as a remembrance (Acts 10:4).

Acts 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.”

Psalms 20:4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.

Psalms 20:4 “Grant thee according to thine own heart” Scripture Reference - Note:

Psalms 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Psalms 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.

Psalms 20:6 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.

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalms 20:7 Comments - The name of the Lord can be called upon in times of trouble if His name is known.

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 Exodus 17:8-16). Note a similar verse in Proverbs 21:31, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”