Psalm 20
Psalm 20:1–2
“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;”
This psalm bears the inscription, To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Unlike many of David’s personal laments, this composition is corporate in voice. It is the prayer of the covenant people on behalf of the anointed king as he prepares for battle. The congregation intercedes for one man, yet that one man represents the nation. In Israel’s theocratic structure, the king stood as covenant head in war. If he fell, the people suffered. If he prevailed, the people prospered. Thus, this is not private devotion, but national intercession rooted in covenant theology.
“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble” expresses urgent dependence. The covenant name LORD, Jehovah, is used, emphasizing God’s faithful, self existent, covenant keeping character as revealed in Exodus 3:14, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” The “day of trouble” refers to imminent crisis, specifically the battlefield. Israel did not presume upon military strength. Victory was never merely tactical, it was theological. As Proverbs 21:31 declares, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”
“The name of the God of Jacob defend thee” invokes the revealed character of God. In Hebrew thought, the name represents the person, nature, and authority. To call upon the name is to appeal to covenant faithfulness. “The God of Jacob” reminds Israel of patriarchal promises. God bound Himself by oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Genesis 28:13–15 states, “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac… and, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” That covenant continuity grounds this prayer. The same God who preserved Jacob amid danger will defend the anointed king.
“Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion” anchors victory in divine presence. At this stage in redemptive history, the ark symbolized God’s dwelling among His people. The sanctuary represented holiness, covenant access, and atonement. Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, functioned as the political and spiritual center of Israel. Strength flows not from chariots, but from the presence of God. As Psalm 121:1–2 declares, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
From a typological standpoint, this psalm ultimately points beyond David to David’s greater Son. The king in Israel functioned as the LORD’s anointed, a messianic foreshadowing. Psalm 20:6 will explicitly use that term. In its fullest sense, this prayer anticipates Christ. As He approached the cross, He entered the ultimate “day of trouble.” The battle was not against Syrians or Philistines, but against sin, death, and Satan. The sanctuary language finds fulfillment in the heavenly reality. Hebrews 9:24 declares, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands… but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Psalm 20:3
“Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.”
Sacrifice precedes battle. Before the sword is drawn, blood is shed at the altar. Israel understood that divine favor required covenant obedience. “Remember all thy offerings” does not imply that God forgets, but that He acts in covenant faithfulness toward faithful worship. To be remembered by God is to be received with favor. The language echoes Genesis 8:1, “And God remembered Noah,” meaning He acted to deliver him.
The offerings mentioned include both the minchah, the grain offering expressing gratitude and dedication, and the olah, the burnt offering wholly consumed upon the altar. The burnt sacrifice symbolized total consecration. Nothing was held back. This prayer asks that the king’s worship be accepted according to the Levitical system given in Leviticus 1:9, “And the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
Not all sacrifices were accepted. External ritual without covenant faith was rejected. Isaiah 1:11 states, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD… I delight not in the blood of bullocks.” Acceptance required obedience and faith. 1 Samuel 15:22 declares, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Thus the prayer assumes that David’s offerings are brought in faith and covenant integrity.
The phrase “accept thy burnt sacrifice” literally carries the idea of regarding it as fat, meaning rich, pleasing, or worthy. The imagery communicates divine approval. This anticipates the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. All Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to the Lamb of God. Genesis 22:8 records Abraham saying, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” That prophetic statement finds fulfillment in Christ’s substitutionary death.
Christ’s offering was fully accepted. Ephesians 5:2 declares, “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Unlike animal sacrifices, which were repeated, Christ’s was once for all. Hebrews 10:12 states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” The acceptance of the King’s sacrifice guarantees the victory of the King.
“Selah” marks a deliberate pause. The worshipper is to stop and reflect. Before the army marches, before the sword is lifted, the congregation meditates on covenant faithfulness, atonement, and divine acceptance. The pause teaches that victory is theological before it is military. In Baptist understanding, grounded in a literal hermeneutic, this psalm affirms both the historical reality of Davidic kingship and its typological fulfillment in Christ. God saves His anointed. He did so for David in temporal battle, and He has done so perfectly in Christ in the eternal battle over sin and death.
Psalm 20:4
“Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.”
This verse continues the corporate intercession of the covenant community for the LORD’s anointed king. The congregation prays not merely for survival, but for divine fulfillment of the king’s God centered desire and counsel. In the historical setting, David’s heart’s desire was not personal glory, but covenant preservation. The king’s responsibility was to defend Israel, uphold the law of God, and preserve the Davidic throne under divine authority. Therefore, this prayer assumes that the king’s heart is aligned with the will of God.
“Grant thee according to thine own heart” must be understood covenantally. Scripture does not teach that God endorses every human desire. Rather, when the heart is shaped by obedience and submission, its desires become sanctified. Psalm 37:4 declares, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” The order is crucial. Delight in the LORD precedes fulfilled desire. When one’s delight is in God, one’s desires are molded by Him.
David understood this principle. In Psalm 21:2, “Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.” The king’s desire was granted because it was consistent with covenant faithfulness. Likewise, Proverbs 16:3 teaches, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” When counsel is submitted to the LORD, it is stabilized and fulfilled.
“And fulfil all thy counsel” refers to strategic purpose. The Hebrew term conveys planned intention. David had military plans, but the people understood that unless God fulfilled them, they would fail. This reflects the broader biblical doctrine of divine sovereignty over human planning. Proverbs 19:21 states, “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Thus, the prayer is not for autonomous success, but for God to establish what accords with His will.
Typologically, this verse rises to its highest fulfillment in Christ. The greater Son of David possessed a heart perfectly aligned with the Father. As He approached the cross, His human will submitted entirely to divine purpose. Luke 22:42 records, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” The Father granted Him according to His heart because His heart was fully obedient. In His High Priestly prayer, Christ declared, John 17:4, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” The counsel of redemption was fulfilled without deviation.
This principle also applies to the believer. God ordains purpose within His redemptive plan. Fulfillment is found not in self constructed ambition, but in submission to divine calling. The Apostle Paul testified near death, 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” His counsel was fulfilled because it was surrendered to Christ.
Psalm 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.”
Here the voice shifts explicitly to first person plural confidence. The people speak with anticipatory joy. They do not wait for visible victory. Faith precedes sight. “We will rejoice in thy salvation” demonstrates assurance grounded in covenant faithfulness. The term salvation in this context refers to deliverance in battle, yet it carries theological weight. Deliverance belongs to the LORD.
David consistently affirmed this truth. Psalm 3:8 declares, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” The people rejoice not in military prowess, but in divine intervention. Their joy is prospective, based on trust.
“And in the name of our God we will set up our banners” conveys imagery of organized triumph. Ancient armies rallied under banners bearing symbols of allegiance and identity. To raise banners “in the name of our God” is to declare that victory belongs to Him. The battle is theological before it is political. This directly contrasts with reliance upon human strength. Later in this same psalm, verse 7 will state the principle plainly.
The raising of banners signifies visible testimony. After victory, Israel would publicly proclaim that Jehovah had delivered them. This aligns with Exodus 17:15, “And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi,” meaning “The LORD is my banner.” The concept of God as banner signifies divine rallying point, protection, and triumph.
“The LORD fulfil all thy petitions” reiterates covenant confidence. The king had prayed, offered sacrifice, and sought divine favor. The people now affirm that God will answer. This anticipates the perfect obedience of Christ. In His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently prayed in harmony with the Father’s will. John 11:41–42 records, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always.” The Son’s petitions were never denied because they were perfectly aligned with the Father.
In His High Priestly prayer, Christ requested glorification through the cross. John 17:1 states, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” The Father fulfilled that petition through resurrection and exaltation. Philippians 2:9 declares, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
From a Baptist, literal hermeneutical standpoint, Psalm 20 remains historically grounded in David’s monarchy, yet legitimately typological in its ultimate fulfillment. God saves His anointed. He fulfilled David’s petitions in temporal battles. He fulfilled Christ’s petitions in eternal redemption. And He fulfills the petitions of believers who pray according to His will. 1 John 5:14 states, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”
B. The Triumph of the LORD’s Anointed
Psalm 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.”
Here the voice shifts from corporate intercession to confident declaration. “Now know I” signals assurance grounded in covenant faith. The petitions of verses 1 through 5 have given way to settled conviction. The king, or possibly the priest speaking on his behalf, proclaims certainty that the LORD saves His anointed. Faith has moved from request to confidence.
“The LORD saveth his anointed” centers the theology of the psalm. In its immediate historical sense, “his anointed” refers to David himself. Israel’s kings were literally anointed with oil, signifying divine appointment and empowerment. 1 Samuel 16:13 states, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” The outward anointing symbolized inward enablement by the Spirit of God. Thus, David does not claim personal merit, but covenant appointment.
At the same time, this language extends beyond David to the ultimate Anointed One. The Hebrew term for anointed is Mashiach, translated Messiah. Psalm 2 already established this expectation. Psalm 2:2 declares, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed.” That prophecy finds its full expression in Christ. The New Testament affirms Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One. Acts 2:36 declares, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
The verb “saveth” carries the idea of deliverance and victory. The LORD grants triumph to His chosen king. This was historically true for David in battle. It is eternally true for Christ in redemption. The Father preserved the Son in His earthly obedience. He was without sin, untouched by corruption. Hebrews 4:15 declares, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” The Father saved Him from moral failure.
Most visibly, the Father saved the Son from death through resurrection. Acts 2:24 states, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” The resurrection is the supreme demonstration that the LORD saves His Anointed.
“He will hear him from his holy heaven” emphasizes divine transcendence. Though Israel worshiped at Zion, ultimate help came from heaven itself. God’s throne is not confined to earthly sanctuary. Psalm 11:4 declares, “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” The king is heard not because of location, but because of covenant relationship.
“With the saving strength of his right hand” speaks of power and favor. The right hand symbolizes authority, might, and skill. Exodus 15:6 proclaims, “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” For Christ, the right hand also signifies exaltation. Hebrews 1:3 states, “When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” The same right hand that delivers is the right hand that enthrones.
Thus, whether in Davidic warfare or Messianic redemption, the LORD saves His Anointed.
Psalm 20:7
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
This verse presents a decisive contrast. The world relies on visible power. Chariots and horses represented advanced military technology in the ancient Near East. They were instruments of speed, intimidation, and battlefield dominance. Nations measured security by material resources.
Yet Israel was warned against such dependence. Deuteronomy 17:16 commands concerning the king, “But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses.” The prohibition guarded against military pride and political compromise. Israel’s strength was never to mirror pagan reliance upon armament.
“Some trust” reveals the natural human tendency toward self reliance. Throughout history, men have trusted in weapons, alliances, wealth, and strategy. Yet Scripture consistently exposes the insufficiency of such confidence. Psalm 33:16–17 declares, “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.”
“But we will remember the name of the LORD our God” reveals covenant faith. To remember is not mere mental recall. It is active reliance rooted in covenant knowledge. The name of the LORD represents His revealed character, faithfulness, and attributes. Proverbs 18:10 states, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
David’s defiance is theological, not emotional. He acknowledges the visible superiority of chariots and horses, yet chooses invisible sovereignty over visible strength. This principle extends to spiritual warfare. 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 declares, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”
Christ Himself trusted perfectly in the Father. When tempted to assert independent power, He refused. Matthew 4:4 records, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” He did not trust in worldly means, but in the Father’s will.
Thus, the contrast remains timeless. Some trust in visible power. The covenant people remember the LORD.
Psalm 20:8–9
“They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.”
Verse 8 declares anticipated outcome. Those who trusted in chariots “are brought down and fallen.” The language is decisive. Human strength collapses under divine judgment. Throughout Scripture, God overturns proud reliance upon flesh. Pharaoh’s chariots drowned in the Red Sea. Exodus 14:28 records, “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen.” Earthly power bows before sovereign will.
“But we are risen, and stand upright” reflects covenant vindication. Those who trust in the LORD stand firm. Standing upright implies stability, endurance, and victory. Psalm 1:6 states, “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Faith leads to standing, unbelief to falling.
Yet the psalm concludes not with presumption, but continued dependence. “Save, LORD” remains the cry. Victory is anticipated, but not yet fully realized. This is faith before the battle. The people continue to petition even in confidence. The phrase “let the king hear us when we call” may refer ultimately to the heavenly King. The ambiguity invites theological depth. The earthly king intercedes for the people, yet the LORD Himself is the ultimate King who answers.
In the fullest sense, Christ embodies this triumph. Those who opposed Him were brought down. Sin, death, and Satan were defeated. 1 Corinthians 15:57 declares, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yet believers continue to cry, “Save, LORD,” awaiting final consummation.
This psalm closes as it began, with covenant dependence. Trust in the LORD produces confidence, but never arrogance. God saves His Anointed. He overthrows the proud. He establishes those who remember His name.
