Psalms 20 KJV
A Prayer for the King
About This Psalm
A prayer for someone heading into battle. The ancient equivalent of 'I'm praying for you' before someone faces their biggest challenge.
1he 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.
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.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
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Did You Know?
The psalm's invocation of 'the God of Jacob' specifically recalls the patriarch's vow-making at Bethel and his nocturnal wrestling, framing the king's impending battle as a site of similar divine renaming and protection rather than mere military aid.
Verse 6 functions as an embedded oracular response within the prayer, shifting from communal petition to priestly or prophetic assurance that the Lord 'hath heard,' suggesting an antiphonal temple ritual where divine confirmation interrupts human supplication.
The explicit contrast between 'chariots' and 'horses' versus 'the name of the Lord' draws on exodus motifs of Pharaoh's defeated forces, positioning the psalm as an early theological critique of imperial technology that later echoes in prophetic texts like Isaiah.
Psalm 20 and 21 operate as a deliberate liturgical pair reflecting ancient Near Eastern pre- and post-battle ceremonies, with 20's intercession for the anointed one answered by 21's celebration of the king's divine strength and longevity.
The phrase 'we will set up our banners' in verse 5 links military standards to the declarative power of the divine name, implying that Israel's battle insignia were understood as visible extensions of covenantal trust rather than independent talismans.