Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 20
PSALM XX.
Verſ. 1. THe Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, &c.] That is, thee, O king; whom verſ. 6. he tearms the Lords Anointed. It ſeems therefore that this Pſalm was compoſed by David as a Prophet for the uſe of Gods people, as a prayer for their king, when he was to make war, eſpecially when he was to goe out in battel againſt his enemies in his own perſon; and that becauſe at thoſe times immediately before their going forth they uſed to offer up prayers and ſacrifices to God by way of ſeeking his aſſiſtance, as is evident by that of Saul 1 Sam. 13.12. The Philiſtines will come down upon me, and I have not made ſupplication to the Lord; I forced my ſelf therefore and offered a burnt-offering: and therefore it is that the people are taught here to pray for the acceptance of their kings prayers, as alſo his ſacrifices verſ. 3. Yea ſome conceive that the particular occaſion upon which this prayer was firſt compoſed for the peoples uſe, was the war which David made againſt the Ammonites and Syrians, and that becauſe they had ſuch a multitude of horſemen and chariots, as we may ſee 2 Sam. 10.18. whereto David ſeems to allude verſ. 7. Some truſt in chariots, and ſome in horſes, &c. But however clear it is, that they are taught to pray both for the ſucceſſe of his enterprize, and the ſafety of his perſon, The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Iacob defend thee: which is all one as if he had ſaid, the God of Jacob defend thee, or the majeſty and power of God defend thee: ſee the Note Pſal. 5.11. Or elſe, by the name of God may be meant the invocation of God; as if he had ſaid, May the calling upon the name of God be thy defence: or elſe, the intereſt which he had in God, or the cauſe of God; as if it had been expreſſed thus, Mayeſt thou be defended, becauſe the name of God is called upon thee, as being the Lords ſervant, yea the Lords anointed, or becauſe thou maintaineſt Gods cauſe, and fighteſt his battels. As for his tearming God in expreſſing this the God of Iacob, either it is meant perſonally of Jacob the Patriarch, and then the reaſons why he gives God this title in this place may be, either becauſe God had more expreſly revealed himſelf to Jacob concerning the kingdome of the tribe of Judah; or becauſe Jacob, being a man of great troubles, had yet by prayer obtained deliverance from God, as it is now deſired that David might doe, and almoſt with the ſame words that Jacob uſed Gen. 35.3. I will make there an altar unto the Lord, who anſwered me in the day of my diſtreſſe: Or elſe by Iacob may be meant the people of Iſrael, the ſeed of Jacob, as in Iſa. 44.1. Hear, O Iacob, my ſervant, and Iſrael whom I have choſen; and ſo in many other places: and then this title the God of Iacob may be here given him, either by way of diſtinguiſhing him from the falſe Gods of the heathens, and ſo intimating the ground of their hope, in that they truſted in the true God; or by way of pleading the covenant which he had made with Jacob and his ſeed for ever. Many Expoſitours do alſo underſtand this whole Pſalm as a propheſy of Chriſt. And indeed becauſe God had promiſed by the kingdome of David and his ſeed to ſave his people, and ſo Davids kingdome was a type of Chriſts, I ſee not but the whole Pſalm may in a ſpirituall ſenſe be applyed to Chriſt: as this,. The Lord hear thee, &c. to the Lords hearing him, and ſupporting him in his paſſion.
Verſ. 2. Send thee help from the ſanctuary, &c.] That is, from heaven, according to that which followeth verſ. 6. the Lord ſaveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven; for which ſee the Note 2 Sam. 22.7: or from the tent or tabernacle, where the Ark was placed by David in Sion; ſo that it is all one in effect as if he had ſaid, The true God, the God of Iſrael hear thee; for the Sanctuary was a ſign that God owned them for his people, and would hear their prayers: ſee Pſalm 3.4.
Verſ. 3. Remember all thy offerings.] This expreſſion ſeems to allude to the law that appointed part of the offering to be burnt as a memoriall, Levit. 2.2. It may alſo be underſtood of the ſacrifice of Chriſts death: ſee the Note alſo verſ. 1.
Verſ. 4. Grant thee according to thine own heart, &c.] To wit, all thou deſireſt now in the cauſe in hand; yet with reference to their aſſurance, that holy David would ask nothing but according to Gods will, this might be thus expreſſed. It may alſo be underſtood of Chriſts prayers on earth, and his Interceſſion in heaven.
Verſ. 5. We will rejoyce in thy ſalvation, &c.] That is, in thy preſervation, O king, who art the breath of our noſtrils, and in the victory which God hath given thee; or in the ſaving of the people by thy means under God, and the great deliverance which by thy victory thou haſt effected for the people for whom thou didſt fight: and in the name of our God we will ſet up our banners; to wit, in a way of triumph, as tokens of victory, and to the honour of God. Yet ſome underſtand this of their going forth in the confidence of Gods help with their banners diſplayed againſt their enemies.
Verſ. 6. Now know I that the Lord ſaveth his anointed, &c.] That is, Even now before-hand through faith, or now upon theſe our prayers, we know that God ſaveth his own anointed king: for it is the people ſpeak here as one man, unanimouſly agreeing in that which is ſaid. Or theſe words may be added, as the words wherewith they ſhould triumph; as if it had been ſaid, And then ſhall every one ſay, Now know I that the Lord ſaveth his anointed. Or it may be underſtood thus, Now know I, that is, by this victory I ſee by proof and experience, that the Lord ſaveth his anointed. For this Pſalm might be compoſed after the victory was obtained.
Verſ. 7. Some truſt in chariots, and ſome in horſes; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.] That is, Our enemies, or rather, more generally, the men of the world, truſt altogether in outward things, ſome in chariots, and ſome in horſes, and ſo never mind God; but we will think on God, and the great things that he hath formerly done, and will truſt in God, and pray to God, as our only help.
Verſ. 8. They are brought down and fallen, but we are riſen and ſtand upright.] That is, Our enemies, or thoſe that truſted in their chariots and horſes, that were before exalted in their pride, and in a lofty condition, for all their bragging, are now laid low enough, being vanquiſhed and ſlain; and we that truſted meerly in the name of the Lord, though we were before oppreſſed and in a low condition, yet are now raiſed to a better, and through Gods help are ſafe and ſure. The firſt clauſe, They are brought down and fallen, ſome underſtand thus; whereas they were carried aloft on their chariots and horſes, now they are from thence caſt down. But then by way of oppoſition the following clauſe, but we are riſen, &c. muſt be underſtood of being raiſed up on chariots and horſes; which ſeems no way probable.
Verſ. 9. Save, Lord, let the king hear us when we call.] That is, as ſome expound it, Let God the great king of the whole world hear our prayers. But rather I conceive it muſt be underſtood thus, Save, Lord, let the king hear, &c. that is, Preſerve the king, O Lord, that when we call to him for help, through thine aſſiſtance he may deliver us: Or, Preſerve us, Lord, and that by making our king inſtrumentall for our preſervation, when we ſeek to him for help. And this muſt be underſtood principally of Chriſt, as our king and Mediator.