Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 20 (MT) / Psalm 19 (LXX) is a royal intercession before battle — a prayer for the king's divine-deliverance. The 'some trust in chariots, some in horses; but we in the name of the LORD' (v. 8) is one of the Hebrew Bible's signature military-theological contrast-statements. The psalm's 'the LORD saves his anointed' (v. 7) reprises the mashiach / christos vocabulary with Messianic-royal resonance.
Notable Variants
20:8 'chariots and horses vs. the name of the LORD' as the paradigmatic faith-vs-military-might contrast; 20:7 'the LORD saves his anointed' with the christos vocabulary.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 20 = LXX Ps 19. 10 verses.
For the choirmaster. A psalm of David.
Superscription tracks MT.
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob set you safely on high.
'May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble' — intercessory petition for the king tracks MT. 'Name of the God of Jacob' — the patriarchal-covenant divine-title.
May he send you help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion.
Sanctuary and Zion tracks MT.
May he remember all your grain offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah.
'Remember your grain offerings … accept your burnt offering' tracks MT. Divine-remembrance of sacrifice as basis for answered-prayer.
May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
'Grant your heart's desire' tracks MT.
We will shout for joy over your victory and in the name of our God raise our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your requests.
'In the name of our God raise our banners' tracks MT. The banner-raising becomes a spiritual-image: Exodus 17:15 (Moses' altar named 'the LORD is my banner') and SoS 2:4 ('his banner over me is love') develop the imagery.
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the mighty saving power of his right hand.
Masoretic (WLC)
עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי הוֹשִׁיעַ יְהוָה מְשִׁיחוֹ
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed
Septuagint (LXX)
νῦν ἔγνων ὅτι ἔσωσεν κύριος τὸν χριστὸν αὐτοῦ
Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed
'CHRISTOS AUTOU' (his anointed) — the Messianic-royal title. The psalm's confidence — 'NOW I know' — is the moment of recognition that the king, as the LORD's anointed, is divinely-protected. Psalms 2:2, 18:51, 20:7, 28:8, 84:10, 89:39, 89:52, 132:10, 132:17 all deploy the same christos formula for the Davidic king.
The NT's Christological leverage: if Psalm 20 can call the Davidic king the 'Christ' of the LORD, then the NT's Jesus-as-Christ reading extends the Psalmic royal theology to its Messianic-eschatological fulfillment.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we call on the name of the LORD our God.
Masoretic (WLC)
אֵלֶּה בָרֶכֶב וְאֵלֶּה בַסּוּסִים וַאֲנַחְנוּ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ נַזְכִּיר
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we call on the name of the LORD our God
Septuagint (LXX)
οὗτοι ἐν ἅρμασιν καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἵπποις ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου θεοῦ ἡμῶν μεγαλυνθησόμεθα
Some in chariots and some in horses, but we in the name of the Lord our God will be made great
THE SIGNATURE MILITARY-FAITH CONTRAST. 'Chariots and horses' vs. 'the name of the LORD' is one of the Hebrew Bible's clearest theological polemics against military-technological trust. Zechariah 4:6 ('not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit') and Isaiah 31:1 ('woe to those who … trust in chariots') develop the same theme.
Ephesians 6:10–17's 'take up the armor of God' — spiritual-weaponry contrasted with worldly-weapons — is the NT Christian-warfare extension of this Davidic-anti-chariot theology.
They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.
'They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm' tracks MT. The rise-vs-fall contrast is the Magnificat-reversal theme.
LORD, save the king! Answer us on the day we call.
'LORD, save the king!' closing tracks MT. The king-directed petition frames the psalm — opens and closes with royal-intercession.