# Psalm 20 📖: A Prayer for the King
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#💬 Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#📂 Internal Notes]]
## 📜 Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
## For the music director, a psalm of David.
[[#Verse 01.]] May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble;
may the God of Jacob make you secure.
[[#Verse 02.]] May he send you help from his temple;
from Zion may he give you support.
[[#Verse 03.]] May he take notice of all your offerings;
may he accept your burnt sacrifice. (Selah)
[[#Verse 04.]] May he grant your heart’s desire;
may he bring all your plans to pass.
[[#Verse 05.]] Then we will shout for joy over your victory;
we will rejoice in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
[[#Verse 06.]] Now I am sure that the Lord will deliver his chosen king;
he will intervene for him from his holy, heavenly temple,
and display his mighty ability to deliver.
[[#Verse 07.]] Some trust in chariots and others in horses,
but we depend on the Lord our God.
[[#Verse 08.]] They will fall down,
but we will stand firm.
[[#Verse 09.]] The Lord will deliver the king;
he will answer us when we call to him for help!
## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Psalm 20 appears to be a prayer offered for the king before he went into battle.
2. The congregation speaks in 20:1-5, then a single voice responds in 20:6, possibly a priest or the king.
3. Raising banners (20:5) was a sign of victory and identity for an army.
4. Chariots were the most advanced military technology of the time, used by Egyptians, Canaanites, and Philistines.
5. The Law warned Israel's king not to multiply horses (Deuteronomy 17:16).
6. The "name of the God of Jacob" (20:1) means God's revealed character and presence.
7. The king's burnt offerings (20:3) may refer to sacrifices offered before battle (1 Samuel 13:9-12).
8. "Selah" appears once in 20:3.
9. Psalm 20 pairs naturally with Psalm 21, which gives thanks after victory.
10. 20:9 closes with "Lord, save the king," a prayer echoed in later royal acclamations.
## 🧠 Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Anointed One whom God saves and answers from heaven (20:6). Our confidence is not in chariots or horses but in the name of the Lord Jesus (20:7; Philippians 2:9-11).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## 💬 Discussion Questions
1. The people pray for their king before battle (20:1-5). How can we pray for the leaders and pastors God has placed over us?
2. Some trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the Lord (20:7). What are the "chariots and horses" people trust in today?
3. 20:4 asks God to grant the desires of the king's heart. How can we line up our desires with God's purposes?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- 📖 verse 1: May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.
- 📖 verse 4: May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill all your plans.
- 📖 verse 7: Some trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference
- 🔗 [[Psalm 21|Psalm 21]] - Thanksgiving for the king's victory.
- 🔗 [[Isaiah 31#Verse 01.|Isaiah 31:1]] - Woe to those who rely on horses.
- 🔗 [[Proverbs 21#Verse 31.|Proverbs 21:31]] - Victory belongs to the Lord.
- 🔗 [[Philippians 02#Verse 09.|Philippians 2:9-11]] - The name above every name.
- 🔗 [[1 Timothy 02#Verse 01.|1 Timothy 2:1-2]] - Pray for kings and those in authority.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
📝 SOAP: [[Psalm 20- SOAP|What Do You Boast About?]]
## 📂 Internal Notes