Psalm 20

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To the conductor. A Psalm of David.

1-3       Adonai will answer you (s.) in the day of distress! The name of the God of Jacob will set you on high! ² May He send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! ³ May He remember all your thanksgiving offerings and regard with favor your elevation offerings! Selah

יום צרה (yom tzarah)

הקדש (mikodesh) = “the holy”

4-5      May He grant you according to your heart and fulfill all your plans! ⁵ May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May Adonai fulfill all your requests!

6-8      Now I know that Adonai saves His anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of His right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Adonai our God. ⁸ They slump and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

משיח (mashiach) = “anointed”

9         O Adonai, save the king! May He answer us on the day we call.

REFERENCES:

Alignment of the Shemoneh Esrei with Psalms 1-19

1. Patriarchs Psalm 1&2
2. God’s Might (Resurrection) Psalm 3
3. Holiness of God’s Name Psalm 4
4. Prayer for Insight Psalm 5
5. Repentance Psalm 6
6. Forgiveness Psalm 7
7. Redemption Psalm 8
8. Health & Healing Psalm 9
9. Prosperity Psalm 10
10. Ingathering of Exiles Psalm 11
11. Restoration of Justice Psalm 12
12. The Righteous Psalm 13
13. Rebuilding Jerusalem Psalm 14
14. Messiah Psalm 15
15. Acceptance of Prayer Psalm 16
16. Restoration of Temple Service Psalm 17
17. Thanksgiving Psalm 18
18. Peace Psalm 19

Psalm 22:1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Psalm 31:5  Into your hand I commit my spirit…

For whom did David write Psalm 20?

• For Joab while at war when David was too old to go to battle (b.Sanhedrin 49a)
• For the Levites to pray when David went into battle (Radak – R’ David Kimchi)
• For Messiah’s victory in conquering the world (R’ Ibn Ezra)

 Verse 1

Genesis 35:3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Verse 2

Jeremiah 2:3  Israel is holy (קדש, kodesh) to Adonai, the first (ראשית, reishit) of His harvest…