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Psalm 20: God Save the King

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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. —Psalm 20:6

Psalm 20 is a three-part song to be sung by choirs of people.

Verses 1–5 were to be sung by all the people, verses 6–8 by the king alone, and the last verse again by the people in response. It is a prayer of intervention, asking the Lord to accompany the king as he goes into battle. It is the wish of the congregation that God hear David’s plea for help and that the Lord will defend their king against his enemies.

They want all his battle plans to be successful and victory to be theirs.

“Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners” (vv. 4, 5).

David responds to his people’s wish for success with confidence because the Lord will indeed grant him victory. “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” (v. 6).

His confidence has been built by God’s deliverance from myriad past difficulties and trials. God will accomplish great things through us and for us if we trust Him.

Verses 7 and 8 may interest students of warfare: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.” Remember that “Pharaoh trusted in chariots (Ex. 14:7). David’s northern enemies, the Syrians, were especially formidable because of their use of chariots and horsemen (see 1 Chron. 18:4; 19:18); his own troops seem to have consisted entirely of infantry. . . . It was never God’s plan that His people should have to rely upon brute force for victory (see Deut. 17:16). This verse is a wonderful confession of faith in the right as against confidence in might.” The last verse of the psalm was to be sung by the congregation in response to the king’s solo. “Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call” (Psalm 20:9).

“God save our gracious king, / Long live our noble king, / God save the king. / Send him victorious, / Happy and glorious, / Long to reign over us, / God save the king.”