Psalms 20 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, A SONG OF DAVID <<OF DAVID>>: Hebrew "le-David" Avraham Iben-Ezra points out that this can also be understand to mean "for David", "on behalf of David". The song was sung on behalf of David when he went out to war. There are those that say that it refers to the Messiah. May he be answered by the Almighty at time of trouble in war (Iben Ezra). [Psalms 20:1] THE LORD HEAR THEE IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; THE NAME OF THE GOD OF JACOB DEFEND THEE; Iben Ezra (1080-1164 CE) says this Psalm is bein g expressed from the point of view of the warriors of David (or of the Messiah) who go out with him to war. Iben Ezra was borne in Spain and during his lifetime traveled in France, Italy, North Africa, Egypt, the Land of Israel, and reached India. Towards the end of his life he settled in England and apparently died there. One report says he was killed by a "wild mob", whatever that means. "Deconstructing the Bible. Abraham Ibn Ezra's Introduction to the Torah," by Irene Lancaster, London 2003 (p.17): <<One of the most puzzling questions in Jewish intellectual history is why Ibn Ezra should have come to England? The answer may well lie in the contemporary cultural and financial links between the Jews of Normandy and England described above. However, other reasons may well have been equally important for Ibn Ezra. In many ways England could be considered as prime virgin territory for the implanting of Sephardic [i.e. Spanish Jewish] cultural seeds at the end of one man's very long life. In those days 'Angleterre' was regarded as being at the 'edge of the earth', and was therefore of great interest to someone of Ibn Ezra's evangelical and messianic mentality>>. [Psalms 20:2] SEND THEE HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY, AND STRENGTHEN THEE OUT OF ZION; [Psalms 20:3] REMEMBER ALL THY OFFERINGS, AND ACCEPT THY BURNT SACRIFICE; SELAH. [Psalms 20:4] GRANT THEE ACCORDING TO THINE OWN HEART, AND FULFIL ALL THY COUNSEL. Radak quotes [Proverbs 24:6]: " FOR BY WISE COUNSEL THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAR". [Psalms 20:5] WE WILL REJOICE IN THY SALVATION, AND IN THE NAME OF OUR GOD WE WILL SET UP OUR BANNERS: THE LORD FULFIL ALL THY PETITIONS. [Psalms 20:6] 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. <<FROM HIS HOLY HEAVEN>>: From the place that is beyond the way of nature (Malbim). The Almighty manages this world through natural causes but he is not confined by them. [Psalms 20:7] SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS, AND SOME IN HORSES: BUT WE WILL REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD. Those who trust in their military equipment and forces will be beaten but we will win because we trust in God Almighty (S.R. Hirsch). [Psalms 20:8] THEY ARE BROUGHT DOWN AND FALLEN: BUT WE ARE RISEN, AND STAND UPRIGHT. [Psalms 20:9] SAVE, LORD: LET THE KING HEAR US WHEN WE CALL. God is our king. He rules over us and we are his subjects. He will hear us. PSALMS INDEX HOME