Psalms 20 (ASV)

Chapter Text

20:1 Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;

20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, And strengthen thee out of Zion;

20:3 Remember all thy offerings, And accept thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah

20:4 Grant thee thy heart`s desire, And fulfil all thy counsel.

20:5 We will triumph in thy salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners: Jehovah fulfil all thy petitions.

20:6 Now know I that Jehovah saveth his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven With the saving strength of his right hand.

20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses; But we will make mention of the name of Jehovah our God.

20:8 They are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen, and stand upright.

20:9 Save, Jehovah: Let the King answer us when we call. Psalm 21 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jehovah", "answer", "thee", "trouble", "name", "jacob", and "high". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jehovah" and "answer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "jehovah" and "answer" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jehovah" and "answer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.