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Psalm 20[a]

Prayer for the King in Time of War

For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

The Lord answer you in time of distress;
    the name of the God of Jacob defend you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
    from Zion be your support.(A)
May he remember[b] your every offering,
    graciously accept your burnt offering,
Selah
Grant what is in your heart,
    fulfill your every plan.
May we shout for joy at your victory,[c]
    raise the banners in the name of our God.
    The Lord grant your every petition!

II

Now I know the Lord gives victory
    to his anointed.(B)
He will answer him from the holy heavens
    with a strong arm that brings victory.
Some rely on chariots, others on horses,
    but we on the name of the Lord our God.(C)
They collapse and fall,
    but we stand strong and firm.(D)
10 Lord, grant victory to the king;
    answer when we call upon you.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20 The people pray for the king before battle. The people ask for divine help (Ps 20:2–6) and express confidence that such help will be given (Ps 20:7–10). A solemn assurance of divine help may well have been given between the two sections in the liturgy, something like the promises of Ps 12:6; 21:9–13. The final verse (Ps 20:10) echoes the opening verse.
  2. 20:4 Remember: God’s remembering implies readiness to act, cf. Gn 8:1; Ex 2:24.
  3. 20:6 Victory: the Hebrew root is often translated “salvation,” “to save,” but in military contexts it can have the specific meaning of “victory.”

Prayer for Victory over Enemies.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

20 [a]May the Lord answer you (David) in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high [and defend you in battle]!

May He send you help from the sanctuary (His dwelling place)
And support and strengthen you from Zion!

May He remember all your meal offerings
And accept your burnt offering. Selah.


May He grant you your heart’s desire
And fulfill all your plans.

We will sing joyously over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.


Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.

O Lord, save [the [b]king];
May the [c]King answer us in the day we call.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:1 Verses 1-5, 9 is the prayer of intercession voiced by the congregation before David goes into battle.
  2. Psalm 20:9 I.e. David.
  3. Psalm 20:9 I.e. Lord.

Psalm 20

Deliverance in Battle

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble;(A)
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.(B)
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.(C)
May he remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt offering.(D)Selah

May he give you what your heart desires(E)
and fulfill your whole purpose.(F)
Let us shout for joy at your victory(G)
and lift the banner in the name of our God.(H)
May the Lord fulfill all your requests.(I)

Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed;(J)
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories from his right hand.(K)
Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.(L)
They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.(M)
Lord, give victory to the king!(N)
May he[a] answer us on the day that we call.

Footnotes

  1. 20:9 Or Lord, save. May the king

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

20 The Lord will answer you in times of trouble.
The name of the God of Jacob will protect you.
He will send you help from his holy place
and support you from Zion.
He will remember all your grain offerings
and look with favor on your burnt offerings. Selah
He will give you your heart’s desire
and carry out all your plans.

We will joyfully sing about your victory.
We will wave our flags in the name of our God.
The Lord will fulfill all your requests.

Now I know that the Lord will give victory to his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty deeds of his powerful hand.
Some ⌞rely⌟ on chariots and others on horses,
but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God.
They will sink to their knees and fall,
but we will rise and stand firm.

Give victory to the king, O Lord.
Answer us when we call.

Psalm 20[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;(A)
    may the name of the God of Jacob(B) protect you.(C)
May he send you help(D) from the sanctuary(E)
    and grant you support(F) from Zion.(G)
May he remember(H) all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.[b](I)
May he give you the desire of your heart(J)
    and make all your plans succeed.(K)
May we shout for joy(L) over your victory
    and lift up our banners(M) in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.(N)

Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.(O)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.(P)
Some trust in chariots(Q) and some in horses,(R)
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.(S)
They are brought to their knees and fall,(T)
    but we rise up(U) and stand firm.(V)
Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us(W) when we call!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
  2. Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

15 The day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had revealed to Samuel:(A) 16 At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin whom you are to anoint as ruler of my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people; their cry has come to me.(B) 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord assured him: This is the man I told you about; he shall govern my people. 18 Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer lives.” 19 Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. In the morning, before letting you go, I will tell you everything on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. Whom should Israel want if not you and your father’s family?” 21 Saul replied: “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel,[a] and is not my clan the least among the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why say such things to me?”(C)

The Meal.[b] 22 Samuel then took Saul and his servant and brought them into the room. He seated them at the head of the guests, of whom there were about thirty. 23 He said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you and told you to put aside.” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what went with it, and placed it before Saul. Samuel said: “This is a reserved portion that is set before you. Eat, for it was kept for you until this time; I explained that I was inviting some guests.” Thus Saul dined with Samuel that day. 25 When they came down from the high place into the city, a mattress was spread for Saul on the roof, 26 and he slept there.

Saul’s Anointing. At daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” Saul got up, and he and Samuel went outside the city together. 27 As they were approaching the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay here for a moment, that I may give you a word from God.”

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Footnotes

  1. 9:21 Smallest of the tribes of Israel: Saul’s objection is a common element in call narrative, e.g., Ex 3:11; 4:10; Jgs 6:15.
  2. 9:22–24 At this ritual meal, Samuel treats the youthful Saul as if he were already king. Saul receives the part of the sacrificed animal reserved for the priest and his family, perhaps the sheep’s fat tail. Legal texts (Ex 29:22; Lv 3:9; 7:3–4) require the priest to burn this portion of the sheep on the altar.

God’s Choice for King

15 Now a day before Saul came, the Lord had [a]informed Samuel [of this], saying, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as leader over My people Israel; and he will save My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon [the distress of] My people, because their cry [for help] has come to Me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “There is the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall rule over My people [as their king].” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the [city] gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go on ahead of me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not be concerned about them, for they have been found. And for whom are all things that are desirable in Israel? Are they not for you and for all your father’s household (family)?” 21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of [b]the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the smallest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken this way to me [as if I were very important]?”

22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall [at the high place] and gave them a place [to sit] at the head of the persons—about thirty men—who were invited [while the rest ate outside]. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the [priests’] portion that I gave you, regarding which I told you, ‘Set it aside.’” 24 Then the cook lifted up the leg (thigh) with the meat that was on it [indicating that it was the priest’s honored portion] and placed it before Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been reserved [for you]. Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, ever since I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25 When they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the [c]roof [of his house]. 26 They got up early [the next day]; and at dawn Samuel called Saul [who was sleeping] on the roof, saying, “Get up, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us so that he may pass by but you stand still now so that I may proclaim the word of God to you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 9:15 Lit opened Samuel’s ear.
  2. 1 Samuel 9:21 The tribe of Benjamin had fallen into disrepute and had been nearly annihilated during the time of the judges (Judg 20:46-48).
  3. 1 Samuel 9:25 This was an ancient custom, and the roofs were flat and designed in part for this purpose. Verse 26 also indicates that Saul was given the roof as a place to sleep.

15 Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,(A) 16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel.(B) He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people,(C) for their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about;(D) he will govern my people.”

18 Saul approached Samuel in the city gate and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

19 “I am the seer,” Samuel answered.[a] “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago,(E) don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire(F) but you and all your father’s family?”

21 Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite(G) from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe?(H) So why have you said something like this to me?”

22 Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the thirty[b] or so men who had been invited. 23 Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.”

24 The cook picked up the thigh(I) and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.[c](J)

26 They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the servant went on.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:19 Lit answered Saul
  2. 9:22 LXX reads 70
  3. 9:25 LXX reads city. They prepared a bed for Saul on the roof, and he slept.

15 Now, the Lord had revealed the following message to Samuel one day before Saul came: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the territory of Benjamin. Anoint him to be ruler of my people Israel. He will save my people from the Philistines because I’ve seen my people’s ⌞suffering⌟ and their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel noticed Saul, the Lord told him, “There’s the man I told you about. This man will govern my people.”

18 Saul approached Samuel inside the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

19 Samuel replied, “I’m the seer. Go ahead of me to the worship site. You will eat with me today. In the morning I’ll let you go after I tell you all that’s on your mind. 20 Don’t trouble yourself about the donkeys that were lost three days ago because they’ve been found. Who will have all that is desirable in Israel? Won’t it be you and your father’s family?”

21 Saul replied, “I am a man from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel. My family is the most insignificant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying such things to me?”

22 Samuel brought Saul and his servant to the banquet hall and had them sit at the head of the guests—about 30 people. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring me the portion of the sacrificial meat that I gave you and told you to put aside.” 24 So the cook picked up the leg and thigh and laid it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “This was kept in order to be laid in front of you. Eat it. When I invited people to the feast, I set it aside for you.” Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25 Then they left the worship site for the city. They spread blankets on the roof for Saul, and he slept there.[a]

26 At dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up! ⌞It’s time for⌟ me to send you away.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27 As they were going toward the city limits, Samuel told Saul, “Have the servant go ahead of you.” (He went ahead.) “But you stay here, and I will tell you God’s word.”

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Footnotes

  1. 9:25 Greek; Masoretic Text reads “… for the city, and he spoke with Saul on the roof, and they got up early.”

15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint(A) him ruler(B) over my people Israel; he will deliver(C) them from the hand of the Philistines.(D) I have looked on my people, for their cry(E) has reached me.”

17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This(F) is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

19 “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys(G) you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire(H) of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

21 Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe(I) of Israel, and is not my clan the least(J) of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?(K) Why do you say such a thing to me?”

22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

24 So the cook took up the thigh(L) with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof(M) of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

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For it was not to angels that he subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. Instead, someone has testified somewhere:

“What is man that you are mindful of him,
    or the son of man that you care for him?(A)
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
    you crowned him with glory and honor,
    subjecting all things under his feet.”

In “subjecting” all things [to him], he left nothing not “subject to him.” Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”(B) but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death, he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(C)

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Earth Subject to Man

It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking. But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying,

What is man, that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man, that You graciously care for him?

You have made him for a little while lower [in status] than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[a]And set him over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things in subjection under his feet [confirming his supremacy].”

Now in putting all things in subjection to man, He left nothing outside his control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him.(A)

Jesus Briefly Humbled

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:7 Two early mss do not contain “And...hands.”

Jesus and Humanity

For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But someone somewhere has testified:

What is man that you remember him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him lower than the angels
for a short time;
you crowned him with glory and honor[a]
and subjected everything under his feet.[b]

For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him.(A) But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death(B) for everyone—crowned with glory and honor(C) because he suffered death.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:7 Other mss add and set him over the works of your hands
  2. 2:6–8 Ps 8:4–6 LXX

He didn’t put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels’ control. Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture:

“What is a mortal that you should remember him,
or the Son of Man [a] that you take care of him?
You made him a little lower than the angels.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
You put everything under his control.”

When God put everything under his Son’s control, nothing was left out.

However, at the present time we still don’t see everything under his Son’s control. Jesus was made a little lower than the angels, but we see him crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. Through God’s kindness [b] he died on behalf of everyone.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Son of Man   ” is a name for Jesus. It shows that he was not only God’s Son but also human. Some believe “son of man” here refers to humans in general.
  2. 2:9 Or “grace.”

Jesus Made Fully Human

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone(A) has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?(B)
You made them a little[a] lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honor
    and put everything under their feet.”[b][c](C)

In putting everything under them,[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.[f] But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor(D) because he suffered death,(E) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:7 Or them for a little while
  2. Hebrews 2:8 Psalm 8:4-6
  3. Hebrews 2:8 Or You made him a little lower than the angels;/ you crowned him with glory and honor/ and put everything under his feet.”
  4. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  5. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  6. Hebrews 2:8 Or him