“Boasting in God’s Name Alone in the Day of Distress”
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1 May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble! |
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! [1] |
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2 May He send you help from the sanctuary |
And support you from Zion! [2] |
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3 May He remember all your meal offerings |
And find your burnt offering acceptable! [3] Selah. |
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4 May He grant you your heart’s desire |
And fulfill all your counsel! [4] |
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5 We will sing [May we sing] for joy over your victory/salvation |
And in
the name of our God we will set up our banners. |
May
Yahweh fulfill all your petitions. [5] |
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6 Now I know that Yahweh saves His anointed; [6] |
He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. |
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7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, |
But we will boast in the name of Yahweh, our God. |
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8 They have bowed down and fallen, |
But we have risen and stood upright. |
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9 Save, O Yahweh; |
May the King answer us in the day we call. |
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[1] The NASB95 misses the Hebrew parallelism of v.1 which is chiastic: (A) May Yahweh answer you (B) in the day of trouble! (B’) May…set you securely on high (A’) the name of the God of Jacob |
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[2] The NASB95 misses the Hebrew parallelism of v.2 which is chiastic: (A) May He send you help (B) from the sanctuary (B’) and from Zion (A’) [May He] support you |
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[3] The NASB95 misses the Hebrew parallelism of v.3 which is chiastic: (A) May He remember (B) all your meal offerings (B’) and your burnt offering (A’) [May He] find acceptable! |
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[4] Again, the NASB95 misses the Hebrew parallelism of v.4 which is chiastic: (A) May He grant you (B) your heart’s desire (B’) and all your counsel (A’) [May He] fulfill |
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[5] Verse 5 marks the transition between the
petitions of vv.1-5 and the confident assurance that God will answer in
vv.6-9. |
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[6] Like
Psalm 18, Psalm 20 is about “Spiritual Warfare” – warfare that is of God’s
Spirit carried out by God’s Messiah/Christ— the anointed King (cf. Judges
3:9-10; 6:33-34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6,19; 15:14-15; 1 Samuel 11:6, 11-15; 16-17;
Matthew 3:13-4:11). |