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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 20

Psalm 20 is read especially through the theme of trust & refuge, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Trust & RefugeKingshipPilgrimage
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 20

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,

2send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,

3remember all your offerings, and accept your burned sacrifice. Selah.

4May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your counsel.

5We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the LORD grant all your requests.

6Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.

7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

8They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright.

9Save, LORD! Let the King answer us when we call!

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 20

Psalm 20 is read especially through the theme of trust & refuge, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Trust & Refuge, Kingship, Pilgrimage. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 20

Psalm 20 contains 9 verses and about 154 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 9 closes: “Save, LORD! Let the King answer us when we call!” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include answer, name, grant, will, trust, chief. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 20

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 20:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes trust & refuge, with related themes of Trust & Refuge, Kingship, Pilgrimage. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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