Psalm 20/Notes/Lexical.v. 2.837172

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  • The reference God of Jacob (אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַעֲקֹֽב) is more than a shorthand for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It includes the idea of God as elector and protector of his people.[1] Just as God protected Jacob in his day of trouble (Ps 46: 7, 11; Gen 35:3), the prayer in Ps 20 is that God would protect the king.
  • In Ps 20, the Hebrew word שֵׁם (name) occurs three times:
    • v. 2: שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב - in the name of the God of Jacob
    • v. 6: וּבְשֵׁם־אֱלֹהֵינוּ - in the name of our God
    • v. 8: וּבְשֵׁם־אֱלֹהֵינוּ - in the name of YHWH
Based on the context of the psalm and on the semantic domains provided by SDBH, "the name of YHWH" is representative of YHWH himself.[2]
  • Protect (יְשַׂגֶּבְךָ) - in this verse, the verb שגב means to protect. This verb is "associated with the notion of 'height'; it frequently has the connotation of security. Thus in Deut 2:36 the word is translated 'strong' (of a city) and in the Piel stem it is rendered both 'to set on high,' and 'to defend' or 'protect' (Pss 20:1 [H 2]; 59:1, 2; 69:29 [H 30]; 91:14)."[3]
  1. ↑ Rogerson and McKay 1977, 91; Goldingay 2005, 304.
  2. ↑ Cf. Jenni 1992, 114 and Ross 2011, 496.
    • Jenni: "Name des Herrn (als Repräsentant Jahwes selber)" (Jenni 1992, 114). Translation: "Name of the Lord (as representative of Yahweh Himself)."
    • Ross: "The name of God represented to Israel all that God was known to be, his nature and his reputation, revealed in his acts" (Ross 2011, 496).
  3. ↑ TWOT. "Protect is a translation of the causative form of a verb meaning “to be high”; therefore 'put you out of reach (of your enemies)' is the idea" (Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 198. So, DCH and SDBH).