Psalm 20/Notes/Lexical.v. 3.663325

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  • The term עֶזֵר ("help") commonly denotes military aid (cf. 2 Chron 14:10; 18:31; 32:8; Pss 109:26; 124:8), so its presence in Ps 20 suggests that the king needs divine assistance in battle.[1]
  • From the sanctuary (מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ[2]): "The tabernacle or temple of YHWH, described in terms of its holiness -- holy place; sanctuary."[3]
  • Help from the sanctuary (v. 3a) is in parallel with from Zion (v. 3b) forming "a unified idea, for the sanctuary came to be situated on Mount Zion and represented God's dwelling place among his people. By referring to that dwelling place as the source of help, they mean that Yahweh himself was the source [of help]."[4] Help from the sanctuary or from Zion refers to help that reflects its source: God himself.[5]
  • Sustain you (יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ) >> Strengthen you:[6] HALOT defines the Hebrew verb סָעַד as, "to support, sustain, with regard to helping individuals in distress." The manner of help given is dependent upon the particular need. For instance, סָעַד could indicate a material provision for the hungry and thirsty such as in Judg 19:5, 8 and Ps 104:15.[7] In the context of battle, as in Psalm 20:3, the support or sustenance involves strengthening an individual for victory. The prayer for God to sustain his anointed king is that God would strengthen him through the conflict.[8]
  1. ↑ TWOT.
  2. ↑ The word sanctuary קֹּדֶשׁ (holy thing, holiness) is not the usual term for sanctuary (i.e., מִקְדָּ֑שׁ Exod 25:8). The psalmist possibly chose this word because "he had in mind Zion, God's holy hill, where the temple was located" (Longman III and Garland 2008, 225).
  3. ↑ SDBH.
  4. ↑ Ross 2011, 496.
  5. ↑ God’s dwelling place had a specific role in prayer, which we see explicitly when Solomon’s temple was built and dedicated: it was designated a place of prayer, toward which even foreigners could pray and know that their prayers would be answered (cf. Isa 56:7; 1 Kgs 8:30, 44-45). The same mentality would have held for the sanctuary, even before the building of the temple.
  6. ↑ Cf. Kirkpatrick 1916, 108, Barnes 1868, 179 and NIDOTTE.
  7. ↑ Cf. Longman III and Garland 2008, 225-226.
  8. ↑ Jamieson, Fausset and Brown 1873, 352 (available on archieve).