Psalm 20/Notes/Lexical.v. 8.588355
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
- Horses and chariots were an "image of royal exploitation of a nation’s people, as the king takes their sons to serve his military machine (1 Sam 8:11—12)."[1] Prior to David's reign, only pagan armies possessed chariots, and they were a great obstacle for the people of Israel (Josh 17:6, Judg 1:19, 1 Sam 31:7).[2] One reason Israel did not possess chariots was their great cost, but there is another reason. Israelite kings were forbidden to accumulate horses just as Israel was forbidden to have a standing army (Deut 17:14-20). Rather than trusting in weapons of war and soldiers, the Israelites were to trust in God's power to win victory. In fact, overconfidence in military might was considered just as impious as reliance on foreign nations (Ps 33:17, Hos 1:7, Isa 31:4).[3]
- In the name of YHWH our God (בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ): The roots שֵׁם (name) and אֱלֹהִים (God) occurs three times (vv. 2, 6, 8).
- v. 2: שֵׁ֤ם׀ אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַעֲקֹֽב - in the name of the God of Jacob
- v. 6: וּבְשֵֽׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ - in the name of our God
- v. 8: בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ - 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.[4] Moreover, the noun שֵׁם (in the name of YHWH) could be indicating the people's confidence in YHWH as the one who bears the reputation of one who saves, protects, helps, and sustains his people.
- An army which could boast in regiments of chariots and horses was both wealthy and powerful. By contrast, the Israelite army was not so richly armed prior to King Solomon's reign. Nonetheless, the nation of Israel believed that their victory would be won by God's hand rather than the strength of their weapons (Ps. 44:3). For this reason, the prophets criticized any obsession with chariots and horses as unbelief (Isa. 30:16; 31:1-3). On the one hand, war horses allowed for surprise attacks because they could cover ground faster than infantry or chariots. In the uneven terrain of the ancient Near East, riders could quickly surround their opponents. On the other hand, YHWH is able to neutralize horses and chariots (Exod. 15:1) along with every other human weapon.[5]
