John Calvin Commentary Psalms 20:1

"Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;" — Psalms 20:1 (ASV)

The inscription shows that the psalm was composed by David; but though he was its author, there is no absurdity in his speaking of himself in the person of others. The office of a prophet having been committed to him, he with great propriety prepared this as a form of prayer for the use of the faithful.

In doing this, his aim was not so much to commend his own person, by authoritatively issuing a royal ordinance enjoining the people to use this prayer, as to show, in the exercise of his office as a teacher, that it was for the whole Church to concern itself and to strive that the kingdom God had established might continue safe and prosperous.

Many interpreters view this prayer as offered up only on one particular occasion; but in this I cannot agree. The occasion of its composition at first may have arisen from some particular battle which was about to be fought, either against the Ammonites, or against some other enemies of Israel.

But the design of the Holy Spirit, in my judgment, was to deliver to the Church a common form of prayer, which, as we may gather from the words, was to be used whenever she was threatened with any danger. God commands his people, in general, to pray for kings, but there was a special reason, and one which did not apply to any other kingdom, why prayer was to be made on behalf of this kingdom; for it was only through David and his seed that God had determined to govern and maintain his people.

It is particularly to be noticed that under the figure of this temporal kingdom, a government far more excellent was described, on which the whole joy and blessedness of the Church depended. The aim, therefore, which David expressly had in view was to exhort all the children of God to cherish such a holy concern for the kingdom of Christ as would stir them up to continual prayer on its behalf.

May Jehovah hear thee, etc. The Holy Spirit, by introducing the people as praying that God would answer the king’s prayers, is to be viewed as also admonishing kings that it is their duty to implore God’s protection in all their affairs.

When he says, In the day of trouble, he shows that they will not be exempt from troubles, and he does this so that they may not become discouraged if at any time they should happen to be in dangerous circumstances. In short, the faithful, so that the body may not be separated from the head, advance the king’s prayers by their common and united supplications.

The name of God is here put for God himself, and not without good reason; for since the essence of God is incomprehensible to us, we ought to trust in him, insofar as his grace and power are made known to us. From his name, therefore, confidence in calling upon him proceeds.

The faithful desire that the king may be protected and aided by God, whose name was called upon among the sons of Jacob. I cannot agree with those who think that the patriarch is mentioned here because God tried him with various afflictions, not unlike those with which he tried his servant David.

I am rather of the opinion that, as is usual in Scripture, the chosen people are denoted by the term Jacob. And from this name, the God of Jacob, the faithful encourage themselves to pray for the defense of their king, because it was one of the privileges of their adoption to live under the guidance and protection of a king set over them by God himself.

Hence we may conclude, as I have said before, that under the figure of a temporal kingdom a government much more excellent is described to us. Since Christ our King, being an everlasting priest, never ceases to make intercession with God, the whole body of the Church should unite in prayer with him; and further, we can have no hope of being heard unless he goes before us and leads us to God.

And it greatly helps to assuage our sorrows to consider that Jesus Christ, when we are afflicted, considers our distresses his own, provided we, at the same time, take courage and continue resolute and magnanimous in tribulation; for this we should be prepared, since the Holy Spirit here forewarns us that the kingdom of Christ would be subject to dangers and troubles.