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Psalm 20 · a question people ask

"Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed" (20:6). Is this about Jesus?

In the text

In Hebrew anointed is mashiach (tap anointed), which Strong's gives as "anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah". Psalm 18 uses it of the king: "He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more" (Psalm 18:50). The New Testament does apply another psalm's anointed to Jesus: when Peter and John and their company pray Psalm 2 (Acts 4:23-26), they say Herod and Pontius Pilate were gathered "against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed" (Acts 4:27). But no New Testament verse quotes Psalm 20. Where the New Testament doesn't say which Scripture it means, these notes won't say it for it, so they don't make this psalm's anointed Jesus.

The verses

“Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.”
Psalm 20:6 · World English Bible
“He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”
Psalm 18:50 · World English Bible
“The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his Anointed, saying,”
Psalm 2:2 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 20

Psalm 20: Some trust in chariots

The WEB's trust in "we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (20:7) is, in Hebrew, zakhar, the verb of "remember all your offerings" (20:3). And answer carries the psalm from "May the LORD answer you" (20:1) through "He will answer him" (20:6) to "Let the King answer us when we call!" (20:9).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions