Psalms 20:3

20:1-9 This psalm is a prayer for the kings of Israel, but with relation to Christ. - Even the greatest of men may be much in trouble. Neither the crown on the king's head, nor the grace in his heart, would make him free from trouble. Even the greatest of men must be much in prayer. Let none expect benefit by the prayers of the church, or their friends, who are capable of praying for themselves, yet neglect it. Pray that God would protect his person, and preserve his life. That God would enable him to go on in his undertakings for the public good. We may know that God accepts our spiritual sacrifices, if by his Spirit he kindles in our souls a holy fire of piety and love to God. Also, that the Lord would crown his enterprises with success. Our first step to victory in spiritual warfare is to trust only in the mercy and grace of God; all who trust in themselves will soon be cast down. Believers triumph in God, and his revelation of himself to them, by which they distinguish themselves from those that live without God in the world. Those who make God and his name their praise, may make God and his name their trust. This was the case when the pride and power of Jewish unbelief, and pagan idolatry, fell before the sermons and lives of the humble believers in Jesus.

This is the case in every conflict with our spiritual enemies, when we engage them in the name, the spirit, and the power of Christ; and this will be the case at the last day, when the world, with the prince of it, shall be brought down and fall; but believers, risen-from the dead, through the resurrection of the Lord, shall stand, and sing his praises in heaven. In Christ's salvation let us rejoice; and set up our banners in the name of the Lord our God, assured that by the saving strength of his right hand we shall be conquerors over every enemy.

Remember all thy offerings,.... The spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise which Christ, as the great High Priest, offers up for his people; or which they offer by him, and are acceptable to God through him, by virtue of the incense of his mediation; or the offering up of himself, which answers to, and is the body, the sum and substance, of all the offerings of the law; they were types of this, and what they could not do this did; and therefore it is expressed in the singular number in the next clause; and accept thy burnt sacrifice. The word rendered "accept" signifies to "reduce to ashes" (o); and the way in which it was known that sacrifices were acceptable to God was by fire coming down from heaven upon them and consuming them, Leviticus 9:24; and therefore the word is rightly rendered "accept"; and Christ's sacrifice of himself, putting away sin, and perfecting for ever them that are sanctified, is of a sweet smelling savour to God; for hereby his justice is satisfied, his law is magnified and made honourable, the sins of his people are atoned for, their persons are accepted, and their sacrifices of prayer and praise come up also with acceptance to him through the virtue of this sacrifice; and so these petitions have their accomplishment. Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2. (o) "incineret", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius; "in cinerem vertat", Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Ainsworth.

(3) All thy offerings. —The king is sacrificing, according to custom, before battle ( 1Samuel 13:9 ), the burnt offering ( ôlah, from root to “go up,” i.e., of the smoke) and the bloodless offering ( minchah, from root “to portion out”) of fine flour. (See Leviticus 2:1 ). Since the word rendered in our version memorial ( Leviticus 24:7 ), which is a derivative of the verb here rendered “remember,” has been proved by eminent scholars to signify “incense,” we may believe the psalmist meant— “Accept the incense of all thy minchah, And the fat of thy ôlah” Indeed Mr. Burgess would render “smell” and “relish.” Accept.—Literally, make fat (Psalm 23:5, “anointest”) i.e., regard or receive as a fat or a worthy offering. The objection to the alternative rendering, “turn to ashes,” i.e., “consume,” (Leviticus 9:24; 1Kings 18:38), is that the Hebrew word never elsewhere has that sense, but only that of “cleansing from ashes.”

Verse 3. - Remember all thy offerings . (On David's offerings, see 2 Samuel 6:13, 17 ; 2 Samuel 24:25 ; 1 Chronicles 15:26 ; 1 Chronicles 16:1 ; 1 Chronicles 21:28 ; 1 Chronicles 29:21 .) It is not to be supposed, however, that David ever sacrificed victims with his own hand, or without the intervention of a priest. And accept thy burnt sacrifice ; Selah . It is a reasonable conjecture that the "Selah" here marks a "pause," during which special sacrifices were offered, with a view of entreating God's favour and protection in the coming war (Hengstenberg). Psalm 20:3

Remember, to wit, with acceptance, as it follows. Thy offerings; offered either by thee at thy entrance upon this expedition; or by us thy people on thy behalf, or by thine appointment. Accept, Heb. turn to ashes , by fire sent from heaven in token of his acceptance, as was usual; of which see Leviticus 9:24 1 Kings 18:38 .

3 . May He remember all the offerings by which in past time the king has expressed his self-devotion and his dependence on Jehovah, and accept those by which he is now consecrating the present expedition. For sacrifice before a war see 1 Samuel 7:9-10 ; 1 Samuel 13:9-12 ; and cp. the phrase to sanctify a war ( Jeremiah 6:4 , R.V. marg.). Offering properly denotes the so-called meal-offering , which accompanied the burnt-offering . Remember ) Possibly an allusion to the memorial , or part of the meal-offering which was burnt by the priest on the altar, as it were bringing the worshippers for whom it was offered to God’s remembrance ( Leviticus 2:2 ; Leviticus 2:9 ; Leviticus 2:16 ; Acts 10:4 ). accept ] Lit., regard as fat . The fat, as the choicest part, was Jehovah’s portion, and was always to be burnt ( Leviticus 3:3 ff. Leviticus 3:16 ). Less probable is the alternative in A.V. marg., turn to ashes , by fire from heaven ( Leviticus 9:24 ).

Remember all thy offerings - On the meaning of the word here used, see the note at Isaiah 1:13 , where it is rendered oblations. The word occurs often in the Scriptures, and is sometimes rendered offering, and sometimes oblation. The word means an offering of any kind or anything that is presented to God, except a bloody sacrifice - anything offered as an expression of thankfulness, or with a view to obtain his favor. It is distinguished from bloody sacrifices, which are expressed by the word in the following clause. The word here employed occurs in the Psalms only in the following places: Psalm 20:3 ; Psalm 40:6 ; Psalm 96:8 ; where it is rendered offering and offerings; Psalm 45:12 , rendered gift; Psalm 72:10 , rendered presents; and Psalm 141:2 , rendered sacrifice. The use of the word in this place proves that such offerings had been made to God by him who was about to go forth to the war; and the prayer of the people here is that God would remember all those offerings; that is, that he would grant the blessing which he who had offered them had sought to obtain. And accept - Margin, turn to ashes, or make fat. The Hebrew word - דשׁן dâshên - means properly to make fat, or marrowy, Proverbs 15:30; to pronounce or regard as fat; to be fat or satiated, or abundantly satisfied, Proverbs 13:4.

It conveys also the notion of reducing to ashes; perhaps from the fact that the victim which had been fattened for sacrifice was reduced to ashes; or, as Gesenius supposes (Lexicon, see דשׁן deshen), because "ashes were used by the ancients for fattening, that is, manuring the soil." The prayer here seems to be that God would "pronounce the burnt-offering fat;" that is, that he would regard it favorably, or would accept it. This proves, also, that a sacrifice had been made with a view to propitiate the divine favor in regard to the expedition which had been undertaken; that is, a solemn act of devotion, according to the manner of worship which then obtained, had been performed with a view to secure the divine favor and protection. The example is one which suggests the propriety of always entering upon any enterprise by solemn acts of worship, or by supplicating the divine blessing; that is, by acknowledging our dependence on God, and asking his guidance and his protecting care. Thy burnt sacrifice - The word used here denotes bloody offerings; see the note at Isaiah 1:11. These offerings were designed especially for the expiation of sin, and for thus securing the divine favor. They were an acknowledgment of guilt, and they were offered with a view to secure the pardon of sin, and, in connection with that, the favor of God.