서론
無題
简体中文
英語原文
It is the will of God that prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings, should be made, in special manner, for kings and all in authority. This psalm is a prayer, and the next a thanksgiving, for the king. David was a martial prince, much in war. Either this psalm was penned upon occasion of some particular expedition of his, or, in general, as a form to be used in the daily service of the church for him. In this psalm we may observe, I. What it is they beg of God for the king, Ps 20:1-4. II. With what assurance they beg it. The people triumph (Ps 20:5), the prince (Ps 20:6), both together (Ps 20:7,8), and so he concludes with a prayer to God for audience, Ps 20:9. In this, David may well be looked upon as a type of Christ, to whose kingdom and its interests among men the church was, in every age, a hearty well-wisher.
1-5
Petitions against Sin
简体中文
抵挡罪恶的祈求
交与伶长。大卫的诗。
¹ 愿耶和华在你遭难的日子应允你；愿名为雅各神的名高举你。
² 愿他从圣所救助你，从锡安坚固你。
³ 记念你的一切供献，悦纳你的燔祭。（细拉）
⁴ 将你心所愿的赐给你，成就你的一切筹算。
⁵ 我们要因你的救恩夸胜，奉我们神的名竖立旌旗。愿耶和华成就你一切所求的。
这篇为大卫献上的祷告，题为「大卫的诗」。蒙了默示的大卫为自己和在他权下的臣宰，撰写一份可在会众中使用的祷告范本，并非不合宜之事；反倒十分恰当：凡渴望朋友为自己代求的人，应当具体告诉他们希望他们向神求什么。注意，即便是伟大敬虔的人，即便深谙如何为自己祷告，也绝不可轻看，反倒要恳切寻求别人——哪怕在各方面都不如自己的人——为他们代求。保罗屡次恳请朋友为他祷告。掌权者当看重并鼓励祷告的百姓，把他们视为自己的力量（亚12:5,10），并尽力待他们好，好得着他们祷告的益处，且不可行何事使这益处丧失。如今请观察，
一、他们在此受教要为君王向神求什么。
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愿神应允他的祷告：「愿耶和华在你遭难的日子应允你」（诗20:1），「愿耶和华成就你一切所求的」（诗20:5）。注意，（1）即便最伟大的人也可能多经患难。大卫自己就常常身处遭难之日——失望窘迫之日、被践踏、被困厄之日。他头上的冠冕、心中的恩典，都不能使他免于患难。（2）即便最伟大的人也当多多祷告。大卫虽事务繁忙、虽为战士，却恒守灵修；虽有先知、祭司和许多敬虔的百姓为他代求，他仍不以为这就免去自己祷告的本分。凡能自己祷告却疏懒不为的人，不要指望教会、牧者或朋友的代求能使自己得益。别人为我们代求，不是要取代我们自己的祷告，而是要补足我们自己的祷告。一个国家若有祷告的君王，使百姓能对他的祷告说「阿们」，这百姓便是有福的。
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愿神在战争的危难中保护他的人身、保全他的性命：「愿名为雅各神的名高举你」，把你置于仇敌所及之外。（1）「愿神用他的护理保守你安全，就是那在患难之日保守了雅各的神。」大卫虽有勇士护卫，却将自己交托给全能的神，百姓也将他交托给神。（2）「愿神用他的恩典使你安然无惧。——箴18:10，「耶和华的名是坚固台，义人奔入便得安稳」；愿大卫能像以往屡次所行那样，得以躲入这坚固台。」
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愿神使他能为公众的好处继续他的事业——在争战之日「从圣所差遣救助，从锡安赐下力量」，不是从寻常的护理，而是从约柜、从神对他选民以色列所怀的独特恩宠。即愿神照着所应许的、照着在圣所中所献的祷告来帮助他。从圣所而来的怜悯是最甘甜的怜悯，是神独特之爱的凭据，是神——我们自己的神——所赐的福。从锡安而来的力量是属灵的力量，是心中的力量、内心之人的力量，这正是我们在事奉与受苦中当为自己和别人最切慕的。
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愿神悦纳他在出兵危险的征途之前，照着当时的律法与祷告同献的祭：「愿耶和华记念你的一切供献，悦纳你的燔祭」（诗20:3），或作「使之化为灰」；即「愿耶和华将你借着献祭与祷告所求的胜利与成功赐给你，借此以从前从天上降火点燃祭物那般充分的凭据，表明他悦纳了这祭。」如今我们若要知道神悦纳我们属灵的祭，就看他的灵是否在我们心里点燃敬虔与属天情感的圣火，并借此使我们的心火热。
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愿神用所渴望的成功为他一切为公众福祉而行的努力与崇高计划加冠（诗20:4）：「愿耶和华将你心所愿的赐给你。」他们可以凭信心如此祈求，因为他们知道大卫是合神心意的人，所筹算的无不讨他喜悦。以荣耀神为本的人，可以指望神这样或那样地使他们得偿所愿；行在他旨意中的人，可以确信神必成就他们的筹算。「你所图谋的事，神必为你坚立。」
二、他们对这些为自己和贤王所献的祈求得着平安的答复，有何把握（诗20:5）：「我们要因你的救恩夸胜。」「我们这些臣民要因我们君王的保全与繁荣而欢乐」；或更确切地说，「神啊，我们要因你的救恩、因你的大能和拯救的应许而夸胜；这是我们现今所倚靠的，也是我们至终大大欢喜的缘由。」凡目光始终仰望耶和华之拯救的人，心里必充满那拯救的喜乐：「我们要奉我们神的名竖立旌旗。」1.「我们要奉他的名争战；我们要确保所争的是义战，在每一场征途中都以他的荣耀为目标；我们要从他口中求指引，带他同行；我们要遵从他的引导，恳求他的帮助并仰赖这帮助，并将结局交托给他。」大卫是奉万军之耶和华的名去迎战歌利亚的（撒上17:45）。（2）「我们要奉他的名庆祝我们的得胜。当我们高悬旌旗奏凯、竖立战利品时，这都要奉我们神的名；他当得着我们一切成功全部的荣耀，任何器皿都不可窃取本当归他的那分尊荣。」
我们唱这篇诗时，当将我们由衷的良好祝愿献给在我们其上的善政及其繁荣。但我们还可以看得更远：这些为大卫献上的祷告，也是论到大卫之子基督的预言，在他身上这些祷告丰丰满满地得着了应允；他承担了我们救赎之工，向黑暗的权势开战。在他心里甚是忧伤的遭难之日，主听允了他，在他所敬畏的事上听允了他（来5:7），「从圣所差遣救助」——差遣天使从天上加添他的力量；当他将性命献为赎罪祭时，主记念他的供献，悦纳他的燔祭，使之化为灰——本应落在罪人身上的火，落在了祭物上，神因此大大喜悦。神也「将他心所愿的赐给他」，使他看见自己劳苦的功效而心满意足，使他手中的善工亨通，成就了他为自己和我们一切所求的；因为父常听允他，他的代求永远有效。
英語原文
Petitions against Sin
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
¹ The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
² Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
³ Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
⁴ Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
⁵ We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
This prayer for David is entitled a psalm of David; nor was it any absurdity at all for him who was divinely inspired to draw up a directory, or form of prayer, to be used in the congregation for himself and those in authority under him; nay it is very proper for those who desire the prayers of their friends to tell them particularly what they would have to be asked of God for them. Note, Even great and good men, and those that know ever so well how to pray for themselves, must not despise, but earnestly desire, the prayers of others for them, even those that are their inferiors in all respects. Paul often begged of his friends to pray for him. Magistrates and those in power ought to esteem and encourage praying people, to reckon them their strength (Zec 12:5,10), and to do what they can for them, that they may have an interest in their prayers and may do nothing to forfeit it. Now observe here,
I. What it is that they are taught to ask of God for the king.
1. That God would answer his prayers: The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble (Ps 20:1), and the Lord fulfil all thy petitions, Ps 20:5. Note, (1.) Even the greatest of men may be much in trouble. It was often a day of trouble with David himself, of disappointment and distress, of treading down and of perplexity. Neither the crown on his head nor the grace in his heart would exempt him from the trouble. (2.) Even the greatest of men must be much in prayer. David, though a man of business, a man of war, was constant to his devotions; though he had prophets, and priests, and many good people among his subjects, to pray for him, he did not think that excused him from praying for himself. Let none expect benefit by the prayers of the church, or of their ministers or friends for them, who are capable of praying for themselves, and yet neglect it. The prayers of others for us must be desired, not to supersede, but to second, our own for ourselves. Happy the people that have praying princes, to whose prayers they may thus say, Amen.
2. That God would protect his person, and preserve his life, in the perils of war: "The name of the God of Jacob defend thee, and set thee out of the reach of thy enemies." (1.) "Let God by his providence keep thee safe, even the God who preserved Jacob in the days of his trouble." David had mighty men for his guards, but he commits himself, and his people commit him, to the care of the almighty God. (2.) "Let God by his grace keep thee easy from the fear of evil.—Pr 18:10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, into which the righteous run by faith, and are safe; let David be enabled to shelter himself in that strong tower, as he has done many a time."
3. That God would enable him to go on in his undertakings for the public good—that, in the day of battle, he would send him help out of the sanctuary, and strength out of Zion, not from common providence, but from the ark of the covenant and the peculiar favour God bears to his chosen people Israel. That he would help him, in performance of the promises and in answer to the prayers made in the sanctuary. Mercies out of the sanctuary are the sweetest mercies, such as are the tokens of God's peculiar love, the blessing of God, even our own God. Strength out of Zion is spiritual strength, strength in the soul, in the inward man, and that is what we should most desire both for ourselves and others in services and sufferings.
4. That God would testify his gracious acceptance of the sacrifices he offered with his prayers, according to the law of that time, before he went out on a dangerous expedition: The Lord remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt-sacrifices (Ps 20:3), or turn them to ashes; that is, "The Lord give thee the victory and success which thou didst by prayer with sacrifices ask of him, and thereby give as full proof of his acceptance of the sacrifice as ever he did by kindling it with fire from heaven." By this we may now know that God accepts our spiritual sacrifices, if by his Spirit he kindles in our souls a holy fire of pious and divine affection and with that makes our hearts burn within us.
5. That God would crown all his enterprises and noble designs for the public welfare with the desired success (Ps 20:4): The Lord grant thee according to thy own heart. This they might in faith pray for, because they knew David was a man after God's own heart, and would design nothing but what was pleasing to him. Those who make it their business to glorify God may expect that God will, in one way or other, gratify them: and those who walk in his counsel may promise themselves that he will fulfil theirs. Thou shalt devise a thing and it shall be established unto thee.
II. What confidence they had of an answer of peace to these petitions for themselves and their good king (Ps 20:5): "We will rejoice in thy salvation. We that are subjects will rejoice in the preservation and prosperity of our prince;" or, rather, "In thy salvation, O God! in thy power and promise to save, will we rejoice; that is it which we depend upon now, and which, in the issue, we shall have occasion greatly to rejoice in." Those that have their eye still upon the salvation of the Lord shall have their hearts filled with the joy of that salvation: In the name of our God will we set up our banners. 1. "We will wage war in his name; we will see that our cause be good and make his glory our end in every expedition; we will ask counsel at his mouth, and take him along with us; we will follow his direction, implore his aid and depend upon it, and refer the issue to him." David went against Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts, 1Sa 17:45. (2.) "We will celebrate our victories in his name. When we lift up our banners in triumph, and set up our trophies, it shall be in the name of our God; he shall have all the glory of our success, and no instrument shall have any part of the honour that is due to him."
In singing this we ought to offer up to God our hearty good wishes to the good government we are under and to the prosperity of it. But we may look further; these prayers for David are prophecies concerning Christ the Son of David, and in him they were abundantly answered; he undertook the work of our redemption, and made war upon the powers of darkness. In the day of trouble, when his soul was exceedingly sorrowful, the Lord heard him, heard him in that he feared (Heb 5:7), sent him help out of the sanctuary, sent an angel from heaven to strengthen him, took cognizance of his offering when he made his soul an offering for sin, and accepted his burnt-sacrifice, turned it to ashes, the fire that should have fastened upon the sinner fastening upon the sacrifice, with which God was well pleased. And he granted him according to his own heart, made him to see of the travail of his soul, to his satisfaction, prospered his good pleasure in his hand, fulfilled all his petitions for himself and us; for him the Father heareth always and his intercession is ever prevailing.
6-9
The Subject's Prayer for the Sovereign
简体中文
臣民为君王祷告
⁶ 现在我知道耶和华救护他所膏立的；他必从圣天上应允他，用右手拯救的大能救护他。
⁷ 有人靠车，有人靠马；但我们要提到耶和华我们 神的名。
⁸ 他们都屈身仆倒；我们却起来，立得正直。
⁹ 求耶和华施行拯救；我们呼求的时候，愿王应允我们。
一、圣洁的大卫在此因自己在善良人的祷告中有份而夸胜（诗20:6）：「现在我知道」——我这作这诗的人知道——「耶和华救护他所膏立的」，因为他已经激动了雅各子孙的心为他祷告。请注意，对任何君王和百姓而言， 神将祷告的灵倾倒在他们身上，都是好事之兆，也可正当地视为吉兆。他若看见我们寻求他，他必被我们寻见；他若使我们对他的话生发盼望，他必向我们坚立他的话。如今既有这么多在天上有份的人为他祷告，他便不怀疑 神必听允他，并赐他平安的回答，这回答将：1. 从上面发出：「他必从他的圣天上应允他」——那圣天正是圣所所预表的（来9:23）；是从他在天上所预备的宝座发出的——那宝座正是施恩座所预表的。2. 在此处生效：他必「用他右手拯救的大能」应允他；他必向他、并向他朋友为他所献的祷告，赐下真实的回答——不是借书信，也不是借言语，而是（这更好得多）借他的右手，借他右手拯救的大能。他必借他为他所行的事，显明自己是听允他的。
二、他的百姓因 神、并他们与他的关系、并他向他们所作的启示而夸胜，借此将自己与那些在世上没有 神的人分别出来。1. 请看属世之人与属神之人在「所信赖之事」上的不同（诗20:7）。今世之子信赖次要的因，以为只要这些对他们微笑，一切便好；他们「靠车、靠马」，能带入战场的越多，便越确信战事必胜；大卫在此大概着眼于叙利亚人，他们的军力多为战车马兵，正如大卫胜过他们的历史所记（撒下8:4，10:18）。「但是，」以色列人说，「我们既无车马可赖，也不想要它们；纵然有，我们也不将得胜的盼望建立在其上；『但我们』要记念——并仰赖——『耶和华我们 神的名』，记念我们与他所立的关系——他是耶和华我们的 神，并记念我们借他的名对他所有的认识」——就是他借以显明自己的一切；这个我们要记念，每一次记念便因此得激励。请注意，那以 神和他名为自己赞美之人，可以以 神和他名为自己的信赖。2. 请看他们信赖之结局的不同，借此我们当判断所选择的智慧；事物正如其结果所证明的那样；请看谁要因自己的信赖而羞愧，谁不至如此（诗20:8）：「那靠车马的人都被屈身仆倒，他们的车马不但不能救他们，反而助长他们的沉沦，使他们更易作征服者的掠物、并更肥美的掠物（撒下8:4）。但我们这些信靠耶和华我们 神之名的人，不但立得正直、守住阵地，更已经起来，并对仇敌得了地土，且已胜过了他们。」请注意，那信而顺服地仰赖 神和他名的人，乃是最稳妥地通向高升和坚定的路——既兴起又立得正直；当受造之物的信赖使依赖它的人失望之时，这便成为我们的帮助。
三、他们为君王的祷告以「和散那」作结：「『主啊，求你现在拯救我们！』」（诗20:9）。按我们所读，这话可视为一个祷告——求 神不但赐福君王（「主啊，求你拯救，使他亨通」），更使他成为他们的福分：「我们呼求的时候，愿王应允我们」——我们求公平、求怜悯之时。那些要从官长得益处的人，必须如此为他们祷告；因为他们如别的受造之物一样，对我们如何（也仅如何），全在乎 神使他们如何。或者这话可指弥赛亚——那位王，万王之王；愿他在我们呼求之时应允我们；愿他按着应许在所定之时来到我们这里；愿他作为「那管理请求的大主」，收纳我们一切祈求，并将之呈献于父面前。但许多解经家对这节经文另有读法——借着改换停顿之处：「主啊，求你拯救君王，并在我们呼求之时应允我们」；如此便成为全篇诗的总归，也被纳入我们的英文礼仪之中：「主啊，求你拯救君王，并在我们呼求你之时，慈悲地应允我们。」
在唱诗20:6-9之时，我们当自勉信靠 神，并尽我们的本分，恳切地为在上有权柄的人祷告，使我们在他们之下可以敬虔端正、平安无事地度日。
英語原文
The Subject's Prayer for the Sovereign
⁶ Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
⁸ They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
⁹ Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
Here is, I. Holy David himself triumphing in the interest he had in the prayers of good people (Ps 20:6): "Now know I (I that pen the psalm know it) that the Lord saveth his anointed, because he hath stirred up the hearts of the seed of Jacob to pray for him." Note, It bodes well to any prince and people, and may justly be taken as a happy presage, when God pours upon them a spirit of prayer. If he see us seeking him, he will be found of us; if he cause us to hope in his word, he will establish his word to us. Now that so many who have an interest in heaven are praying for him he doubts not but that God will hear him, and grant him an answer of peace, which will, 1. Take its rise from above: He will hear him from his holy heaven, of which the sanctuary was a type (Heb 9:23), from the throne he hath prepared in heaven, of which the mercy-seat was a type. 2. It shall take its effect here below: He will hear him with the saving strength of his right hand; he will give a real answer to his prayers, and the prayers of his friends for him, not by letter, nor by word of mouth, but, which is much better, by his right hand, by the saving strength of his right hand. He will make it to appear that he hears him by what he does for him.
II. His people triumphing in God and their relation to him, and his revelation of himself to them, by which they distinguish themselves from those that live without God in the world. 1. See the difference between worldly people and godly people, in their confidences, Ps 20:7. The children of this world trust in second causes, and think all is well if those do but smile upon them; they trust in chariots and in horses, and the more of them they can bring into the field the more sure they are of success in their wars; probably David has here an eye to the Syrians, whose forces consisted much of chariots and horsemen, as we find in the history of David's victories over them, 2Sa 8:4,10:18. "But," say the Israelites, "we neither have chariots and horses to trust to nor do we want them, nor, if we had them, would we build our hopes of success upon that; but we will remember, and rely upon, the name of the Lord our God, upon the relation we stand in to him as the Lord our God and the knowledge we have of him by his name," that is, all that whereby he makes himself known; this we will remember and upon every remembrance of it will be encouraged. Note, those who make God and his name their praise may make God and his name their trust. 2. See the difference in the issue of their confidences and by that we are to judge of the wisdom of the choice; things are as they prove; see who will be ashamed of their confidence and who not, Ps 20:8. "Those that trusted in their chariots and horses are brought down and fallen, and their chariots and horses were so far from saving them that they helped to sink them, and made them the easier and the richer prey to the conqueror, 2Sa 8:4. But we that trust in the name of the Lord our God not only stand upright, and keep our ground, but have risen, and have got ground against the enemy, and have triumphed over them." Note, A believing obedient trust in God and his name is the surest way both to preferment and to establishment, to rise and to stand upright, and this will stand us in stead when creature-confidences fail those that depend upon them.
III. They conclude their prayer for the king with a Hosanna, "Save, now, we beseech thee, O Lord!" Ps 20:9. As we read this verse, it may be taken as a prayer that God would not only bless the king, "Save, Lord, give him success," but that he would make him a blessing to them, "Let the king hear us when we call to him for justice and mercy." Those that would have good of their magistrates must thus pray for them, for they, as all other creatures, are that to us (and no more) which God makes them to be. Or it may refer to the Messiah, that King, that King of kings; let him hear us when we call; let him come to us according to the promise, in the time appointed; let him, as the great Master of requests, receive all our petitions and present them to the Father. But many interpreters give another reading of this verse, by altering the pause, Lord, save the king, and hear us when we call; and so it is a summary of the whole psalm and is taken into our English Liturgy; O Lord! save the king, and mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
In singing Ps 20:6-9 we should encourage ourselves to trust in God, and stir up ourselves to pray earnestly, as we are in duty bound, for those in authority over us, that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.
神的旨意是要我们特别为君王与一切在位的恳求、代求、谢恩。本篇是为王的祷告,次篇是为王的感恩。大卫是习于兵革的君王,多在战阵之中。本篇或是因某次特别出征而作,或笼统地作为教会每日为他事奉中所用的形式。在本诗中我们可观察:一、他们向神为王所求的(诗20:1-4);二、他们以何等的把握而求——百姓夸胜(诗20:5)、君王夸胜(诗20:6)、二者同夸胜(诗20:7,8),于是他以向神求允纳的祷告作结(诗20:9)。在此大卫大可视为基督的预表——教会在各世代都诚心祝愿他的国与其在人间的利益。