Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalms 20-21. These two psalms form a pair of royal psalms. Psalm 20 is a prayer that God will give success to the Davidic king, particularly in battle. Psalm 21 gives thanks to God for answering the request of Psalm 20.

20:1-5 Prayer for the King's Success. In these verses the congregation addresses the Davidic king ("you") with a prayer that God will answer his prayers, protect him from enemies, send him help, and support him. To call all of this "salvation" (v. 5) is to recognize that it comes from God as a gift and that it must further the ends for which God called his people to begin with. In other words, it is not a blank check for greed and land-grabbing.