Unto the end. A psalm for David.

“This entire psalm voices a prayer as spoken by holy people to the person of Christ. For since for our sakes and on our behalf he received insult when he became man, we are taught to join our prayers with his as he prays and supplicates the Father on our behalf, as one who repels both visible and invisible attacks against us.”

“In the preceding Psalms the discussion concerned deliverance from persecution, and he gave thanks for deliverance; but here, being delivered, or existing in the hope of deliverance, he asks to be advanced to greater things. This Psalm, then, is divided into two parts. In the first part the petition for exaltation is set forth. In the second, a promise is proposed, at the place, "O Lord, in thy strength," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. For first the petition is set forth. Second, the hope of being heard is set forth, at the place, "now I have known." Third, the conclusion of the Psalm is set forth, at the place, "O Lord, save," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First, the petition is set forth for evils. Second, for advancement to good, at the place, "may he reward thee." This Psalm proceeds in a different manner than the preceding ones. For in the other Psalms it is presented as the prayer of David asking for himself; here it is presented as the prayer of others on his behalf: and although according to the letter the things said here refer in some way to David, nevertheless properly and truly they pertain to Christ. According to the mystical sense, however, they pertain to the Church and to the just man: and however they are understood, concerning this part the Psalm does two things. First, the hearing of the one who prays is set forth. Second, the reason for being heard is set forth, at the place, "may he protect thee." He says therefore: O David, or O Christ, "may the Lord hear thee"; 1 Maccabees 1: "may he hear your prayers," etc. "May the Lord hear thee." David suffered tribulations, and Christ likewise in his passion: and therefore he says, "in the day of tribulation and chastisement": Isaiah 37: "a day of tribulation, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy is this day." And in this Christ was heard both for himself and for others: Hebrews 5: "in the day of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering, he was heard." And the just man says, "when I was in tribulation, I cried, and he heard me." There is, then, a threefold cause which makes prayer able to be heard. The first is the divine goodness. The second is the intercession of the saints. The third is one's own merit; because, as is said in John 9, God does not hear sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, him he heareth. The reason for being heard is set forth when he says, "may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee." The first cause is, that is, on account of his name, that is, on account of his goodness. "May he protect thee," if this be referred to Christ. But if it pertain to others, it is set forth thus: of one who prays, "may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee." Which God he himself worshipped when he appeared to him at Bethel: Genesis 28: the God of Jacob, who leads earthly things to the heavens, and from the heavens helps earthly things. This one, then, "may he protect thee": Proverbs 18: "the name of the Lord is a strong tower"; Psalm 30: "thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle," etc. This name is omnipotent: Exodus 15: "who is able to save," etc. Likewise it is a name of mercy: Luke 1, "holy," that is, merciful, "is his name"; Song of Songs 1: "thy name is as oil poured out." Thus, then, from the power and mercy of God we are protected: Isaiah 49: "he protected me under the shadow of his hand"; Psalm 16: "protect me under the shadow of thy wings." The second cause: "may he send thee help from the holy place," that is, from the assembly of the saints. And there is a twofold assembly of the saints: one of those reigning with God in glory, the other of those warring on earth; and from both we are helped, because the Angels intercede for us: 1 John 2: "we have an advocate," namely the assembly of Angels; Revelation 8: "the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended from the hand of the Angel, before God." Smoke comes from moisture and heat. Likewise Christ, who is their king, stands by for us: Hebrews 7: "approaching through himself to God, to intercede for us." And therefore he says, "may he send thee help from the holy place," that is, from the incarnate Son, who is anagogically called holy; Luke 1: "that which shall be born of thee holy shall be called the Son of God"; Daniel 9: "let the holy of holies be anointed." Or, "from the holy place," that is, from Christ having suffered, because in his passion he sanctified himself for us: John 17: "for them I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth"; 1 Kings 11: "tomorrow there will be salvation for you when the sun grows hot." Or, "may he send thee help from the holy place," namely from the assembly of the blessed: Psalm 2: "but thou dwellest in the holy place." "And out of Sion may he defend thee." Sion, that is, a watchtower, that is, from the citadel of David, where the ark was; there God was then worshipped; as if he were to say: from the prayers of those who watch for heavenly things in this world, "may he defend thee," that is, may he make thee safe. Or conversely, "from the holy place," namely the assembly of those who are in the world: and "out of Sion," namely those who are in glory. "May he defend thee." Or, "from the holy place," as regards those who are in the active life. And "out of Sion," as regards those who are in the contemplative life; that is, by the prayers of all these, "may he defend thee." The third cause is that his works be pleasing to God; whence he says, "may he be mindful of all thy sacrifice." Every good work is like a sacrifice, because all things ought to be offered to God: 1 Corinthians 10: "do all things for the glory of God." Therefore all our deeds are in a certain manner a sacrifice: whether alms — Hebrews, last chapter: "do not forget beneficence and fellowship, for by such sacrifices God is well pleased"; or fasting — Romans 12: "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service." In the Old Testament, indeed, certain sacrifices were made which were not wholly burnt, but only a part; and a part came to the use of those offering, as with certain peace-offerings; while others were wholly burnt, which were called "most holy," and were called holocaust, from "olon," which means "whole," and "cauma," which means "burning." And therefore there is a twofold kind of good works. Some are called "sacrifice," when someone dedicates something of his goods to God, as if a married person should abstain for some days: Ecclesiastes 3: "a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces." But when someone gives the whole, reserving nothing for himself, or restrains himself entirely, this is called a holocaust; therefore he says, "may he be mindful of all thy sacrifice": Psalm 50: "a sacrifice to God," etc. "And may thy holocaust be made fat," that is, accepted by God: Ecclesiasticus 35: "the offering of the just enriches the altar, and is an odor of sweetness in the sight of the Lord." And he says "fat," because the holocaust was burnt and produced an odor, since fatty things give off more odor. And therefore he who offers a sacrifice more devoutly is more acceptable, however small it may be. These things can be referred to the sacrifice of Christ, who offered himself wholly on the altar of the cross. And thus, "may he be mindful," that is, may he make us mindful of his passion and death: Lamentations 3: "remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall." Or, may he be mindful of our good works which we have sacrificed to him. "May he grant." Above, the Psalmist, praying, asked for advancement to a good which is desired outwardly; here he asks for that good which is sought inwardly: and concerning this he does two things. First he asks that what he requests be fulfilled. Second he sets forth the reason, at the place, "we shall rejoice." Concerning the first he does two things. First he asks for that which is in the inner movement of the soul, according to the will regarding the end. Second he asks that counsel be fulfilled concerning those things which are for the end, "and confirm all thy counsel," etc. He says therefore, "may he grant thee according to thy heart," that is, according to the will which concerns the end; as if he were to say, may he lead thee through to the end which thou dost intend, which ought to be God: Proverbs 10: "the desire of the just shall be granted." "And confirm all thy counsel"; this concerns those things which are for the end — for our counsels are weak, because we cannot foresee all things: Wisdom 9: "the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain." But it is God who confirms by directing our counsel, which ought to concern the seeking of eternal things: John 16: "ask that your joy may be full"; and by giving efficacy for carrying out our counsels. But he scatters the counsel of the perverse, as is said in Job 5. "We shall rejoice." Here the reason for being heard is set forth. God gladly gives good things to those who share them with others: 1 Peter 4: "ministering the same one to another." And therefore the reason for being heard is this, that the good which is sought ought to be shared with others. And this happens, first, as regards the joy of many; as if to say, we, being exalted, "shall rejoice in thy salvation," not in ourselves. Gregory: it is just that he should always find sorrow in himself, who, having forsaken God, sought joy in himself. "And we shall be magnified in the name of our God," through the invocation of him who exalted thee: Wisdom, last chapter: "in all things thou hast magnified thy people, and hast honored them, and hast not despised them, assisting them in every place and at every time." And therefore he says, "we shall be magnified," etc., that is, we shall be great. "May he fulfill." Here he treats of the outward petitions: and this is when God hears what we ask, because Christ made many petitions for us, John 16. "Now I have known." Here the hope of being heard is set forth, and he says: considering that we shall be multiplied from thy good, "now I have known that the Lord hath saved his Christ"; so that this may be understood either of Christ, through whom many have been saved, or of David, whom he made safe unto predestination. "Now," as it were from now, before it comes to pass: 1 Peter, concerning which salvation the prophets inquired, foretelling the sufferings that are in Christ, and the glories that should follow. And it is not only this, that he saved Christ Jesus by raising him from the dead, Psalm 15: "thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption"; and thus, the head being saved, the members will be saved; but he will hear him, namely Christ praying for the members: John 11: "Father, I know that thou hearest me always." Or, of David. "He will hear." Here the power of the one who hears is commended. And first he sets forth the power. Second, the proof of the power, at the place, "these in chariots." "Might" expresses the multitude of power. Might is the strong work of one who has dominion. And it can be referred to men, so that the sense is: "the salvation of thy right hand," by which thou dost save Christ and us through him, "appears in mighty deeds," that is, in every place, which is powerfully and mightily in us. Or it can be referred to God: and thus, "the salvation of thy right hand is in mighty deeds," that is, in the greatness of thy power: Psalm 67: "who bringeth out them that are bound in strength." And he says "of the right hand," because there is a twofold salvation of God. One is, namely, of the left hand, by which he saves in temporal things, bestowing temporal goods: Psalm 48: "men and beasts thou wilt save, O Lord." The other is the salvation of the right hand, which concerns eternal things, by which he saves the just, bestowing gifts: Wisdom 10: "God rendered to the just the wages of their labors." Next he sets forth the proof of the power. And first he sets forth the diversity of confidence and glorying that is found among men. Second he sets forth the outcome of both, at the place, "they are bound." For there is a twofold kind of men. Some indeed place their whole hope in worldly power: against whom it is said, Jeremiah 17: "cursed is the man that trusteth in man"; Psalm 51: "the just shall see, and shall laugh, and shall say," etc. Some place their hope in God: Psalm 117: "it is good to hope in the Lord." And therefore he says, "these in chariots, and these in horses"; as if to say, some trust in worldly power, of whom it is said, "these in chariots," etc. Or it is referred to warfare, or to triumphs; because some fight in chariots, some on horses: Exodus 15: "Pharaoh went in with chariots and horsemen." Or it refers to triumphs, and then they do not trust, but glory; because according to the Gloss, in ancient times there was a twofold kind of triumph: one greater, the other lesser. The first was called "laureate," because the victor was crowned with laurel; and this took place in a chariot. The second was called an "ovation"; and it took place on horseback. As if to say: some glory in great things, some on horses, as in an ovation. "Ovo, ovas" is the same as "to rejoice"; and it is drawn from children who rejoice when an egg is given to them. But we, in great things, that is, we glory in the name of the Lord. "Triumph" is said from "tris," which is three, and "phonos," which is sound; because a threefold sound was displayed to the returning victors. For first the whole people went out to meet him. Second, all the captives followed his chariot with bound hands. Third, he himself, clothed in the tunic of Jupiter, sat in the chariot which four white horses drew; and thus he was led to the Capitol. But in the chariot there was placed with him a certain servant, who struck him on the cheek, saying, "know thyself." "They." Here the diverse outcome is set forth, because there is an outcome for the wicked. Jerome has "bowed down," and then it is clear, because bending down is the way to a fall, and thus the power of the world little by little fails. Or, "bound," because temporal goods bind, and especially sinners: Wisdom 14: "the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a snare to the feet of the unwise," that is, of sinners. Whence he says, "and they have fallen," because in the end they will be ground down: Isaiah 8: "they shall fall, and shall be broken; and they shall be snared, and shall be taken." Likewise there is an outcome for the powerful, when he says, "but we are risen," little by little; Micah 7: "I have fallen, I shall rise again; when I shall sit in darkness, the Lord is my light." "And we are set upright." Just as bending down is the way to a fall, so being set upright is the way to rectitude of standing. And this consists in holiness. "O Lord." The conclusion of this whole Psalm is set forth: which indeed seems to tend toward two things. For he asks either for the true Christ, or for Christ in figure. As to the first, he says, "O Lord, save the king," that is, Christ. Or, for David. And thus he prays on behalf of those who are praying. "Hear us in the day wherein we shall call upon thee": Psalm 137: "in whatsoever day I shall call upon thee, hear me."”

“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 (Zac 12:5, Zac 12:10), 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 (Psa 20:1), and the Lord fulfil all thy petitions, Psa 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. - Pro 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 (Psa 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 (Psa 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 (Psa 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, Sa1 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.”

“The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble,.... All the days of Christ were days of trouble; he was a brother born for adversity; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs; he had his own sorrows, and he bore the griefs of others; he was persecuted by Herod in his infancy; he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness; he was harassed by the Scribes and Pharisees continually; he was grieved at the hardness, impenitence, and unbelief, of that perverse and faithless generation of men, and was sometimes made uneasy by his own disciples: at some particular seasons his soul or spirit is said to be troubled, as at the grave of Lazarus, and when in a view of his own death, and when he was about to acquaint his disciples that one of them should betray him, Joh 11:33; but more particularly it was a day of trouble with him, when he was in the garden, heavy, and sore amazed, and his sweat was, as it were, drops of blood falling on the ground, and his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; but more especially this was his case when he hung upon the cross, and is what seems to be principally respected here; when he was in great torture of body through the rack of the cross; when he endured the cruel mockings of men, of the common people, of the chief priests, and even of the thieves that suffered with him; when he had Satan, and all his principalities and powers, let loose upon him, and he was grappling with them; when he bore all the sins of his people, endured the wrath of his Father, and was forsaken by him: now in this day of trouble, both when in the garden and on the cross, he prayed unto his Father, as he had been used to do in other cases, and at other times; and the church here prays, that God would hear and answer him, as he did: he always heard him; he heard him at the grave of Lazarus; he heard him in the garden, and filled his human soul with courage and intrepidity, of which there were immediate instances; he heard him on the cross, and helped him as man and Mediator, Isa 49:8; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, God himself, who is named the God of Jacob, whom Jacob called upon, and trusted in as his God, and who answered him in the day of his distress: Jacob was exercised with many troubles, but the Lord delivered him out of them all; and which may be the reason why the Lord is addressed under this character here; besides, Israel is one of the names of the Messiah, Isa 49:3; on whose account the petition is put to which may be added, that Jacob may design people of God, the spiritual sons of Jacob, the church of the living God, whose God the Lord is; and the phrase may be here used by the church, to encourage her faith in prayer: the petition, on account of the Messiah, is, that God would "defend" him, or "set" him on "an high place" (n); or "exalt" him: he was brought very low in his state of humiliation; he was in the form of a servant; he was in a very low and mean condition throughout the whole of his life; through the suffering of death he was made lower than the angels, and he was laid in the lower parts of the earth: the church, in this petition, prays for his resurrection from the dead; for his ascension into the highest heavens; for his exaltation at the right hand of God; for the more visible setting him on his throne in his kingdom; in all which she has been answered. (n) "elevet te", Pagninus, Montanus; "exaltet te", Vatablus, Museulus, Michaelis; "in edito collocet te", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.”

“David. This psalm was to be sung when he or his successors went to battle. In a higher sense, it may allude to the victories of Christ, and of his Church. (Berthier) — Christian must offer up this prayer for their governors. (Worthington) — It was probably composed when the Ammonites and Syrians made such great preparations for war, ver. 8., and 2 Kings x. 6, 18. (Calmet)”

“(Heb.: 20:2-6) Litany for the king in distress, who offers sacrifices for himself in the sanctuary. The futures in Psa 20:2, standing five times at the head of the climactic members of the parallelism, are optatives. ימלּא, Psa 20:6, also continues the chain of wishes, of which even נרננה (cf. Psa 69:15) forms one of the links. The wishes of the people accompany both the prayer and the sacrifice. "The Name of the God of Jacob" is the self-manifesting power and grace of the God of Israel. יעקב is used in poetry interchangeably with ישראל, just like אלהים with יהוה. Alshךch refers to Gen 35:3; and it is not improbable that the desire moulds itself after the fashion of the record of the fact there handed down to us. May Jahve, who, as the history of Jacob shows, hears (and answers) in the day of distress, hear the king; may the Name of the God of Jacob bear him away from his foes to a triumphant height. שׂגּב alternates with רומם (Psa 18:49) in this sense. This intercession on the behalf of the praying one is made in the sanctuary on the heights of Zion, where Jahve sits enthroned. May He send him succour from thence, like auxiliary troops that decide the victory. The king offers sacrifice. He offers sacrifice according to custom before the commencement of the battle (Sa1 13:9., and cf. the phrase קדּשׁ מלחמה), a whole burnt-offering and at the same time a meat or rather meal offering also, מנחות; (Note: This, though not occurring in the Old Testament, is the principal form of the plural, which, as even David Kimchi recognises in his Lexicon, points to a verb מנח (just as שׂמלות, גּבעות, שׁפחות point to שׂמל, גּבע, שׂפח); whereas other old grammarians supposed נחה to be the root, and were puzzled with the traditional pronunciation menachôth, but without reason.) for every whole offering and every shelamim - or peace-offering had a meat-offering and a drink-offering as its indispensable accompaniment. The word זכר is perfectly familiar in the ritual of the meal-offering. That portion of the meal-offering, only a part of which was placed upon the altar (to which, however, according to traditional practice, does not belong the accompanying meal-offering of the מנחת נסכים, which was entirely devoted to the altar), which ascended with the altar fire is called אזכּרה, μνημόσυνον (cf. Act 10:4), that which brings to remembrance with God him for whom it is offered up (not "incense," as Hupfeld renders it); for the designation of the offering of jealousy, Num 5:15, as "bringing iniquity to remembrance before God" shows, that in the meal-offering ritual זכר retains the very same meaning that it has in other instances. Every meal-offering is in a certain sense a מנחת זכּרון a esnes . Hence here the prayer that Jahve would graciously remember them is combined with the meal-offerings. As regards the ‛olah, the wish "let fire from heaven (Lev 9:24; Kg1 18:38; Ch1 21:26) turn it to ashes," would not be vain. But the language does not refer to anything extraordinary; and in itself the consumption of the offering to ashes (Bttcher) is no mark of gracious acceptance. Moreover, as a denominative from דּשׁן, fat ashes, דּשּׁן means "to clean from ashes," and not: to turn into ashes. On the other hand, דּשּׁן also signifies "to make fat," Psa 23:5, and this effective signification is applied declaratively in this instance: may He find thy burnt-offering fat, which is equivalent to: may it be to Him a ריח ניחח [an odour of satisfaction, a sweet-smelling savour]. The voluntative ah only occurs here and in Job 11:17 (which see) and Isa 5:19, in the 3 pers.; and in this instance, just as with the cohortative in Sa1 28:15, we have a change of the lengthening into a sharpening of the sound (cf. the exactly similar change of forms in Sa1 28:15; Isa 59:5; Zac 5:4; Pro 24:14; Eze 25:13) as is very frequently the case in מה for מה. The alteration to ידשּׁנה or ידשׁנהּ (Hitzig) is a felicitous but needless way of getting rid of the rare form. The explanation of the intensifying of the music here is, that the intercessory song of the choir is to be simultaneous with the presentation upon the altar (הקטרה). עצה is the resolution formed in the present wartime. "Because of thy salvation," i.e., thy success in war, is, as all the language is here, addressed to the king, cf. Psa 21:2, where it is addressed to Jahve, and intended of the victory accorded to him. It is needless to read נגדּל instead of נדגּל, after the rendering of the lxx megaluntheeso'metha. נדגּל is a denominative from דּגל: to wave a banner. In the closing line, the rejoicing of hope goes back again to the present and again assumes the form of an intercessory desire.”