Psalms 20:7

My Notes

What Does Psalms 20:7 Mean?

Psalm 20:7 draws one of the sharpest contrasts in the Psalter. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses" — in the ancient Near East, chariots and horses were the ultimate military technology. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon — the superpowers all built their dominance on cavalry and chariot forces. For a small nation like Israel, the temptation to trust in the same hardware was constant. Deuteronomy 17:16 explicitly warned Israel's future kings not to multiply horses — not because horses were evil, but because reliance on military might would replace reliance on God.

The Hebrew for "trust" here is rakav — to ride upon, to mount, to lean on as a vehicle. It's visceral. Some people climb into their chariots. We climb into the name of the LORD. "We will remember" translates nazkir, which can also mean to invoke, to proclaim, to call upon. It's not passive recollection — it's active declaration. We invoke the name. We call on it as our weapon, our vehicle, our defense.

This verse sits in a psalm that was likely sung before battle — a royal prayer for the king as he went to war. The congregation is making a collective declaration of allegiance: whatever the enemy brings, our trust is not in matching their firepower. It's in a name that outranks every army on earth.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What are the 'chariots and horses' in your life — the tangible things you're tempted to trust more than God?
• 2.What does it practically look like to 'remember the name of the LORD' when you're facing something that feels overwhelming?
• 3.Is there an area where you've been building up your own military strength instead of depending on God?
• 4.How do you maintain trust in an invisible name when the visible threats feel so real and immediate?

Devotional

Chariots and horses. In your world, those might look like a savings account, a backup plan, a relationship you're holding onto as insurance, a career track that promises security. There's nothing wrong with any of those things. But this verse asks a pointed question: where does your trust actually live?

The difference David draws isn't between wise preparation and reckless faith. It's between ultimate trust in what you can see and ultimate trust in who God is. "Some trust in chariots" — some people put their deepest confidence in what they can control, count, and deploy. "But we will remember the name of the LORD our God" — we choose to stake everything on a name. Not a strategy. A name.

That's a vulnerable choice. Chariots are tangible. You can touch them, measure them, count how many you have. The name of the LORD is invisible. You can't show it to your anxious mind at 2 a.m. and feel immediately better. But David says the people who trusted chariots "are brought down, and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright" (v. 8). The things you can see will eventually fail you. The name you can't see will hold you up when everything visible collapses. What are you trusting today — your chariots or His name?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture