Read Psalm 20 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
20:1-9 {p} Our trust in and joy because of YHVH’s saving strength.
Psalm 20:1-9 Chiastic Structure:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; {n} but we will remember the name of YHVH our God. Psa 20:7
The Scripture Picture says, “We trust in the name of YHVH our God,” because that is how the New International Version has it. However, the New King James, the King James, and the Hebrew Bible in English says,“We will remember the name of YHVH our God.” Which is it?
It turns out that the verb “trust” is not in the Hebrew, where it says, “Some trust in chariots.” The Hebrew says, “Some in chariots, and some in horses.” The verb is implied to be the same as the second part of the verse, because a Comparison and Contrast is being made.
The verb variously translated as trust in, or remember, is Strong’s H2142, זכר zakar, a primitive verb meaning, “to remember.” The ancient pictographs are zayin + kaph + resh.
zayin ז = the mattock, thus tool, food, cut, nourish
kaph כ , ך = the open palm, thus bend, open, allow, tame
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
The story being told by the Hebrew Root Word is of the covenant cut (zayin) wherein the open palm (kaph) of blessing was laid upon the head of the man (resh). The pictographs specifically identify that the remembrance is tied to the covenant.
The implication is that we remember the YHVH the name of God–which, by the way, means, “The hand, behold! The nail, behold!” that is, look at the nails which pierced My hands as I hung on the cross, to see the lengths that I will go for you–when we need help, support, and saving strength in our circumstances, precisely because we are in covenant with Him. Because of that covenant, while others may look to their chariots and horses, we look to YHVH our God, the One who saves by His mighty right arm.
In actuality, translating the Hebrew with the English “trust” in both places, is not a mistrepresentation of the Hebrew at all.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Genesis 15 and 16, And the cutting of the covenant – Christine Miller
YHVH, “I AM,” Strong’s H3068 – Christine Miller
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