Psalm 20


Psalm 20 is the 20th psalm of the Book of Psalms. It is internally attributed to King David. In the International Critical Commentary series, Charles and Emilie Briggs suggest that it was written during the reign of Jehoshaphat.

In Jewish prayer

The 70 words in this psalm may reference the 70 years of exile between the first and second temples, or as suggested in the Zohar, the 70 cries of pain associated with child birth. It has been inserted into daily prayer following the loss of the second temple to symbolize the somber period prior to the construction of the third temple.
It is used in Jewish prayer in several ways: