May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prayer isn't just asking God to "remember" the king's offerings in a general sense; it's asking God to actively accept them, to "make them fat" or even "turn them to ashes" as a sign of divine approval and consumption. This highlights that true worship isn't passive but involves a desire for God's tangible, consuming presence and acceptance.
May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
English Standard Version (ESV)
The people are rallying around their king, who is preparing to go out to battle. Before he leaves, he has offered various sacrifices and gifts to God, seeking divine favor and protection. This psalm is a communal prayer for his success, specifically asking that God would remember and favorably receive all these offerings he has made.
When we pray, does God just file it away, or does He actively engage? This verse suggests a vibrant divine response.
The word 'remember' here isn't just about God recalling facts. It's about Him actively taking notice and showing favor. Think of it like a parent remembering a child's hard work and rewarding it. The psalmist prays that God would 'remember all your offerings' – not just the big, dramatic ones, but every act of devotion.
And 'regard with favor' points to more than passive acknowledgment. It's about God finding pleasure and acceptance in what is offered. For ancient Israel, this meant the smoke of sacrifices rising to heaven, a visible sign of God's delight. Today, it speaks to how God cherishes our prayers, our acts of worship, and our sacrifices of obedience that are offered in faith.
The Old Testament sacrifices seem so distant. How do these ancient rituals connect to our faith today?
This psalm is steeped in the sacrificial system of ancient Israel. The 'offerings' mentioned likely included both non-bloody gifts (like grain or flour) and the 'burnt sacrifices,' which were whole animals consumed by fire on the altar. These weren't just religious traditions; they were tangible expressions of:
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While we no longer offer animal sacrifices, the principle remains. Our 'offerings' today are spiritual: our prayers, our praise, our acts of service, our financial giving, and our obedience, all offered through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The desire for God to 'accept' and 'remember' these offerings is a timeless plea.
Understand the original words
selah · Hebrew Noun (musical notation)
A poetic term often used for a musical interlude or pause, signaling the reader to reflect on the preceding truth or to lift up their voice in praise.
minchah · Hebrew Noun
Gifts or acts of worship presented to God, symbolizing the worshiper's devotion, gratitude, or need for atonement. In the OT, these were the prescribed means of approaching a holy God.
olah · Hebrew Noun
A significant act of worship where the entire animal was consumed by fire, signifying complete consecration, total surrender, and the propitiation of sin.
This prayer is offered in a context of exile, where the destruction of the Temple means sacrifices can no longer be made as prescribed. The plea for God to 'remember' and 'accept' offerings points to a hope for God's favor through remembered faithfulness and Christ's ultimate sacrifice, even when earthly worship is impossible.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
David unites the tribes of Israel, establishing Jerusalem as the capital and consolidating royal power.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Reigns, Temple Built
Solomon succeeds David, building the First Temple in Jerusalem as the central place for worship and sacrifice.
c. 930 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 700 BC
Assyrian Threat Looms
The powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire expands, posing a significant military threat to both Israel and Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, initiating the first wave of exiles to Babylon, including prominent figures like Daniel.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and the First Temple, intensifying the Jewish exile and shattering the nation's religious and political center.
c. 540-530 BC— this verse
Exile Continues, Psalms Compiled
During the Babylonian exile, the Psalms likely undergo significant compilation and editing, preserving ancient traditions and offering solace to the displaced people.
This passage describes God's acceptance of a sacrifice through divine fire, directly paralleling the idea in Psalm 20:3 of God 'accepting' the burnt offering.
1 Samuel 7:9Samuel offered a suckling lamb as a burnt offering before engaging in battle, illustrating the custom of offering sacrifices for divine favor before military endeavors, as implied in Psalm 20:3.
Hebrews 9:22This New Testament passage explains that 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,' highlighting the foundational role of sacrificial blood in atonement, which is implicitly honored by the king's burnt sacrifice in Psalm 20:3.
Romans 12:1Paul urges believers to offer their bodies as 'living sacrifices,' which are 'holy and acceptable to God,' presenting a spiritual parallel to the physical sacrifices mentioned in Psalm 20:3.
Malachi 1:11This prophecy speaks of a pure offering from the rising to the setting of the sun, indicating that God desires and will accept sacrifices offered in His name, resonating with the prayer for acceptance in Psalm 20:3.
poolePsalms 20:3: "Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah."
Remember, to wit, with acceptance, as it follows. Thy offerings; offered either by thee at thy entrance upon this expedition; or by us thy people on thy behalf, or by thine appointment. Accept, Heb. turn to ashes , by fire sent from heaven in token of his acceptance, as was usual; of which see Leviticus 9:24 1 Kings 18:38 .
ellicottPsalms 20:3: "Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah."
(3) All thy offerings. —The king is sacrificing, according to custom, before battle ( 1Samuel 13:9 ), the burnt offering ( ôlah, from root to “go up,” i.e., of the smoke) and the bloodless offering ( minchah, from root “to portion out”) of fine flour. (See Leviticus 2:1 ). Since the word rendered in our version memorial ( Leviticus 24:7 ), which is a derivative of the verb here rendered “remember,” has been proved…
The prayer isn't just asking God to "remember" the king's offerings in a general sense; it's asking God to actively accept them, to "make them fat" or even "turn them to ashes" as a sign of divine approval and consumption. This highlights that true worship isn't passive but involves a desire for God's tangible, consuming presence and acceptance.
The people are rallying around their king, who is preparing to go out to battle. Before he leaves, he has offered various sacrifices and gifts to God, seeking divine favor and protection. This psalm is a communal prayer for his success, specifically asking that God would remember and favorably receive all these offerings he has made.
The people are rallying around their king, who is preparing to go out to battle. Before he leaves, he has offered various sacrifices and gifts to God, seeking divine favor and protection. This psalm is a communal prayer for his success, specifically asking that God would remember and favorably receive all these offerings he has made.
"May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah" — The prayer isn't just asking God to "remember" the king's offerings in a general sense; it's asking God to actively accept them, to "make them fat" or even "turn them to ashes" as a sign of divine…
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Last reviewed October 2026