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Psalms 100

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A Universal Call to Worship 1–3

1
Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. ​
2
Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. ​
3
Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ​

Entering God's Presence with Praise 4–5

4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. ​
5
For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalm 100

Verse 1

A Psalm of praise — The title is todah, thanksgiving, the word of the ‘sacrifice of thanksgiving’ in Lev 7:12, and it recurs in v.4; no other psalm carries this heading. ‘Make a joyful noise’ is rua, to shout or sound a blast, as in Ps 66:1 and 98:4, where ‘all ye lands’ and ‘all the earth’ are called to it.

Verse 2

Serve the LORD with gladness — ‘Serve’ is abad, to work for or serve. Ps 2:11 joins service with ‘fear’ and ‘trembling’; here it comes with simchah, gladness. ‘Presence’ is panim, face; Ps 95:2 has the same approach ‘with thanksgiving’.

Verse 3

the sheep of his pasture — The LORD, not the worshippers, is the maker: ‘it is he that hath made us’. Mirit, ‘pasture’, is the grazing ground of the flock he feeds, and the flock’s own words in Ps 79:13 are ‘we thy people and sheep of thy pasture’. He tells Israel in Ezek 34:31, ‘ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God’.

Verse 4

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving — The gates and courts are those of the sanctuary (cf. Ps 96:8, ‘bring an offering, and come into his courts’). ‘Thanksgiving’ is again todah, the thank offering. ‘Be thankful’ is yadah, from the same root; ‘bless’ is barak, to kneel. Heb 13:15 calls this ‘the sacrifice of praise… giving thanks to his name’.

Verse 5

his truth endureth to all generations — ‘Mercy’ is chesed, covenant love; ‘truth’ is emunah, firmness or faithfulness. The same two words are joined with ‘all generations’ in Ps 89:1, and Ps 119:90 says ‘Thy faithfulness is unto all generations’. ‘Everlasting’ is olam, time without a limit.