Psalms 100:2

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Serve {H5647} the LORD {H3068} with gladness {H8057}: come {H935} before his presence {H6440} with singing {H7445}.

Serve ADONAI with gladness. Enter his presence with joyful songs.

Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.

Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.

Commentary

Psalms 100:2 (KJV) is a powerful call to worship, emphasizing both the attitude and expression of serving God. It encapsulates the essence of joyful devotion, inviting believers to approach the Divine with enthusiasm and song.

Context of Psalms 100

Psalm 100 is unique as it is the only psalm explicitly titled "A Psalm of Thanksgiving" (or "A Psalm for the Thank Offering"). It is a short, vibrant hymn, likely used in ancient Israelite temple worship, particularly for public declarations of gratitude and praise. It calls all the earth to acknowledge and worship the one true God, emphasizing His goodness and faithfulness. The verses preceding and following verse 2 reinforce this universal invitation to praise God, who is good and whose mercy endures forever, making it a foundational text for understanding joyful communal worship.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Joyful Service: The command to "Serve the LORD with gladness" highlights that service to God is not meant to be a burdensome duty but a joyful privilege. This gladness transforms obedience into delight, reflecting a heart truly devoted to God. This attitude is crucial for genuine service with a perfect heart and willing mind.
  • Expressive Worship: "Come before his presence with singing" encourages vibrant, vocal expressions of praise. Singing is a natural human response to joy and a powerful way to collectively honor God, inviting His people to make a joyful noise. This act of congregational singing fosters unity and amplifies devotion, creating an atmosphere of celebration.
  • Accessibility of God's Presence: The verse implies that God's presence is accessible to those who seek Him. Approaching His presence with gladness and singing signifies a confident and celebratory entry into communion with the Creator, echoing the New Testament call to come boldly to the throne of grace.

Linguistic Insights

  • The Hebrew word for "serve" is ʿāḇaḏ (עָבַד), which encompasses not only physical labor but also worship and active devotion. It implies a life dedicated to God, not just occasional acts of religious observance.
  • "Gladness" comes from śimḥâ (שִׂמְחָה), a robust term for joy, mirth, or pleasure. It denotes a deep, inner delight that should characterize the believer's entire relationship with God. This divine joy is often described as a source of strength, as seen in Nehemiah 8:10.
  • "Presence" is from pānîm (פָּנִים), meaning "face." To come before His presence is to come before His face, signifying an intimate and direct encounter with God.
  • "Singing" is from rinnâ (רִנָּה), which refers to a ringing cry, a joyful shout, or a song of jubilation. It emphasizes the loud, exultant, and expressive nature of this form of worship, characteristic of a heart overflowing with praise.

Practical Application

Psalms 100:2 offers timeless wisdom for modern believers. It challenges us to examine the attitude behind our actions, whether in formal worship, daily tasks, or acts of service. It reminds us that our faith journey should be marked by joy and enthusiasm, not drudgery or obligation. In a world often filled with anxieties, this verse serves as an invitation to find strength and release through joyful worship and to approach God with a heart full of thanksgiving and song, just as God desires to be worshipped in spirit and truth. It encourages believers to cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude and vibrant praise.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Philippians 4:4

    Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.

  • Psalms 71:23

    My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

  • Psalms 95:2

    Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

  • Acts 2:46

    And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

  • Acts 2:47

    Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

  • Deuteronomy 28:47

    Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all [things];

  • 2 Chronicles 20:27

    Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
← Back