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Psalms 100

KJV · Chapter 100/150

1Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A brief and joyful psalm of gratitude, inviting all the earth to serve the Lord with gladness, acknowledging that he is the Creator and that his people are like sheep under his care, and that his mercy endures forever.

Explanation

This psalm was traditionally sung by those entering the temple to offer thanksgiving sacrifices (as its Hebrew title suggests), becoming one of the best-known and most widely used hymns of praise in liturgies to this day, across many traditions. Its simple structure — an invitation to rejoice, the theological reason (God as Creator and Shepherd), and a reaffirmation of God's eternal goodness — makes it a compact summary of the entire theology of praise found in the Psalms. The application today is that simple, joyful gratitude is, in itself, a legitimate and powerful form of worship.

Fun facts

  • This psalm is one of the most set to music in Christian history, including the famous 16th-century hymn 'All People That on Earth Do Dwell.'
  • The image of 'his people, and the sheep of his pasture' (v. 3) directly connects this psalm to the well-known Psalm 23 and to the later image of Jesus as the 'good shepherd' in John 10.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Psalms 100:1“A joyful noise” describes a loud, festive shout, the kind used in public celebrations like coronations or harvest festivals — the psalm calls for that same kind of boisterous celebration from every people on earth.
  2. Psalms 100:2Serving “with gladness” contrasts with the more common ancient notion of serving a king or a god out of duty or fear; here, service to God is described as something pleasurable, almost like going to a party.
  3. Psalms 100:3It uses the image of the shepherd and the flock, common throughout the Hebrew Bible, to describe the relationship between God and the people: someone who cares for, guides, and feeds them, rather than simply giving orders.
  4. Psalms 100:4It describes the custom of singing while already approaching the temple, beginning the praise even before reaching the place of sacrifice — the joy starts on the way, not only in the ritual itself.
  5. Psalms 100:5“Mercy” and “truth” translate two Hebrew words (hesed and emet) used together to describe God's lasting loyalty to the covenant — the same pair reappears in other temple praise ceremonies.

Chapters

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