PSALMS 100

PSALM 100

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
All Men Exhorted to Praise God MT Intro A Psalm for thanksgiving	A Song of Praise for the Lord's Faithfulness to His People	Hymn Calling On All Nations to Praise the Lord	A Hymn of Praise	Invitation to Praise
100:1-3	100:1-3	100:1-2	100:1-2	100:1-2
		100:3	100:3	100:3
100:4-5	100:4-5	100:4	100:4	100:4
		100:5	100:5	100:5

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

This brief Psalm has seven IMPERATIVES directed at YHWH's people.
1. shout, Ps. 100:1 ‒ BDB 929, KB 1206, Hiphil cf. Ps. 47:1; 95:1,2
2. serve, Ps. 100:2 ‒ BDB 712, KB 773, Qal, cf. Exod. 3:12; 4:23; Deut. 6:13; 1 Sam. 7:3; 1 Chr. 28:9
3. come, Ps. 100:2 ‒ BDB 97, KB 112, Qal
4. know (i.e., in the sense of "affirm in worship"), Ps. 100:3 ‒ BDB 393, KB 390, Qal
5. enter, Ps. 100:4 ‒ BDB 97, KB 112, Qal, cf. Ps. 96:8
6. give thanks, Ps. 100:4 ‒ BDB 392, KB 389, Hiphil
7. bless, Ps. 100:4 ‒ BDB 138, KB 159, Piel
The only VERB (PERFECT) that is not an IMPERATIVE is in Ps. 100:3b, which describes YHWH's election and deliverance of Israel (i.e., Gen. 12:1-3; 15:12-21).
1. He made us ‒ Ps. 95:6; 119:73
2. Israel is His flock - Ps. 23:1; 74:1; 95:7; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:31 (also a Messianic reference, Ezek. 34:23; Micah 5:4; Zechariah 11; John 10:11,14-16)
There is no VERBAL in Ps. 100:5. A "to be" VERB must be supplied. Psalm 100:3b,c and 5 describe YHWH Himself and His redemptive activity.
Some scholars (i.e., UBS Handbook, NASB Study Bible) believe this Psalm is the concluding doxology of the "kingship Psalms" (i.e., Psalm 93; 95-99). The term "king" is not used, but Ps. 100:3b-c may be an allusion to it.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 100:1-3
¹Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
²Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
³Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

100:1 The Psalms regularly express a universal aspect of Israel's God. He is the one true God, creator, sustainer, redeemer (cf. Psalm 33; 47; 98).

The USB Handbook (p. 852) suggests that the phrase "all the earth" should be understood with each of the poetic lines in Ps. 100:2-3.

100:2 In light of YHWH as the one and only God (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM) they

serve Him with gladness, cf. Deut. 12:11-12; 28:47
come before Him with joyful singing, cf. Ps. 66:1; 81:1; 95:2

Both of these IMPERATIVES (also Ps. 100:4) refer to temple worship.

▣ "with joyful singing" This FEMININE NOUN (BDB 943) refers to

a shout of joy (i.e. NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1128)
"cry of joy," cf. Job 3:7; 20:5; Ps. 63:5

100:3 "Know" This Hebrew root has a wide semantic field. Here, it denotes

information about
relationship with

SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

▣ "the Lord Himself is God" This is a recurrent theme of the uniqueness of YHWH (cf. Exod. 8:10; 9:14; Deut. 4:35,39; 1 Kgs. 18:39; Ps. 46:10). There is only one God (cf. Deut. 6:4), but other spiritual beings.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVENLY COUNCIL OF ANGELS

SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN

▣ "It is He who has made us" This refers to the call and promise (including the exodus, cf. Gen. 15:12-21) to Abraham and his descendants (see Contextual Insights, B).

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS

▣
NASB, NKJV, NJB, LXX, Peshitta	"and not we ourselves"
NRSV, TEV, JPSOA, REB, Vulgate	"and we are His"

The first option (NASB) follows the MT (Kethiv). The second (NRSV) is a suggestion made by the Masoretic scholars who compiled the MT (Qere). The UBS Text Project (p. 373) gives the Qere a "B" rating (some doubt).

The problem is whether "and not" is a PREPOSITION, "His" or a CONJUNCTION and a negative. Both would sound exactly alike when read.

▣ "His people and the sheep of His pasture" This is imagery for YHWH's special covenant people (cf. Ps. 74:1; 79:13; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 100:4-5
⁴Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
⁵For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

100:4 Obviously temple worship is implied.

100:5 Notice how YHWH is characterized (see SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD [OT]).

good, cf. Ps. 106:1; 117:1; 118:1,29; Jer. 33:1
merciful, see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed)
everlasting, see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam)
faithful, see BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OT
to all generations
1. Israel (v. 3)
2. all humans who trust Him (v. 1)

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

To whom is this Psalm addressed?
To what creative act is Ps. 100:3b referring?
List and define the main theological words in Ps. 100:5.