Psalm 100 Test Poetic Features
His Joyful Flock
Psalm 100
Poetic Features
In poetic features, we identify and describe the “Top 3 Poetic Features” for each Psalm. Poetic features might include intricate patterns (e.g., chiasms), long range correspondences across the psalm, evocative uses of imagery, sound-plays, allusions to other parts of the Bible, and various other features or combinations of features. For each poetic feature, we describe both the formal aspects of the feature and the poetic effect of the feature. We assume that there is no one-to-one correspondence between a feature’s formal aspects and its effect, and that similar forms might have very different effects depending on their contexts. The effect of a poetic feature is best determined (subjectively) by a thoughtful examination of the feature against the background of the psalm’s overall message and purpose.
The Sheep and their Shepherd at the Center
Feature
It has been argued v. 3 has no central significance or prominence in the psalm (e.g. Labuschagne 2008), shifting the emphasis of the psalm away from v. 3's declaration of covenantal belonging. However, it is far more plausible to read v. 3 as "the heart of the psalm" (Howard 1997, 96). The arguments for this interpretation are as follows:
- Surrounding Chiastic Structure: V. 3 is positioned within a chiastic structure moving out from this center point in corresponding A + A' and B + B' sections (Zenger 2005, 493). Perhaps the clearest element of this is the positioning of v. 3 immediately between two clearly corresponding clauses (v. 2b בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃ "Enter before him with exultation" and 4a בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה "Enter his gates with thanksgiving"). These two clauses mirror each other very precisely, forming an inclusio around the center point of v. 3. The concentric structure as a whole can be laid out as follows (see corresponding color-visuals in the text display):
- Verbal Pattern 3 + 1 +3: The psalm is built around 7 imperative verbs (הריעו, עבדו, באו, דעו, באו, הודו, and ברכו), with the דְּעוּ "acknowledge" of v. 3 being the middle verb in the sequence, surrounded by an inclusio-repetition of בֹּאוּ "enter".
- Semantics of Verbs: The verb דְּעוּ "Acknowledge..." stands out semantically, as a verb of perception, from all the surrounding imperative verbs of worship (הריעו "shout joyfully" עבדו "serve" הוֹדוּ "give thanks", ברכוּ "bless) and movement (באוּ "enter" x2).
- Personal Pronouns: v. 3 is the only place where personal pronouns appear in the psalm (הוא "he" x2, אנחנו "us")
- Non-imperative verb: Alongside the verbal chain of 7 imperatives (see point 2 above), the only non-imperative verb that appears in the psalm is the qatal עשׂה here in v. 3 (Howard 1997, 96).
- אלהים "God": God is referred to as יהוה YHWH all throughout the psalm, except for in v. 3 where he is referred to as אלהים "God".
- Word Order / Pragmatics: The prominence of v. 3 is elevated by the marked word order of the casus pendens construction יהוה הוא אלהים "YHWH, he is God" (v. 3a), the fronted pronoun הוּא in הוּא עשׂנוּ "he made us" (v. 3bα), and the fronted prepositional phrase לוֹ in לוֹ אנחנו (v. 3bβ).
- Imagery: v. 3 is the only place where imagery is used in the psalm (see the shepherding imagery in צאן מרעיתו - "flock of his pasture").
- Word-Count: Regardless of whether one counts words with maqqef (34 words) or without (41 words), the center point of the psalm occurs in v. 3.
Effect
The number of features outlined above confirms that v. 3 is intentionally marked as central to Ps 100, and therefore, as other scholars have noted, there is reason to consider that "v. 3 contains the core of the message of Psalm 100" (Howard, 1997, 96).
In terms of Speech Act, v. 3 is a celebration of the covenant relationship between YHWH and his people. It begins with an acknowledgement of YHWH as the supreme God, followed by a celebration of YHWH as the "maker" of Israel, finishing with declarations about Israel as belonging to YHWH as his people and flock.
Poetically, it is this celebration of v. 3 that is positioned as the center, and consequently, the climax of the joy of God's people as the "flock of his pasture." The psalm's opening words included a call to "serve (עִבְדוּ) YHWH with joy" (v. 2a). The root עבד "serve" has a wide range of meaning, from submission to a master and even slavery to generic worship and service. The opening call to "serve with joy" (or worship with joy) highlights the nature of the service described in this psalm—with joy—and v. 3 provides the rationale. They serve YHWH not out of fear but from a place of joyful covenantal belonging to the supreme God, who is in fact their maker and their shepherd.
Complete Worship: All That God Requires
Feature
Psalm 100 is constructed around a chain of seven clause-initial imperatives calling Israel to worship YHWH, arranged in a chiastic structure as follows:
The number seven is significant: "Of the numbers that carry symbolic meaning in biblical usage, seven is the most important. It is used to signify completeness or totality" (Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 1998, 774; cf. Gen 1-2 and the seven days of creation, among many other examples).
It is possible then that Ps 100, despite its brevity, offers a total or complete presentation of how God's people should worship him, including the elements of who, whom, where, how, and why.
Who should praise God?
- Israel and all the earth (see poetic feature 3).
Whom should they praise?
- YHWH (v. 1b, 2a, 3a, 5a), who is the one supreme God (v. 3a).
Where should they praise him?
- In his presence (before his 'face') (v. 2b), entering through his gates into his courts (4a)
How should they praise him?
- With joyful shouts and submitted service (1b-2a), by entering his presence/drawing near to him (2b-4a), by acknowledging and celebrating his identity and their belonging to him (v. 3), by giving thanks, blessing his name (v. 4b), and celebrating his character (v. 5).
- All of these actions are done "with joy" (v. 2a), "exultation" (2b), "thanksgiving", and "praise" (v. 4).
Why should they praise him?
- Because they belong to him as his people and the flock of his pasture (v. 3), and because he is good, his loyalty is forever, and his faithfulness never ends (v. 5)!
Effect
Ps 100 presents a picture of worship that leads to tremendous joy ("shout joyfully" (1b), "with joy" (2a), "with exultation" (2b), "with thanksgiving...with praise" (4a)). The sevenfold imperative suggests a picture of worship constructed intentionally to convey a complete picture of worship, lacking nothing.
This builds a compelling invitation to God's people to join in worship that aligns with the who, whom, where, how and why of Ps 100:
If it is truly YHWH being worshiped (whom), by all his children on earth (who), truly entering into his presence (where), celebrating their relationship to him as his flock, and giving thanks and blessing his name with a posture of joyfully submitted service (how), because of his identity as God, his good character, and their belonging to him (why), the expected result will be great joy, exultation, and thanksgiving.
Double Addressee?
Feature
Most scholars argue that Ps 100 addresses either Israel alone (e.g. Gunkel 1926; Leslie 1949; Howard 1997) or all nations alone (e.g. Tate 1998; VanGemeren 2008; Jacobson 2014; Bratcher and Reyburn 1991; Delitzsch 1877; Lohfink 1990; Zenger 2000). However, it may be possible that Psalm 100 intentionally invites the possibility of both addressees, with Israel as the primary addressee and all nations ("all the earth") as the secondary addressee.
Israel: One the one hand, the psalm reads naturally as addressing Israel, using stock Israelite worship language depicting Israel entering into YHWH's courts to offer thanksgiving and praise and celebrate their covenant relationship with YHWH (for details on this implied addressee/context see The Addressee of Ps 100).
All Nations: However, despite all the elements embedding this psalm in Israelite worship, the psalm also invites a secondary re-reading with all nations of the world as its addressee. This reading is anchored in the opening vocative address to כָּל־הָאָרֶץ "all the earth" (common title for all nations - e.g. Ps 33:8; 66:1; 96:1, 9; 98:4; Gen 11:1; 41:57; 1 Sam 13:3 and more...), but in fact every single phrase in the rest of the psalm can also be read plausibly as addressing all nations (for details see The Addressee of Ps 100). Furthermore the positioning of Ps 100 as the conclusion of the universally-focused kingship psalms (93-100) invites a universal reading.
There is no single phrase in Ps 100 that exclusively implies either all nations or Israel as the addressee, and interestingly, most of the key phrases in Psalm 100 echo parallel texts addressing Israel in some cases and all nations in others. Consider the following examples:
Effect
The effect of this possible double-layering of addressee relates to the place of all nations in Israel's story. This psalm uses the most familiar stock Israelite worship language, such that any Israelite who would hear this psalm would instinctively assume it addresses them and calls them into their familiar patterns of worship. It is noteworthy that still in modern Judaism today this is one of the most popular, familiar, and well-loved psalms expressing Israel's thankful praise to their God.
However, the opening vocative address to "all the earth" invites a re-reading of the psalm. There is a plausible way to read this vocative without making all nations the addressee (see Speech Act notes), but the combination of "all the earth" as a common label for all nations, the many allusions to verses addressing all nations, and the position at the end of the kingship psalms make all nations also a plausible addressee.
Re-reading Ps 100 with all nations as the addressee transforms the meaning of the psalm, as the invitation becomes one to all nations to "enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise" and to join alongside YHWH's people Israel worshiping their God in the temple.
This invokes the prophetic expectation throughout the Hebrew Bible of the nations acknowledging and worshiping YHWH, the God of Israel (Ps. 22:27-28; 67:2-7; 96:7-9; 98:4-6; Isa 11:10; 19:19-25; 25:6-7; 56:6-8; 66:23; Jer 3:17-18; 12:14-16; Zech 2:10-12; 8:22-23; 14:16), coming towards and entering into YHWH's house (Isa 56:6-8; Ps 96:7-9; Isa 2:2-3//Mic 4:1-2), and identifying along with Israel as YHWH's people (Zech 2:15[11]; Ps 102:19; 47:10; Isa 19:25; Jer 12:14-16).
Repeated Roots
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Analysis of the repeated roots in Ps. 100 points to an ABA'B' pattern. In both A and A' there is repetition of תודה and בוא. In B and B' there is repetition of כי and ה׳ in close proximity. Although this arrangement is not perfectly clean (e.g. with the double repetition of ה׳ also in the A section, or with the addition of הודו in 4c), these exact and almost exact repetitions seems to make a strong case for this arrangement.