Psalm 100/Test/Translation

Psalm 100 Navigation

Psalm 100 HomeRead & ListenPsalm 100 Overview

Layers

Browse LayersGrammar & SemanticsStory BehindDiscoursePoetry

Helps

Verse-by-Verse NotesExegetical IssuesTranslation Aids

His Joyful Flock

Psalm 100

• Translation Tips
• Translation Notes

General Translation Tips

To translate poetry accurately and beautifully, a knowledge of both the source language's poetry and the target language's poetry is needed. So, here are the steps we recommend to follow when setting out to translate this or any psalm:

1. Gain an Understanding of the Target Language’s Poetry/Arts. Research and analyze many examples from numerous genres of poetry, storytelling, and music in the target language and culture, and document findings. See our Local Arts Analysis Guide for help.
2. Gain an Understanding of the Source Language’s (Hebrew) Meaning and Poetry. The aim of all our materials is to provide exactly this for the translator, poet/musician/artist, and consultant: an understanding of what the psalm means, as well as its poetics.
3. Translate the Psalm in the Appropriate Local Art/Poetry Genre(s).
4. Test the Translation with the Language Community. Seek feedback about both word choices and the form/genre/media of translation.

Translation Tips: Psalm 100 as a Whole

These are the elements that we believe are most helpful to keep in mind during both drafting and checking translations, to help verify that the translation or performance is accurate beyond just a word- or verse-level; just as important is accuracy on the level of a whole. Additionally, these are elements that will guide decisions about performance in oral translations, songs, poems, or other kinds of art based on this psalm.

• Overview
• Background
• Layout
• Emotions
• Participants & Speech Acts
• Poetry
• Prominence

The following gives a basic Overview of the Psalm, answering the following questions:

• Title-what title best describes this unique psalm?
  • "His Joyful Flock"
• Purpose–why was this psalm written?
  • The purpose of Psalm 100 was probably to serve as a guide during part of the liturgy (that is, the ritual performance) of a thanksgiving celebration at the Jerusalem temple. The psalm would likely have been recited by one or multiple chorus leaders (probably priests/Levites) who were addressing the gathered crowd of the people of Israel (see Story Behind below).
• Content–In summary, what is said in this psalm?
  • The content combines three central elements in the psalm: covenantal belonging (We belong to YHWH - verse 3), YHWH's good character (YHWH is good - verse 5), and the resultant celebration, praise, and devotion (Serve YHWH with joy! - verses 1b-2 and 4).
• Message–what is the general theme of this psalm? What seems to be the main point the psalmist wanted his audience to realize by hearing this psalm?
  • The message expresses the interplay between the covenantal belonging of YHWH's people and their resultant joyful celebration.

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised it.

• Summary triangle-what is the summary of the story of the whole psalm? What is the main message/theme conveyed by the story-behind?

• Background Ideas-what are the common cultural assumptions which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm?
  • Sheol is a Biblical term for the realm of the dead, located under the Earth.
  • Inhabitants of Sheol are forgotten by YHWH, and therefore no voice is raised in Sheol to praise the wonders of YHWH.
  • The “outcasts” (חָפְשִׁי) were a low social class, despised and excommunicated.
  • The “slain” (חֲלָלִים) are those who die in a violent way, particularly in battle.
  • Some common images for death and Sheol are: the Pit; darkness; and deep waters.
  • YHWH’s policies do not include interfering in Sheol.

• Background ideas-what are the common-ground assumptions which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm?
  • In ancient Israel there was a specific temple sacrifice known as a thank-offering, which would be performed to give thanks to YHWH for his loyalty to Israel and all of his blessings (Jer 17:26; 33:11, 2 Chron 29:31; 33:16).
  • After victory in military conflicts or any rescue from trouble, ancient Israelites would go up to Jerusalem to give thanks to YHWH for his salvation.
  • A temple ritual gave structure to these thanksgiving ceremonies, including a ceremonial entrance through the temple gates (cf. Ps 100:2, 4), songs of thanksgiving (cf. esp. Ps 100:4-5), and the presentation of a thank-offering on the altar.
• Background situation-what are the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken?
  1. YHWH rescues Israel from trouble
  2. Israel gathers in YHWH’s house to give thanks
  3. Israel presents a thank-offering to YHWH

Knowing the layout of the psalm by sections helps us to understand the progression of thought as the poem progresses. The picture below shows the main “chunks” or pieces of the poem. Verse numbers appear on the left. The second column has a title for each section. The large third column contains a brief summary of the section’s content. As you read through the content column, you will see important words and ideas highlighted in similar colors. The icons on the right may be used as memory aids.

Progression–what is the flow of thought and emotion as the poem progresses?

• Verses 1b–4 are structured around seven commands given progressively to the audience: shout joyfully, serve, enter (x2), acknowledge, give thanks, and bless. The expectation is to be both joyful and grateful in obeying these commands.
• The final section (verse 5) provides the reason for the preceding celebration, focusing on God's character as “good, loyal, and faithful”.

Part of poetry is communicating emotion. Each section, and even each verse, can contain a number of different emotions. Here are the main emotional themes of each section:

The dominant emotion of this psalm is clearly joy (e.g. “shout joyfully” verse 1 | “serve YHWH with joy” verse 2 | “exultation” verse 2, and more...). However the final verse adds to this joy a sense of confidence in the good character and faithfulness of God.

In poetry, it is important to keep track of who is speaking, who is the audience, and what it is that the speaker is trying to do with his words. In the chart below, the left-hand column identifies the speaker, the right-hand column identifies the audience, while the middle column tells what the speaker is trying to do with his words (his speech acts) in each section.

Poetics–what kinds of artistic beauty did the psalmist incorporate into the poem to reinforce its message? (See Poetic Features video and layer for more details.)

We have two interesting poetic features that bring out the artistic beauty of Psalm 100. Both poetic features follow the structure of the psalm around seven commandments.

1. Poetic feature: “The Sheep and their Shepherd at the Center” Verses 1b-4 are arranged according to the structure ABCB’A’, with line A parallel to line A’ and line B parallel to line B’. Verses 1b and 4c share similar word order and therefore serve as the A and A' lines. Verses 2 and 4ab share similar word order and serve as the B and B' lines. This ordering of the lines, with C (that is, verse 3) sandwiched in the middle, makes line C prominent and central to the psalm's structure. See the table of the prominence section already given.

   

2. Poetic feature: “Complete Worship: All that God requires” Psalm 100 is constructed around a chain of seven clause-initial commands calling Israel to worship YHWH, arranged in the AABCB’A’A’ where A is parallel to A’ and B parallel to B’. The outer lines AA’ center on honoring and worshipping YHWH. B and B’ lines include matching commands to enter into God’s presence. Line C is prominent and has to do with the right understanding one is expected to have about God. The structure of the psalm is thus as follows:

   

Prominence–what words, phrases, or ideas are most important in this psalm? It is also important to consider how the author chose to draw attention to certain parts of the psalm. Here are the parts of the psalm that we believe are most prominent, and thus should be most prominent in a performance of the psalm.

• Verse 3 is central to psalm 100 (for at least nine reasons, see our verse by verse notes. One can see the central position of verse 3 in the following visualisation. The verse is framed by the matching lines on either side of it: Enter before him with exultation (verse 2b) and Enter his gates with thanksgiving (verse 4a). These two verses repeat the same initial command enter, which is the only word in the psalm that is repeated twice with identical form and meaning. The rest of these two lines also closely match each other. The result of this framing is as if there were a gradual incline rising and falling on either side of the peak height of prominence in verse 3.
• Verse 3 contains the psalm's central theme of joy/celebration and the central image of God’s people as his flock. This is the only image in the psalm.
• YHWH is prominent throughout the psalm. He is referenced both by his proper name and with pronouns (him, his, he) many times throughout the psalm. This prominence is strengthened by the fact that the whole psalm is a thanksgiving to YHWH.

Translation Verse-by-Verse Notes

These are copied from Verse-by-Verse as a placeholder for the TPN notes.

Contents

Verse 1Verse 2Verse 3Verse 4Verse 5

LegendsBibliography

Psalm 100 Text

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.
מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה	1	A psalm for a thank offering.
הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃		Shout joyfully to YHWH, all the earth!
עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה	2	Serve YHWH with joy!
בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃		Enter before him with exultation!
דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים	3	Acknowledge that YHWH, he is God.
הֽוּא־עָ֭שָׂנוּ *וְל֣וֹ* אֲנַ֑חְנוּ		He has made us, and we are his,
עַ֝מּ֗וֹ וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃		his people and the flock of his pasture.
בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה	4	Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
חֲצֵרֹתָ֥יו בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה		his courts with praise.
הֽוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ		Give thanks to him!
בָּרֲכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ׃		Bless his name,
כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְ֭הֹוָה	5	for YHWH is good,
לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ		his loyalty is forever,
וְעַד־דֹּ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃		and his faithfulness continues through generation after generation.

Section 1: Celebrate the Shepherd! (vv. 1-4)

As outlined in the poetic structure (see Overview | Poetic Structure above), the main division in Ps 100 is between vv. 1-4 and v. 5. The main section (vv. 1-4) is arranged according to a chiastic ABCB'A' structure. One simple way to display the structure of this section (vv. 1-4), within the context of the whole psalm, is as follows:

The beginning and ending A sections (vv. 1b-2a + 4b) include corresponding calls to worship ("shout joyfully" (1b), "serve" (2a), "give thanks" (4), "bless" (4)). The corresponding B sections (vv. 2b + 4b) include the almost identical repeated invitations to "enter." This arrangement places v. 3 at the heart of the chiastic structure, and ultimately at the heart of the psalm, including Israel's celebration of YHWH, the supreme God, as their maker and of their belonging to him as his people and flock.

The central theme of the main section of vv. 1-4 can be expressed in the words "Celebrate the Shepherd," as Israel joyfully celebrates their covenant relationship with YHWH and expresses that joy through acts of worship and entrance into YHWH's presence.

The primary emotion of this section is no doubt joy, along with thankfulness, exultation, expectancy, confidence and enthusiasm.

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
1a	מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה	A psalm for a thank offering.
1b	הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃	Shout joyfully to YHWH, all the earth!

Expanded Paraphrase

After the common pattern of facing danger, crying out to YHWH, and being helped by YHWH, the people of Israel went up to Jerusalem, to the temple, for a thanksgiving ceremony, including joyful songs of thanksgiving and praise and the presentation of a thank offering on the altar. The crowd, including the people, priests, and perhaps a leader or king, gathered outside the gates and began the ceremony with A psalm for a thank offering. A leader, perhaps a priest, begins by calling out to the great crowd, "Shout joyfully to YHWH in order to celebrate his kingship, all the earth! For his help and rescue demonstrates his good character, which is reason for not only Israel, but all the earth to praise him.

Grammatical Diagram

For Grammatical Diagram, click Expand to the right.

Notes

• Summary of v. 1: The opening verse of Ps 100 includes both the superscription and the opening line of the psalm. The superscription establishes the setting of the psalm (see below) and the opening line ("Shout joyfully...") begins the chain of 7 imperatives leading the audience into worship of YHWH. Although the psalm is probably addressed to Israel, this opening line evokes a universal dimension to the psalm with its call to "all the earth" (see Overview | Participants above).
  

• The opening superscription A psalm for thank offering (מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה) provides important information for understanding Ps 100 in its original setting. The word לְתוֹדָה most probably refers to the presentation of a thank offering, known as a toda sacrifice (תּוֹדָה), as part of an Israelite thanksgiving ceremony. General thanksgiving and thanksgiving songs would also have been present. For more details on the superscription and its implications, see The Meaning of לְתוֹדָה in Ps 100:1.
• The word Shout joyfully (הָרִיעוּ) has a rich range of meaning.
  • The core meaning of the root רוע in the hiphil is connected to the act of shouting or crying out loud (HALOT), just as Israel 'shouts' "long live the king" when Saul becomes king (1 Sm. 10:24) or or an army 'shouts' before fleeing (Jdg. 7:21). Depending on the context, however, this verb can be used to describe two specific kinds of shouting.
    • The first is shouting of a battle-cry in war contexts (e.g. Josh. 6:10, 16, 20 - the fall of Jericho, and 1 Sam. 17:52 - Israel's battle-cry after David kills Goliath).
    • The second kind of shouting is that of joyful praise or "cheering" in worship contexts. This usually occurs with the preposition ל and is very common throughout the psalms (e.g. Ps. 47:2; 66:1; 81:2; 95:1; 98:4). The joyful and worshipful nature of this shouting is clarified further with רוע being paralleled or joined with רִנָּה (joyful shouting/singing Ps. 47:2), זמרו (singing Ps. 66:1), זְמִירוֹת (songs Ps. 95), and other words associated with singing, joy, gladness, praise, and thanksgiving. The gloss "shout joyfully" thus captures both the shouting and the joyful elements.
• It is important also to emphasize that the word Shout joyfully (הָרִיעוּ) is common in the celebration/coronation of a king (1 Sam 10:24; Zech 9:9. Cf. 2 Kgs 11:12). For other cases where this verb is used to celebrate/crown specifically YHWH as king, see Ps 47:2-3 and 98:6.
• The phrase all the earth (כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ) refers here to "all who dwell on earth," i.e. "all nations." For detailed analysis of this phrase see The Addressee of Ps 100.
• Addressee: Israel or All Nations? The opening verse of Ps 100 creates an ambiguous tension between Israel or all nations as possible addressees. It is plausible that Israel is the primary addressee, and that "all the earth" is addressed directly as a rhetorical technique to declare that YHWH is "worthy of all the earth shouting joyfully to him." However, it is possible that the psalm intentionally leaves open the possibility of reading all nations as the implied addressee all throughout.
  • For detailed argumentation regarding the addressee see this exegetical issue page: The Addressee of Ps 100.
  • For an exploration of the poetic tension between these two addressees, see Overview | Participants in the Overview section at the top of this page.

Technical Notes

For Technical Notes, click Expand to the right.

• Although the words Shout joyfully to YHWH, all the earth! (הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃) appear as the second part of v. 1, they actually form the first line of a tricolon including the next two lines of v. 2. In our poetic line division visual this is presented as follows:

• The ל in לַ֝יהוָ֗ה indicates the one being praised/receiving the joyful shouts.
• In terms of speech act analysis, the words Shout joyfully to YHWH, all the earth! are best understood as an indirect speech act with an imperative sentence type but an assertive illocution type. In other words, on the surface level, this sentence literally takes "all the earth" (i.e. all nations) as the subject of the imperative "Shout joyfully," but as these words are actually addressed to a real audience of Israelites gathered around the temple, the implication is more volitional (a wish), "All the earth should shout joyfully to YHWH." This leads ultimately to an assertion, to Israel, that YHWH is worthy of receiving the joyful shouts of all the earth. In v. 1b, therefore, all nations functions as the rhetorical addressee and Israel is the real addressee. From the next imperative verb עִבְדוּ "serve" in v. 2 Israel then becomes the exclusive addressee, and so on throughout vv. 2-5.
• The clause-final position of the vocative all the earth (כָּל־הָאָרֶץ) is noteworthy and open to multiple interpretations. When a vocative is simply identifying the addressee, it will more commonly be clause-initial.
  • It may be, therefore, that the clause-final position of "all the earth" here has a subtle poetic effect. The supposed primary audience of Ps 100 would be the people of Israel, gathered for a thanksgiving ceremony. When Israel would have heard the words הריעו לה׳ "Shout joyfully to YHWH" they would have assumed it applies to them, as this was a common liturgical term in their worship (cf. e.g. Ps 95:1 נריעו לצור ישענו "Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation"). One of the possible features of Ps 100 as a whole is an intentional layering wherein the psalm reads primarily as a thanksgiving liturgy for Israel in a thanksgiving ceremony, but with a possible secondary layering inviting the whole psalm to be re-read as addressing not Israel but all nations of the earth, with this key vocative address to כל הארץ "all the earth" (v. 1b) being the anchor for that layering.
  • Could it be that this vocative was intentionally left to the clause-final position to allow for this double layering? Granted that is somewhat speculative, but it may be supported by the fact that the whole psalm seems so precisely balanced with every single word using stock Israelite language that can also be used and had been used to address the nations (for further details see the Poetic Feature in Overview | Participants section at the top of this page).
• These issues are explored and laid out in detail in the Poetic Feature included in the Participants section in the overview at the top of this page.
  • An alternative, simpler explanation for the clause-final position of this vocative is other word-order factors wherein both cola begin with a clause-initial imperative, an arrangement that is programmatic throughout the psalm (with 7 clause-initial imperatives in vv. 1-4).

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה	Serve YHWH with joy!
2b	בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃	Enter before him with exultation!

Expanded Paraphrase

Serve YHWH with joy in a posture of obedience to YHWH which comes not from fear but joyful service to a good and loyal master, who can be counted on to help his servants when trouble comes! All you gathered outside of YHWH's house and presence to give thanks, Enter before him into his house and his presence, to begin the thanksgiving ceremony with exultation to honor his rescue and give him the praise owed him by his people, when he cares for them!

Grammatical Diagram

For Grammatical Diagram, click Expand to the right.

Notes

• Summary of v. 2: This verse continues the 7-verb chain of imperatives leading Israel in their worship. The first line is all about joyful service, as it combines the emotion of joy with the action serve (עִבְד֣וּ), which has connotations of work, submission, even slavery (see next point below), as well as worship and devotion. The second line begins the concrete expression of this joyful service with the first invitation to enter joyfully into YHWH's presence.
  

• The word translated here as serve (עבד) has a very rich range of meaning. Its primary meaning is connected to the general ideas of work and labour (e.g. working the soil - Gen 2:5). This can be positive, negative, or neutral, depending on the reason, environment, or nature of the work. In the most negative cases, this word implies slavery, as in Israel's brutal slavery in Egypt (e.g. Exod 1:13), and in the most positive cases it implies joyful service to a good master. In this verse the meaning is entirely positive, calling Israel to serve/worship YHWH with joy.
• The word exultation (בִּרְנָנָֽה) is associated with both 'loud shouting' and the emotion of joy.

Technical Notes

For Technical Notes, click Expand to the right.

• The ב in בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה "with joy" and בִּרְנָנָֽה "with exultation" describe the internal state of those performing the action.

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים	Acknowledge that YHWH, he is God.
3b	הֽוּא־עָ֭שָׂנוּ וְל֣וֹ אֲנַ֑חְנוּ	He has made us, and we are his,
3c	עַ֝מּ֗וֹ וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃	his people and the flock of his pasture.

Expanded Paraphrase

However, before entering to give thanks, let us establish the foundation of all our thanksgiving, beginning with a call to Acknowledge that YHWH, he and no other, none of the gods of the other nations who might compete, is God, the creator of all things. When he helped and rescued us, he showed himself superior over all other gods and powers! He, this great supreme God, made us, calling, redeeming, and forming us as a nation for himself, and therefore we are his, rightfully belonging to him, his people and the flock of his pasture whom he shepherds and cares for.

Grammatical Diagram

For Grammatical Diagram, click Expand to the right.

Notes

• Summary of v. 3: V. 3 represents the climax and heart of Ps 100. It has four main elements. First is an opening imperative "Acknowledge" (or "Know," followed by three different things to be acknowledged: (1) YHWH's identity as God, (2) YHWH's 'making' of his people, and (3) his people's belonging to him as his people and flock. These four elements comprise what can be called a 'celebration of belonging', wherein Israel is called to celebrate the covenantal relationship between Israel and YHWH, between the flock and their shepherd.
  

• V. 3's position as the center point of Ps 100 can be visualized and explained as follows:

• It has been argued v. 3 has no central significance or prominence in the psalm, 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." For nine reasons supporting this interpretation, and further implications, click "Expand" to the right.

• • 1. 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):
  • 2. 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."
  • 3. 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).
  • 4. Personal Pronouns: v. 3 is the only place where personal pronouns appear in the psalm (הוא "he" x2, אנחנו "us")
  • 5. 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).
  • 6. 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."
  • 7. 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).
  • 8. 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").
  • 9. 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.
    

• Implications:
  • 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.

• Although "Know" is also an acceptable translation, the word דְּע֗וּ is most accurately translated Acknowledge to bring out the specific thrust of this imperative, namely calling for God's people to acknowledge/recognize YHWH as the one supreme God, there is no other.
• The ל preposition in the phrase "we are his" (וְל֣וֹ אֲנַ֑חְנוּ) indicates belonging, devotion, and commitment. It parallels exactly the ל preposition in Song of Songs 2:16, דּוֹדִי לִי וַאֲנִי לוֹ ("My beloved is mine [lit. to me] and I am his [lit. to him]") (for similar usage with reference to God see Ps. 119:94; Is. 43:1; 44:5).
• The fronted position of the ל preposition in the phrase וְל֣וֹ אֲנַ֑חְנוּ "we are his" indicates marked focus, establishing the nature of the discourse active participant (BHRG §47.3.2a), emphasizing that Israel belongs to YHWH, who created them.
• The description of deities as both creator (he made us) and shepherd (the flock of his pasture) was common in the ANE.

Technical Notes

For Technical Notes, click Expand to the right.

• The word pasture (מַרְעִית) here can either be a nominalisation of the verbal notion of shepherding, thus "the sheep of his pasturing/shepherding" (>> "the sheep he shepherds" [REV], "the sheep in his care" [GW]), or refer generally to the "pasture" as the location of the flock (for this meaning see Jer. 25:36 and perhaps also Is. 49:9). The two options are closely connected and express the same overall semantic import. Following the majority of modern translations, "pasture" is slightly preferred. This creates a parallel semantic role between the 3MS suffixes on מרעית and עם within the clause, both expressing possession (instead of verbal idea-subject for מרעיתו).
• The הוּא in דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים is best read as a resumptive pronoun, with יהוה dislocated as the topic of the clause and this pronoun הוּא referring back to it, as in the translation YHWH, he is God.
• There is a (famous) Ketiv/Qere issue offering the variants (Ketiv) ולא אֲנַ֑חְנוּ and (Qere) וְל֣וֹ אֲנַ֑חְנוּ, leading to the alternative translations "It is He who made us, and not (ולא) we ourselves" and "It is he who made us, and we are his (וְל֣וֹ)." The Qere וְל֣וֹ is the more plausible reading, as explained here: The Text and Meaning of Ps. 100:3.
• Regarding the ו (waw) connecting He made us with we are his, its explicit function is simply to coordinate the two clauses, but the semantic context implies a function indicating result (BHRG §40.23.4.2.5). In light of the truth that YHWH created us, we therefore belong to him, our creator, "we are his."

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה	Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
4b	חֲצֵרֹתָ֥יו בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה	his courts with praise.
4c	הֽוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ בָּרֲכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ׃	Give thanks to him! Bless his name,

Expanded Paraphrase

He is our God and we are his people! We belong to him! With this foundation in mind, let us celebrate and give thanks for his help and rescue, as we Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts where his presence is most experienced with praise. Give thanks to him with joyful songs of thanksgiving and a thank-offering on the altar! Bless his name, speaking well of him and celebrating his character,

Grammatical Diagram

For Grammatical Diagram, click Expand to the right.

Notes

• Summary of v. 4: This verse contains the final three imperatives in the 7-verb chain of imperatives leading Israel in their worship. The first is a repeated invitation to "enter," closely matching the call to "enter" in v. 2. The call to enter YHWH's gates and courts could have been sung immediately before, during, or after the congregation actually entered the tempe complex to present their thanksgiving to YHWH. The final two imperatives are closely related as they call Israel to give thanks and bless YHWH's name, bringing the seven-imperative sequence to completion.
  

• It is likely no coincidence that Ps 100 has seven imperatives guiding the audience into worship. This seven-verb chain can be displayed 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".
  • 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 the Poetic Feature in Overview | Participants section at the top of this page).
    • 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)!
  • Implications:
    • 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)). Whether or not this picture of worship is claiming itself to be the ultimate exhaustive guide to worship, it is clear that this picture of worship is constructed intentionally to convey a complete picture of worship, lacking nothing.
    • This builds a compelling invitation to God's people to ensure that their worship aligns with the who, whom, where, how and why of Ps 100: If it is truly YHWH being worshipped (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.
• The phrase Give thanks to him (הֽוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ) is the first part of Ps 100's re-ordered quotation of the well-known thanksgiving chorus: "Give thanks to YHWH for he is good, for his loyalty is forever" (הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ). This thanksgiving chorus developed originally as a liturgical formula accompanying the thank offering (toda offering) (cf. Jer 33:11), but came to be used more widely as a general call to praise, thanksgiving, and song.
• The call to Bless YHWH is one of the most common ways to describe Israel's worship of YHWH. The whole congregation of Israel was often called to "bless YHWH" (Ps 135:19-20; Neh 9:5; 1 Chron 29:20; Judg 5:2, 9; Ps 68:26), as well specifically the priests (Ps 134).
• As for its meaning, the concept of blessing (here: בָּרֲכ֥וּ Bless) is a rich and multi-faceted concept in the Hebrew Bible, with a wide range of meaning and usage.
  • One of the most central components of blessing, however, is that of "speaking well of" another. This applies both to God blessing humans and humans blessing God, as we have in this verse (Ps. 100:4). "God blesses human beings by speaking well of them, thereby imparting “blessing” (good things) to them, and so they are “blessed” (בָּרוּךְ); human beings bless God by speaking well of him, attributing “blessing” (good qualities) to him, and so he is “blessed” (בָּרוּךְ)—i.e., praised and praiseworthy."
  • In this verse, then, the addressees are called upon to "bless" YHWH by speaking well of him, celebrating and speaking of his attributes and excellencies. This is exactly what is taking place, with the following three clauses celebrating and speaking of YHWH's goodness (v. 5a), loyalty (v. 5b), and faithfulness (v. 5c).
  • Furthermore, this blessing is almost always intertwined with thankfulness and praise, as seen with the call of הוֹדוּ (give thanks/praise) in the preceding clause.
• To understand the call to enter YHWH's gates and courts, it is helpful to know the layout of the ancient temple in Jerusalem. There were three main areas: the temple building, the inner court, and the outer court.
  • The temple building was separated into the holy of holies, the innermost room with cherubim and the ark, and the outer room (1 Kgs. 6; 2 Chron. 3), with the altar of incense, the table for the bread, and the lampstands (1 Kgs. 7; 2 Chron. 4).
  • Surrounding was the temple court, which contained the water basins and the bronze altar (1 Kgs. 7; 2 Chron. 4). There would have been gates leading from the outer court into this "inner court" (Ezek. 8:16), and the inner court was probably higher than the outer court, with stairs leading up to it. Thus it is also called the "upper court" (Jer. 36:10)
  • The outer court surrounded the inner court, but was still a holy space where cultic activity took place.

Technical Notes

For Technical Notes, click Expand to the right.

Section 2: For he is good! (v. 5)

Ps 100 finishes with a closing כִּי ki statement providing the basis for the content of vv. 1-4.

v. 5

Watch the Overview video on v. 5.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְ֭הֹוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ	for YHWH is good; his loyalty is forever,
5b	וְעַד־דֹּ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃	and his faithfulness continues through generation after generation.

Expanded Paraphrase

invoking the phrase associated with thank offerings: for YHWH is good to his people, Israel, his loyalty to his people, Israel, is forever, and his faithfulness to his people, Israel continues through generation after generation." The people then enter through the gates and into the temple courts and a thank-offering is offered on the altar, accompanied by joyful songs of thanksgiving and praise.

Grammatical Diagram

For Grammatical Diagram, click Expand to the right.

Notes

• Summary of v. 5: This closing verse for Ps 100 provides the reason and motivation for everything preceding it. Why should Israel shout joyfully and serve YHWH with joy (v. 1-2), joyfully enter his presence (vv. 2, 4), acknowledge who he is and celebrate their covenantal relationship to him (v. 3), and give thanks to him and bless his name (v. 4)? Because of his goodness, loyalty, and faithfulness.
  

• The declaration that "YHWH is good" was one of the most common refrains in Israel's worship (e.g. Ps. 118:1-4, 29; Jer. 33:11; Nah. 1:7; Ps 34:9; 135:3; 136)
• The word for loyalty (חֶסֶד - hesed) refers to YHWH's faithful commitment towards fulfilling his covenantal obligations towards his people, even when they themselves are unfaithful (cf. SDBH). This loyalty (hesed) stretches all the way back through Israel's history (paradigmatically in the exodus from Egypt), and stretches all the way on "forever."
• The word faithfulness (אֱמוּנָה) implies a "state in which humans and deities are considered worthy of trust, because they are truthful and committed, with an unwavering disposition, which is reflected in their actions" (SDBH). The relationship between the English word "faithfulness" and the Hebrew word אֱמוּנָה can be illustrated as follows:

Technical Notes

For Technical Notes, click Expand to the right.

• Regarding the word כִּי for introducing this verse, it seems to have two functions, one connected to the previous two clauses and one connected to the whole psalm.
  • On the one hand, this כִּי should be read as providing the immediate causal grounds for only the two preceding clauses הֽוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ and בָּרֲכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ (v. 4c-d) – this is the preferred reading for the macrosyntax layer. This is because the combination the phrases טוֹב יהוה (v. 5a "YHWH is good") and לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (v. 5b "his loyalty is forever") with the verbs הוֹדוּ (v. 4c "Give thanks...") and בָּרְכוּ (v. 4d "Bless...") are common combinations reflecting set-refrains (i.e. repeated liturgical phrases) in Israelite worship (e.g. Jer 33:11; Pss 118:1-4, 29; 136:1; 31:22; Ezra 3:11; 1 Chr 16:34; 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3). This subordinate relationship to the preceding two clauses emerges especially through macrosyntactic and grammatical analysis, and is therefore the arrangement displayed in our grammatical diagram and macrosyntax visual (see Overview | Macrosyntax above).
  • However, when the psalm as a whole is considered, especially through the lens of its poetics (see Overview | Poetic Structure above), a broader discourse function emerges with this כִּי for, as a closing statement providing causal grounds for the whole psalm, stretching back to the initial imperative הָרִ֥יעוּ (v. 1b "Shout joyfully..."). This arrangement including a closing כִּי statement to provide the causal grounds for the whole psalm is a recognised pattern throughout Hebrew poetry (among others, see examples of Pss 1:6; 5:13; 11:7. See also BHRG §40.29.2f).

• v. 5 bicolon or tricolon?: Many have argued that v. 5 should be read as a tricolon.. The primary reason for this reading is the alignment it creates with the remainder of the psalm, which has three clear tricola. However, it is preferable to read v. 5 as a bicolon. The reasons for reading a bicolon are (1) the way it creates a balanced pattern of syllables (9 + 9), (2) the support of the Masoretic accents and (3) the LXX manuscript evidence, and (4) the way it separates v. 5 out from the remainder of the poetic structure, with its three tricola, aligning with the understanding of v. 5 as a closing statement providing grounds for the whole psalm (for further details on this see notes on poetic structure).
• The preposition עַד in the phrase underlying the words his faithfulness continues through generation after generation expresses continuation throughout all generations.
• The phrase דּוֹר וָדוֹר generation after (lit. "and") generation has a distributive sense implying "every" generation.
• All three clauses in v. 5 have a fronted predicate. All three of these clauses are marked for predicate focus. In v. 5a the nature of YHWH is established (as good), in v. 5b the duration of YHWH's loyalty is established (forever), and in v. 5c the duration (and possibly also recipient) of YHWH's faithfulness is established (continuing through generation after generation).

---

Legends

Grammatical diagram

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)

Grammar Legend

Visualization	Description
	The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb.
	The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause.
	The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot.
	When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right.
	In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form.
	Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs.
	Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial.
	The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain.
	The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause.
	Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line.
	Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition.
	Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival).
	Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun.
	When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line.
	Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound.
	Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line.
	Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line.
	Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase.
	In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew.
	Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence.

Hebrew text colors
Default preferred text	The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text.
Dispreferred reading	The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below).
Emended text	Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
Revocalized text	Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
(Supplied elided element)	Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses.
( )	The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent.

Gloss text colors
Gloss used in the CBC	The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text.
Literal gloss >> derived meaning	A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded.
Supplied elided element	The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text.

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

(For more information, click "Phrase-level Legend" below.)

Phrase-level Legend

Visualization	Description
	The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
	The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
	When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
	The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

Expanded Paraphrase Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

---

Bibliography

Holmstedt, Robert D., and Andrew R. Jones. 2014. “The Pronoun in Tripartite Verbless Clauses in Biblical Hebrew: Resumption for Left-Dislocation or Pronominal Copula?*.” Journal of Semitic Studies 59 (1): 53–89.

Howard, David, Jr. 1997. The Structure of Psalms 93–100. Biblical and Judaic Studies 5. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.

Jenni, Ernst. 1992. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 1: Die Präposition Beth. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer.

———. 2000. Die Hebräischen Präpositionen Band 3: Die Präposition Lamed. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer.

Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns.

Labuschagne, Casper J. 2008. “Psalm 100 - Logotechnical Analysis.” Numerical Features of the Psalms and Other Selected Texts. August 5, 2008. https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps100.pdf.

Lohfink, Norbert, and Erich Zenger. 2000. The God of Israel and the Nations: Studies in Isaiah and the Psalms. Translated by Everett Kalin. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press.

Lugt, Pieter van der Lugt. 2013. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry III: Psalms 90–150 and Psalm 1. Vol. 3. 3 vols. Oudtestamentische Studiën 63. Leiden: Brill.

Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. 1998. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press.

Sakenfield, Katharine Doob. 1978. The Meaning of Hesed in the Hebrew Bible. Michigan: Scholars Press.

Tate, Marvin E. 1998. Psalms 51-100. WBC 20. Dallas, Tex: Word Books.

Zenger, Erich (and Frank-Lothar Hossfeld). 2005. Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

---