Read & explore together
Make a Joyful Noise
Psalm 100 is a short song that calls everyone to worship Yahweh with joy, thanks and praise. It does not only say what to do, but also gives reasons for worship based on who Yahweh is.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This passage is poetry and song. In five verses, it moves from a call to joyful praise, to glad service, to knowing Yahweh, to thanksgiving in his presence, and finally to the reasons for worship: his goodness, enduring loving kindness and faithfulness.
Psalms 100:1–5Main takeaway
Psalm 100 teaches that joyful worship belongs to Yahweh because he is God, he made his people, and his goodness and faithfulness continue through every generation.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A joyful call to allThe psalm opens with a command to "shout for joy to Yahweh" and it addresses "all you lands".
Explanation
The psalm opens with a command to "shout for joy to Yahweh" and it addresses "all you lands". These opening lines name worship with joy, gladness and singing. The next line adds that serving Yahweh is to be done "with gladness" and coming before him is to be done "with singing".
02Know who Yahweh isThe song then explains why worship makes sense: "Yahweh, he is God." It says, "It is he who has made us, and we are his."
Explanation
The song then explains why worship makes sense: "Yahweh, he is God." It says, "It is he who has made us, and we are his." That means people belong to him. The picture "the sheep of his pasture" describes his people as those under his care.
03Enter with thanks and praiseVerse 4 repeats the response Yahweh deserves. The worshipper is told to enter "with thanksgiving" and "with praise".
Explanation
Verse 4 repeats the response Yahweh deserves. The worshipper is told to enter "with thanksgiving" and "with praise". "Give thanks" and "bless his name" show that worship includes spoken gratitude. The poetry keeps building the same response from different angles: joy, singing, thanks and praise.
04The reasons for worshipThe last verse gives three clear reasons. "Yahweh is good." His "loving kindness endures forever."
Explanation
The last verse gives three clear reasons. "Yahweh is good." His "loving kindness endures forever." His "faithfulness" reaches "to all generations." These words point to Yahweh's own character as the basis for the thanksgiving and praise named throughout the psalm.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What actions of worship are named in this psalm?
List the verbs in order, such as shouting, serving, coming, entering, giving thanks and blessing his name.
02What does the psalm say people should know about Yahweh?
Look closely at the statements in verse 3 about who Yahweh is, who made us and whose people we are.
03Which words in the final verse explain why praise is fitting?
Notice the three descriptions of Yahweh's character and how long his loving kindness and faithfulness last.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 100:1–5
1Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands!
2Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.
3Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.
5For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.