Psalm 100 is a short psalm of thanksgiving, five verses long, titled in the King James Version A Psalm of praise. It calls the whole earth to worship: "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing" (Psalms 100:1-2). It gives three reasons: the LORD is God, He made us, and we are His sheep (Psalms 100:3); and it ends, "For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations" (Psalms 100:5). It is one of the most-read passages at Thanksgiving.
Psalm 100 is only five verses long, yet it has shaped Christian worship for three thousand years. Israel may have sung it as worshipers walked through the temple gates with a thank offering; its Hebrew title means a psalm for thanksgiving. In 1561 William Kethe turned it into the hymn All People That on Earth Do Dwell, sung to the tune now called the Old Hundredth, the same tune many churches use for the Doxology. American families read it at Thanksgiving dinner, which falls on November 26 this year. Below is the full psalm in the KJV, verse by verse, with notes on what each line means, grouped with seven related verses. For more Thanksgiving Scriptures, see Bible verses about thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving prayer; for a psalm of thanks for God's benefits, read Psalm 103 KJV.
Make a joyful noise (Psalm 100:1-2)
1. Psalms 100:1
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands."
The psalm opens with a command addressed to the whole planet: all ye lands. In a world where every nation had its own gods, Israel's songbook told every nation to worship Israel's God, the LORD, written in small capitals in the KJV for God's personal name. A joyful noise is a shout, like the cheer of a crowd welcoming a king. It is not about musical skill. Anyone can shout for joy. The psalm does not begin with how we feel, but with who God is and the joy that is right for Him.
2. Psalms 100:2
"Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing."
Serve the LORD with gladness. The Hebrew word for serve also means worship, and both meanings fit: the whole of life is service to God, and worship is service too. With gladness rules out grudging religion. God is not honored by duty done with a frown. Come before his presence with singing: in Israel, the presence of God was linked to the temple, and singing marked the approach. For Christians, Jesus Himself is God with us, and the Spirit lives in His people, so we come into His presence wherever we gather. See Bible verses about joy.
3. Psalms 66:1-2
"Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious."
Psalm 66 begins almost the same way, and adds why the praise should be loud: Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Make his praise glorious means let our praise be worthy of the One we praise. Psalm 66 goes on to remember the Red Sea and God's deliverance of His people. Thanksgiving in the Bible is always specific: it remembers what God has done. A good Thanksgiving habit is to name aloud particular things God has done this year.
4. Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
The New Testament carries the singing of Psalm 100 into the church: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Christians have sung the psalms from the beginning. Psalm 100 has been sung as a metrical psalm, as a chant called the Jubilate Deo in morning prayer, and as the hymn All People That on Earth Do Dwell. Singing it together lets the word of Christ dwell in us richly. See Bible verses about music.
Know ye that the LORD he is God (Psalm 100:3)
5. Psalms 100:3
"Know 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."
Here is the reason for the joy. Know ye means recognize and acknowledge. First, the LORD he is God: there is no other. Second, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we did not create ourselves, so we belong to the One who did. Some Hebrew manuscripts and many modern translations read and we are his instead of and not we ourselves; both are true and both are humbling. Third, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture: He does not only own us, He cares for us. See Bible verses about God.
6. Isaiah 64:8
"But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."
It is he that hath made us. Isaiah gives the picture behind that line: But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Clay does not shape itself, and it does not argue with the potter. Isaiah prays this verse in a time of failure and sorrow, asking God to remember that His people are still His work. Gratitude begins when we see that our life, our gifts and our breath are not self-made. See Bible verses about creation.
7. John 10:14
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
The sheep of his pasture. Jesus takes up this psalm's picture and says it is about Him: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. A good shepherd knows each sheep by name, leads them to food and water, and protects them from danger. Jesus adds that He lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). Psalm 100 tells us to be thankful that we are His sheep. The Gospel tells us what that shepherd was willing to pay to keep us. See Psalm 23 meaning.
8. Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
We are his people. Paul says believers are God's handiwork twice over, made in creation and made new in Christ: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Workmanship is the word for a work of art. God did not save us and leave us idle. He prepared good works for us, a life of service that fits who He made us to be. That is part of what Serve the LORD with gladness means.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4-5)
9. Psalms 100:4
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. The picture is of worshipers arriving at the temple, passing through the gates and into the courtyards where Israel gathered. Thanksgiving is how we come in. We do not approach God by listing our needs first, or by boasting of our goodness, but by thanking Him. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name: to bless God's name is to speak well of Him, to praise who He is. This is the verse most often read before a Thanksgiving meal. See Bible verses about gratitude.
10. Psalms 100:5
"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
The psalm ends with three reasons that never change. For the LORD is good: His character is good all the way through. His mercy is everlasting: the Hebrew word, often translated lovingkindness or steadfast love, is God's loyal, covenant love, and it does not run out. And his truth endureth to all generations: His faithfulness reaches our children and grandchildren. Feelings rise and fall, harvests succeed and fail, but these three facts stay. That is why thanksgiving is possible even in a hard year. See Lamentations 3:22-23.
11. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Psalm 100 calls for thanks at the temple gates; Paul calls for it everywhere: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Notice the wording: in every thing, not for every thing. Christians are not asked to thank God for evil or pain. But in every circumstance there is still something true to thank Him for: that He is good, that His mercy lasts, and that He is with us. People often ask what God's will is; this verse gives a clear answer. See Bible verses about thanksgiving.
12. Hebrews 13:15
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
In the temple, a thank offering was an animal sacrifice, brought with gratitude for a specific blessing. After Christ's once-for-all sacrifice, the offering changes: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. By him means through Jesus. Our praise is a sacrifice because it sometimes costs us something to give it, especially when life is hard. Psalm 100 offered with the lips is still a sacrifice God accepts. See the Thanksgiving prayer.
A short prayer
LORD, I make a joyful noise to You today. You are God, and there is no other. You made me, and I am not my own. Thank You that I am one of Your people and a sheep of Your pasture, and that Jesus is my Good Shepherd. I come into Your presence with thanksgiving and praise. Thank You that You are good, that Your mercy is everlasting, and that Your truth reaches to all generations, to me and to the ones I love. Help me serve You with gladness. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the main message of Psalm 100?
Psalm 100 calls all people to worship God with joy and thanksgiving, and gives the reasons: the LORD is God, He made us, we are His people and His sheep, and He is good, merciful and faithful forever. Its message can be summed up as: worship God gladly, because of who He is and whose we are.
Why is Psalm 100 read at Thanksgiving?
Its Hebrew title marks it as a psalm for thanksgiving, possibly sung when worshipers brought a thank offering to the temple. Verse 4, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise, is one of the best-known thanksgiving verses in the Bible. American Christians have long read it at Thanksgiving services and family meals.
What does it mean that he hath made us, and not we ourselves?
The KJV follows the Hebrew text as written, which says God made us and we did not make ourselves. A note in the Hebrew tradition reads the same sounding words as and we are his, which many modern translations follow. Both readings fit the verse: God is our Maker, so we belong to Him and owe Him our thanks.
What hymn is based on Psalm 100?
The best known is All People That on Earth Do Dwell, written by William Kethe and published in 1561. Its tune, from the Genevan Psalter, is called the Old Hundredth because it was the setting for Psalm 100, and the same tune is often used for the Doxology, Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Psalm 100 is also sung as the Jubilate Deo in Anglican morning prayer.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Thanksgiving · Thanksgiving prayer · Gratitude · Joy · Psalm 103 KJV · Psalm 34 KJV · Call to worship Bible verses · Worship
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