Psalm 100 –Thanksgiving

TEXT (Hebrew text at end)

1. A thanksgiving psalm.

Shout aloud to the LORD, all the earth;

2. serve the LORD with rejoicing; come before Him with joyous song.

3. Know this: the LORD, He is God; He made us and we are His, His people, the flock of His pasture.

4. Come into His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with acclamation. Thank Him! Bless His name!

5. For good is the LORD, His steadfast love is everlasting; His faithfulness is from generation through generation.

COMMENTARY

To Give Thanks

Briefly and effectively, Psalm 100 reflects the obligation and joy of giving thanks. As so often, form complements and supplements the message. I comment first on certain aspects of the psalm, and then include a special addendum on Psalm 100 as the conclusion of the group of psalms that begin with Psalm 95.

Thanksgiving – Psalm 100 was probably composed as a freestanding expression of thanksgiving, which later became an accompaniment to the thanksgiving sacrifice (a voluntary act, mentioned in other psalms and in Leviticus). “Thanksgiving” is one of two repetitions within the psalm, the other being “come,” befitting both circumstances. The poem could apply to either purpose, and in fact was used for one or the other at different periods in Jewish history. Interestingly, an early rabbinic midrash (homiletic statement) emphasizes the eternality of both this poem and the thanksgiving sacrifice. The Midrash on Psalms states that at the end of time all prayers, with the exception of thanksgiving, and all sacrifices, with the exception of thanksgiving, will be canceled. (Appropriately, this psalm was incorporated into the daily Jewish liturgy.)

The Imperatives – The psalmist uses seven imperative verbs, a complete biblical number. The message is unambiguous. Following these seven, the psalm adds a new element of concentration in the last sentence. Here it is the reason for these imperatives, the oft-found combination of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

Two Centers, One Point – As seen in a number of other psalms, the physical center is indicative of a focus. In Psalm 100, the middle sentence, verse 3, is also the locus of the middle imperative verb, “know,” and this verse is also set between the two uses of “come.” The central verse indicates that the basis of thanksgiving is the understanding of the living relationship.

A similar point is made by the word that appears in the exact center of the psalm, “His people” of verse 3. (Although this word appears in the middle, it is also indicative of progression. The psalm begins with “all the Earth” and moves on to the specific concentration.)

It has been noted similarly that the human-divine relationship is also emphasized by the plethora of references to God, including many pronouns and (in Hebrew) pronominal suffixes. The speaker fully associates with the group in this regard, as indicated by his use of the first-person plural in verse 2.

Throughout, then, Psalm 100 is an expression of intimacy. (For further comment, see the addendum below.)

Happiness – In that regard, one’s attention is drawn to the term “joyousness” in verse 2. As Malbim points out, in human terms, serving a regent is rarely associated with happiness. Here the service (which implies worship) is a matter of celebration and joy. It is indeed a striking phrase.

Special Addendum: Psalms 95 Through 100

Many commentators have been struck by the similarity of terminology in Psalms 95 through 100, and some have suggested that they were written as a group with one overriding message. Although some twentieth-century scholars focused on the four mentions of “king,” proposing that these psalms accompanied a presumed annual coronation ceremony of God, there is no evidence of such a ceremony in Israel, and indeed the term "king" is not the predominant one, neither numerically nor in terms of emphasis. I comment here both on the tight weave achieved by word repetition and the unified thrust as I understand it.

Part of the brilliance of this set of psalms is that they present both independent poems and a unity. Each has its own integrity, and they make different points. This allows for dynamic development, leaning heavily on term repetition. (On the assumption that some readers may be less interested in the detailed repetition of terms and roots than in the general development, I reserve listing the repetitions for the end of these comments and proceed here to the development. I make two assumptions: first, that the strong terminological connection exists, as demonstrated below; and second, that my interpretations of Psalms 95 through 99 are either known or available to the reader.)

Psalm 95 is striking in its condemnation of the people Israel, both at the time of its writing (its “present”) and at the earlier time of the Exodus. Psalm 96, in turn, addresses itself entirely to the peoples of the world. When put together, the two read as God opting for a worldwide audience instead of limiting His concern to the people Israel, almost a reversal of the transition between Genesis 11 and 12 (from the worldwide audience to the family of Abraham).

To understand the progression of the next four psalms, it is best first to mention Psalm 99, wherein the second half returns to the very desert period that was recalled for its rebellion in Psalm 95, but is now used to evoke the memory of Moses and Aaron (with the inclusion of a third great intercessor, Samuel). God is reminded that even during the desert rebellions He remained connected with the people of Israel, even if at times that contact was chastisement. Psalm 99 includes a ringing repetition of the call to worship, as in Psalm 95, including an emphasis on that psalm’s terminology, which calls on the people to prostrate themselves.

From Psalm 95 through 99, there is an inverse progression in regard to two parties: Israel and the peoples of the world. The rejection of the people in Psalm 95 and their omission in Psalm 96 begins to be partially rectified in Psalm 97 with the mention of locations in Israel and direct address to God, but with no mention yet of the Israelite people. There is a slight change in Psalm 98, with the first mention of the house of Israel and the possessive, “our God.” Finally, Psalm 99 restores the relationship between the people Israel and God, with a totally exclusive emphasis by the end of the psalm.

At the same time, in the idea of God turning to the world at large (“peoples” in the plural) appearing in Psalms 96–99 (but not in 95 or 100) seems to be on an inverse track. Even in turning to the nations in Psalm 96, the inherent problem of their idolatrous religion was recalled, presumably to clarify that the Lord turns to other nations, but rejects their paganism (vv. 4, 5). The point is made twice again in Psalm 97, more strongly as devotees of foreign gods are embarrassed, and Israel, looking on, takes joy. Psalm 98 seems to be addressed to all, but there is specific reference to salvation of the people Israel. By Psalm 99, all has changed. Israel has returned to the center, as other nations tremble. In Psalm 97, the nations reacted to God’s reign by calling for joy, whereas in Psalm 99 the reaction to the same phrase is the nations being in tumult. In Psalm 97, God was set over and above the world, whereas in Psalm 99 He is over and against the nations.

Thus the progression of Psalms 95 through 99 first undermines an order and then restores it. God at the end is what He was at the beginning: the exclusive, universal deity, but with an equally exclusive, special working relationship with the people Israel. By implication, the progression of the psalms indicates that the other peoples were not yet ready to abandon their paganism to serve Him. (Note that the first return to direct address to God, in Psalm 97, follows the attack on idol worship.)

Psalm 100 is a joyous call for celebration and acknowledgment in light of all this, drawing most specifically on terms from Psalm 95, but also from all the psalms in the set. This is a psalm of thanksgiving, indicated both in the title and twice more in the text. The term “thanksgiving” is also the enclosure for the entire group of psalms, “thanksgiving,” having appeared in Psalm 95:2. Picking up on the use of “steadfast kindness and faithfulness” in Psalm 98, Psalm 100 restores God’s “faithfulness” to the people of Israel (and not the nations, as in Psalm 96) and now appropriately interweaves it with eternity (via integration of another frequently used phrase in Psalms, “for His loving kindness is forever”). It re-establishes God’s connection to the world at large but only within the context of a specific relationship with the people Israel, a tension that remains throughout the Bible.

The Textual Connections, Psalms 95–100

I now note the term repetitions.

Psalm 100 is most strongly connected to Psalm 95, as can be seen by comparing verses 100:1, 2, and 4 with 95:1, 2, 3, and 7. Moreover, note the use of “thanksgiving” I commented on above and “bless” and “come” in 100:4, which echo 95:6. “Prostrate” of 100:5 also echoes 95:6. In terms of connections to the other psalms, the following terms from Psalm 100 are repetitions, over and above “earth,” which appears in all six poems: “shout aloud” (98), “rejoice” (96, 97), “joyous song” (97, 99), “know” (98), “make” (96, 98, 99), “come” (96, 98), “give thanks” (97, 99), “acclaim Him,” “His courts” (96), and “steadfast kindness and faithfulness” (98).

Terms from Psalm 95 also appear in the four psalms that follow: “joyously sing” (96, 98), “shout aloud” (98), “great” (96, 99), “mountain” (99), “sea” (96, 98), “made” (96, 98), “come” (96, 98), “prostrate” (97, 99), “day” (96), “voice” (98 = “sound”), “heed” (97 = “hear”), and “see” (97).

Psalms 96 through 99 are structured both as closely related pairs (96 and 98; 97 and 99) and two adjacent pairs (96 and 97; 98 and 99)  In terms of the closely related psalms, 96 and 98 minimally share “sing to the LORD a new song,” “let it thunder, the sea and all within it,” “at the presence of the LORD for He comes to judge the earth, He will judge the world with righteousness and people” and “integrity.” Psalms 97 and 99 minimally share “it is the LORD Who is King,” “righteousness and justice,” “cloud,” “prostrate,” “Zion,” and “holy.”

The first adjacent pair, Psalm 96 and 97, minimally share “idols,” “gods,” “heavens,” “glory,” and also “integrity” and “It is the Lord Who is King.” The second adjacent pair, Psalms 98 and 99, share “our God” and “integrity.”

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Additional Note

Readers familiar with Jewish liturgy will recognize Psalms 95 through 99 as the opening section of the Friday night service welcoming the Sabbath in the Ashkenazic (Western) tradition. Interestingly, in parts of the Sephardic (Occidental) tradition, Psalms 95 through 100 are read. There is no indication that this practice, only a few centuries old, derives from recognition of the interpretation noted above, but it may indicate a sensed contiguity within this group of psalms.

The author of these essays is Rabbi Benjamin Segal, former president of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and author of The Song of Songs: A Woman in Love (Jerusalem: Gefen, 2009). This material is copyright by the author, and may not be reproduced. If you are interested in using the texts for study groups, please be in direct contact with the author, at psalmblog@gmail.com.

HEBREW TEXT

(א) מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה הָרִיעוּ לַיהֹוָה כָּל הָאָרֶץ:

(ב) עִבְדוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו בִּרְנָנָה:

(ג) דְּעוּ כִּי יְהֹוָה הוּא אֱלֹהִים הוּא עָשָׂנוּ ולא{ וְלוֹ} אֲנַחְנוּ עַמּוֹ וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתוֹ:

(ד) בֹּאוּ שְׁעָרָיו בְּתוֹדָה חֲצֵרֹתָיו בִּתְהִלָּה הוֹדוּ לוֹ בָּרְכוּ שְׁמוֹ:

(ה) כִּי טוֹב יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ וְעַד דֹּר וָדֹר אֱמוּנָתוֹ: