Psalm 100 2

Psalm 100:2 kjv

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Psalm 100:2 nkjv

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 100:2 niv

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100:2 esv

Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Psalm 100:2 nlt

Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.

Psalm 100 verses

Psalm 100 2 Meaning

Psalm 100:2 invites all people to worship God with an overflowing joy and gladness, expressing their reverence and praise through song. It emphasizes that service to the LORD is not a grim obligation but a privilege to be celebrated with a cheerful heart and vocal praise.

Psalm 100 2 Context

Psalm 100 is a "Psalm for Thanksgiving," positioned among a collection of psalms (Psalms 93-99) that emphasize the LORD's kingship over all the earth. These psalms proclaim God as the universal sovereign who rules in righteousness. Psalm 100 specifically serves as an anthem of grateful praise, inviting all the earth to come into the LORD's presence and worship Him. It encapsulates a global call to acknowledge the one true God, contrasting with the polytheistic practices prevalent in the ancient Near East. Historically, it could have been sung as pilgrims approached the Temple for worship or during liturgical ceremonies emphasizing God's universal dominion and covenant faithfulness.

Psalm 100 2 Word analysis

• Serve (Hebrew: עִבְדוּ, 'ivdu)
  • Meaning: This is an imperative verb, "serve ye." It denotes work, labor, and servitude, but in the context of divine worship, it signifies a willing act of humble submission and devoted obedience. It is not forced labor but worshipful service.
  • Significance: It implies an active, ongoing relationship where the worshiper acknowledges God's lordship and offers their life as an act of devotion. This word is also used for serving a king or a master, highlighting the hierarchical yet intimate relationship with God.
• the LORD (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH)
  • Meaning: This is the Tetragrammaton, the personal covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent, eternal, and covenant-keeping nature. It signifies "He who is," emphasizing His active presence and unwavering faithfulness to His promises.
  • Significance: The use of YHWH explicitly distinguishes the God of Israel from all pagan deities, asserting His unique and supreme sovereignty. It underscores that this worship is directed not to a mere concept or a powerless idol, but to the living, relational God who made a covenant with His people and redeems them. This is a direct polemic against the many gods of the nations, positioning YHWH as the sole recipient of such joyous, devoted service.
• with gladness (Hebrew: בְּשִׂמְחָה, b'simcha)
  • Meaning: The preposition "b' (with)" combined with "simcha (joy/gladness)" indicates the manner of service. It refers to deep, internal joy, cheerfulness, and exuberant delight.
  • Significance: This is a crucial element. Worship is not meant to be a dreary, grudging duty, but an outpouring of joy born from recognizing God's character and His acts of salvation. It challenges the common ancient perception of gods requiring propitiation through fear or grim ritual, instead presenting YHWH as a God whose very presence inspires joy and whose demands are light (Matt 11:30).
• come before (Hebrew: בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו, bo'u l'fanav)
  • Meaning: "Come" is an imperative, "draw near" or "enter," and "l'fanav" means "before His face/presence." It speaks of an intentional, purposeful approach into God's very dwelling place or where He manifests His presence.
  • Significance: This implies proximity and intimacy in worship. In ancient Israel, this meant approaching the tabernacle or temple. For believers now, it signifies boldly drawing near to God's throne of grace (Heb 4:16) with confidence because of Christ.
• His presence
  • Meaning: Refers to the manifest dwelling of God, often associated with the Temple in Jerusalem (Ps 99:5, Ps 132:7) where His glory (Shekinah) resided. It also alludes to His omnipresence being accessible.
  • Significance: To come into God's presence is to encounter holiness, power, and glory. It's an act of worship that acknowledges His sovereignty and demands reverence, yet the context here adds the joyful, accessible aspect of this presence.
• with singing (Hebrew: בִּרְנָנָה, b'rnanah)
  • Meaning: "B' (with)" combined with "r'nanah (a joyful shout, ringing cry, vocal expression of joy)." It indicates a musical, often loud and exultant, expression of praise.
  • Significance: Vocal praise, especially song, is a natural outpouring of joy and thanksgiving. It reflects a communal aspect of worship (Ephesians 5:19) and elevates the emotional and spiritual engagement in acknowledging God's greatness. This public, joyful expression also contrasted with secretive or fearful rites associated with pagan practices.

Words-Group Analysis

• Serve the LORD with gladness: This phrase connects joyful emotion directly to the act of devoted service to the personal God YHWH. It implies that true obedience is heart-felt and willingly given, not merely external ritual. This sets a tone for worship that is both deep and delight-filled, embodying a counter-cultural perspective in ancient times. It highlights that God desires not just duty, but devotion fueled by a happy heart.
• Come before His presence with singing: This complements the first phrase by defining how we physically or spiritually draw near to God. It indicates that entering His holy sphere should be accompanied by jubilant vocal expressions of praise. The act of singing reflects an active engagement of the worshiper, celebrating God's immanence and inviting His manifest presence. The pairing of gladness and singing emphasizes a complete, internal and external, joyful worship response.

Psalm 100 2 Bonus section

• Prophetic Foreshadowing: This verse, with its call for "all the earth" to "come before His presence with singing," hints at the universal worship of God foreseen in the prophetic literature and fully realized in the New Covenant through Christ, where people from "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" will worship the Lamb (Rev 7:9-10).
• Counter-cultural Worship: In ancient polytheistic cultures, worship often involved appeasing deities through fearful sacrifice or strict, grim rituals. This psalm radically contrasts this by declaring that the one true God, YHWH, delights in joyful and spontaneous praise. It presents a liberating and appealing picture of the divine-human relationship.
• The "Shekinah" Principle: The command to "come before His presence" reflects the ancient Israelite understanding of God's tangible manifestation (Shekinah glory) in the Tabernacle and Temple. While we do not have a physical Temple today, believers are encouraged to boldly approach the throne of grace, where God's presence is truly found through Christ (Heb 4:16). Our corporate gathering as believers also forms a dwelling place for God's Spirit (Eph 2:22).

Psalm 100 2 Commentary

Psalm 100:2 encapsulates the essence of biblical worship: joyful, voluntary service and praise to the one true God, the LORD. It commands an attitude of delight, not dread, in approaching God. Serving Him is portrayed as a source of gladness, emphasizing that true spiritual activity springs from an overflow of a grateful heart. The call to "come before His presence with singing" suggests that vocal praise is a fitting, indeed natural, response to encountering the manifest greatness of God. This verse reminds believers that worship is not just ritual or obligation, but a vibrant, communal, and profoundly joyful act of adoration for our Creator and Redeemer, celebrated through song and expressed through every aspect of life dedicated to Him. The joy spoken of is strength (Neh 8:10) and is to characterize the entire life of service (Rom 12:1).