Psalm 100 is based on one of the Bible stories associated with King David. It is believed that while the Ark of the Covenant was being transported to Jerusalem, it unexpectedly fell to the ground. A subject of David named Uzzah immediately ran to the shrine and tried to return it to its place.
But in the end he died because he was not worthy to even touch the Ark. The procession was immediately stopped by David, and for three months he sat thinking about what could have caused the Almighty’s displeasure?
Therefore, the essence of Psalm 100 comes down to a sinless lifestyle and following the laws of God.
Text of prayer Psalm 100
The prayer is performed in both Church Slavonic and Russian. During the church service, the Church Slavonic version is read. At home you can use the text in Russian.
In Church Slavonic with accents
In Russian
History of writing
In his youth, David was a simple shepherd, but the Lord crowned him king. King Saul, who ruled at that time, did not want to give up power, so he tried to kill the righteous man and sent robbers to search for him. David never aspired to become king and remained loyal to Saul, but was forced to flee in fear of death.
The text of Psalm 53 is dedicated to the events that took place at that time. The Lord warned David about the impending danger, and he fled to the Ziph desert to hide from the king. The Ziphites did not want to quarrel with Saul, who brought an entire army. They wanted to hand over the righteous man who was hiding in the rocky mountains. When the end was near, a messenger rode up and informed King Saul of the Philistine attack. The army quickly returned, and David was saved thanks to the mercy of the Lord.
We advise you to study Prayers against fornication
In moments of despair and despondency, when defeat seemed inevitable, David did not abandon faith and continued to pray to God. His sincere requests were heard by the Lord, who does not leave those in need in trouble. Psalm 53 is one of the songs in the Psalter dedicated to those terrible moments in which God remained the only hope and salvation.
History of Psalm 100 and its interpretation
As mentioned above, the author of the chant is King David, who was greatly influenced by the death of one of his subordinates when he touched the shrine. The meaning of the prayer is complex, but it is quite possible to understand it if you take on the analysis of each verse of the song.
- The first line is considered prophetic and brings together the duality of God. On the one hand, He is all-merciful and ready to come to the aid of everyone who sincerely believes in Him. On the other hand, He punishes disobedience fairly. The Almighty unites in himself such opposite sides that it is difficult to call compatible. However, the Creator always maintains a golden mean in his decisions.
- Verse 2-3. In these verses the author reflects on the Creator as a Judge. In his thoughts, David is looking for a way to become more righteous and act in a godly manner. Thus, the prophet comes to the conclusion that a pious person is one who avoids self-interest, envy, evil and is pure in his thoughts. But even this is not enough on the path of righteousness. A person can be truly righteous only if he protects himself from low, vile people who do not believe in the Lord.
- Verse 4. Lies are a slow poison that gradually destroys a person's soul. Evil is alien to the Lord, therefore man must be cleansed from it. The verses give advice on protection from evil. First of all, the believer must understand that he is weak before evil and should not allow it into his heart. This is especially dangerous for those in power. Therefore, it is important for old and young rulers to listen to good advice and beware of evil. Get rid of evil advisers immediately, value and respect good ones.
- Verse 5. These lines contain prophetic thoughts related to vile and crafty people. Such people are capable of betraying. Betrayal can kill a person. Therefore, the author tells us that such people when surrounded will only bring upon themselves and their neighbors the wrath of God. Conspirators and liars should be avoided.
- Verse 6-7. David, based on his personal experience, reports that evil people are destroying the kingdom. The good ones build and strengthen it. Good deeds should be done to people who are close to the Lord. Only then can one receive His blessing. At the end, the psalmist reports evil thoughts. They will be different. The task of not only the king, but also of every righteous person is to destroy the sprouts of evil before they take root in the human soul. Small evil is weak, but it can grow stronger and distort a person’s outlook on life.
Interpretation of Psalm 148 by Theodoret of Cyrus
The interpretation of sacred books was carried out by saints from different eras. That is why in Orthodoxy the Holy Scriptures (the Bible, Psalms, Gospels, etc.) are revered along with patristic traditions (interpretations). One of the earliest interpretations of the Psalter was compiled by Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus of Antioch (393-457 AD). The theologian explains each verse of the psalm.
Hallelujah
An appeal to greater zeal of the soul to sing songs to the Creator. The exclamation, which in this context can be translated as “All together!”
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise him in the highest.
Moses teaches that the Lord created two heavens. One along with the Earth, he commanded the other to be among the waters and called it the firmament. David calls upon the Lord to sing songs from heaven and on high, that is, to the disembodied faces that dwell in both heavens. The prophet calls on the angels to join in singing and praise the Lord with him.
2 Praise him, all his angels: praise him, all his might.
Now the prophet turns to certain angelic ranks: Power and Strength, because they are mighty in strength, doing His word (Ps. 103:20).
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light.
Theodoret of Cyrus cites the previous description of Symmachus: praise all the stars of light, but in the translation of the Seventy it turns out differently. God created light on the first day, and the heavenly bodies on the fourth. That is why the prophet David mentioned the light separately and calls upon the sun, moons and stars additionally, addressing them as animate and verbal creations. At the same time, he addresses people, urging them to look at the heavenly bodies as creations of God’s wisdom and to tirelessly praise the Lord.
4 Praise Him, the heavens of heavens: and the waters are above the heavens.
God divided the watery nature into the firmament and commanded the solar fire to move through the hardened waters. This way the fire does not go out and the hardened water does not evaporate. King David refers to heaven in the plural, according to the rules of the Hebrew language, according to which the word heaven is not used in the singular.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded, and they were created;
David says that it is worthy to glorify the Creator, who created with the Word and created in the beauty that we see.
6 He established them forever and ever; gave a statute that will not pass away.
And he not only created, but also continues to think about creation, due to which all creatures, animate and inanimate, continue to exist as long as He pleases. And everyone fulfills His laws: the sea does not overflow its banks, day and night follow each other. Only people neglect God's laws.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great fish and all the deeps,
We advise you to study Psalm of David 76 in Russian and Church Slavonic.
By great fish we mean whales that live in the seas - parts of the earth. Great is the wisdom of the Creator, who imprisoned huge animals in the seas, showing their power, but protecting people from them so that they would not be harmed.
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, a stormy wind that fulfills His word,
Fire can appear not only on the ground, but also form in the air in the form of lightning and fireballs. Snow, hail and fog come from water; storms, which David calls a stormy spirit, also refer to atmospheric phenomena due to the difference in pressure and humidity. Such phenomena obey God, but do not behave like something animate and intelligent.
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruit trees and all the cedars,
Thank you to the Lord not so much from amazement at the greatness of His creatures, but also from the benefits to man - extensive and varied.
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and winged birds,
David separates the fierce beasts from the meek, but encourages both to praise the Lord, because there is not a single creature that is useless or superfluous, although this is hidden from our knowledge.
11 The kings of the earth and all the nations, the princes and all the judges of the earth,
The prophet calls on kings, nations, princes and judges to glorify the Lord.
12 youths and maidens, elders and youths
May immature and overripe age also praise the Lord.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His alone is exalted, His glory is on earth and in heaven.
They praise the name of the Lord, because the memory of other false gods has faded, and the only One who exists will not pass through the centuries, not only in heaven, but also on earth.
14 He has exalted the horn of His people, the glory of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people who are close to Him.
The Lord will exalt the people who honor Him. A horn is a fortress; King David refers to the likeness of animals armed with horns. God will make this people not only strong, but also revered. The Lord will give glory to the children of Israel and the people close to Him. Further, Theodoret of Cyrus writes that the celebrity passed with piety, and the Israelites lost that glory, but the pagans will receive the gifts of God. The theologian foresaw the spread of the Orthodox faith throughout the world, and people who were pagans in the 4th century would become pious Christians.
When and why is Psalm 100 read?
The psalm is mostly intended for reading in the temple. Special time is the end of the first hour of the evening service. The text is replete with truths, so it can be used, for example, to soothe the sorrow of the soul of a mourner.
For pious people, chanting will help to erect a holy shield over the house, to protect it from evil and evil people. Grace and help are also bestowed on people who, while in church during prayer, try to understand the full meaning of the song. It is worth noting that prayer helps to cleanse oneself from sin.
Interpretation of Psalm 126
The song was written for specific events that happened to the Jewish people, but over time it became universal. Any Christian should know the text of Psalm 126, since the main idea that can be traced in it is that one should rely only on the Lord and follow His will in any situation.
The interpretation of Psalm 126 is best analyzed verse by verse:
- Verse 1 - more than one thing, the structure and decision will not be successful unless there is the blessing of the Lord. The house here acts as a collective concept, by which one should understand not only the building, but even the family.
- Verse 2 – with God’s mercy, any work will be successful, while work that is displeasing to the Lord from morning to night will not bring either worldly blessings or peace. The righteous, blessed by God, will find peace and sleep.
- Verse 3-5 – God’s greatest mercy is children. They are never born without the will of the Lord, so they should be accepted as a gift, as a gift from God. For a wise person, children will be support and weapons, like arrows in a quiver, which should serve for the good, that is, be raised correctly.
Orthodox Life
Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) about the psalm that everyone who strives for order and harmony needs to know.
Perhaps there is no other psalm with such an oath of promise to obey God as in the 100th Psalm. King David makes a solemn oath to the Lord, while offering ideal rules for life and government.
Order should be everywhere and always: in business, in thoughts. Therefore, everyone needs to know this psalm, because each of us has a place to restore order.
“I will sing to You of mercy and judgment, O Lord”
Lord, I trust in Your mercy, but I will fear Your judgment. But my hope is not a reason for self-will; the fear of God leads to wisdom, and not to despair.
«I will reflect on the blameless path: “When will you come to me?” I will walk in integrity of my heart in the midst of my house »
My greatest desire is to keep Your commandments. They comfort me and inspire me.
To act according to conscience, to seek Your justice is my path. Not to lie either to You or to people is my choice.
To walk in integrity of heart is my desire.
Your word is the main rule of my life, I am guided and guided by it.
The only impulse is to please You, to glorify You.
“ I will not place indecent things before my eyes; I hate criminal deeds: they will not stick to me. A corrupt heart will be removed from me; I will not know evil. He who secretly slanderes his neighbor I will drive out; I will not tolerate someone who is proud in his eyes and haughty in his heart. ”
I don’t go to meetings of the wicked, I don’t want to know the wicked and those who betray You.
My ears are closed to the words of the shameless, my eyes to the seducers. There is only one thirst in the heart - to know You, Lord.
The fate of the wicked frightens me. My life is filled with sacred awe before You.
“If I have walked in vanity, and if my foot hastened to wickedness, let me be weighed in the scales of righteousness, and God will know my integrity. If my steps have turned aside from the path and my heart has followed my eyes, and if anything unclean has stuck to my hands, then let me sow and another eat, and let my branches be uprooted” (Job 31:5-8)
“ My eyes are on the faithful of the earth, so that they may remain with me; He who walks in the way of integrity will serve me. No one who acts deceitfully will live in my house; he who speaks a lie shall not remain before my eyes. "
I have faithful and conscientious friends and helpers; I do not allow arrogant, liars and slanderers to enter my doorstep. Those who are vicious by vice destroy themselves and others.
«From early morning I will destroy all the wicked of the earth, so that I will root out from the city of the Lord all the workers of iniquity.»
Faithful to You, Lord! Your kingdom will come and Your truth will triumph forever!
Recorded by Natalya Goroshkova
