Transformation of war language in the worship of all the earth in Psalm 100

Abstract

Though often read as a discrete poem, Psalm 100 is read within the context of Psalms 93-100 in this article. Such a reading helps expose how language, which had been rooted in warfare, has been transformed into the language of worship. The background in warfare is explored through intertextual links within this collection and then against the background provided by the book of Joshua as a sample text. As the conclusion to this collection within the Psalter, Psalm 100 transforms this language, so that Yahweh’s kingship over all the earth is expressed not in the violence of conquest, but rather in the joyful submission of freely
given worship.