All People That on Earth Do Dwell
William Kethe · 1561 · tune OLD HUNDREDTH
Key of G · public domain
Words
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell,
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
His mercy is forever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.
The God whom heaven and earth adore,
From men and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.
The story
William Kethe was a Scot living in exile in Geneva under Mary Tudor, and this is his metrical Psalm 100, printed in 1561. It is very likely the oldest hymn still sung week by week in English-speaking churches. The tune, OLD HUNDREDTH, takes its name from this psalm, and it is the same tune countless congregations sing the Doxology to, which is why the words feel familiar even to people who have never sung the hymn. Notice how little of it is about the singer. Four verses and almost every line is a statement about God, or an instruction to go and praise Him. The one reason given comes in the last verse, and it is not a feeling: for why? the Lord our God is good.
Chords in G
In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.
Common questions
Who wrote All People That on Earth Do Dwell? William Kethe wrote the words in 1561.
What tune is it sung to? OLD HUNDREDTH, set here in the key of G.
What scripture is it built on? Psalm 100.
Is All People That on Earth Do Dwell free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.
The psalm it came from
All People That on Earth Do Dwell is Psalm 100 set to a tune. The psalm itself is here in full — King James, Berean Standard and Reina-Valera side by side, with a note on what it is doing and where it sits in the book.
Themes
Psalms · Praise · Thanksgiving