All People That on Earth Do Dwell

Text by: William Kethe d1594

Tunes by:

Louis Bourgeois c1510-1559 Tune: Old 100^th

Various versions:

http://youtu.be/UXX_3nWbpTc

https://youtu.be/09fk-DakeUk

https://youtu.be/8y-SGKffr7A

George C Stebbins 1846-1945 Tune: Ben Avon:  https://youtu.be/C42ai0dcgYg

 

“All People That on Earth do Dwell” comes out of the very first Calvinist hymnal. John Calvin believed strongly that the people should sing only those hymns whose theology was absolutely true and correct. To be sure this was the case he felt it best to only sing the Psalms. And to that purpose he set out, at first personally, and then later employing others to do so, to translate all the Psalms into metrical French. He also commissioned several composers, Louis Bourgeois being one of the primary ones, to compose simple melodies to fit each of these metrical Psalms. The initial plan was to have a unique tune for each Psalm, however the composers never quite finished their task, completing about 135 unique tunes. Consequently a number of tunes get shared between a few Psalms.

While he was in exile from England, the Scotsman William Kethe worked with Calvin on the translations. When he returned home to England he brought along a copy of the Geneva Psalter and translated the hymns to English. When you see the designation: “Old 100^th” or “Old 130^th” as a tune name, this refers to the original Genevan Psalter paring. The tune was paired with the 100^th Psalm or the 130^th Psalm.

Psalm 100King James Version (KJV)

100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

² Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

³ Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

⁵ For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

1 All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the LORD with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell;
come ye before Him and rejoice.

2 Know that the LORD is God indeed;
without our aid He did us make;
we are His flock, He doth us feed,
and for His sheep He doth us take.

3 O enter then His gates with praise,
approach with joy His courts unto;
praise, laud, and bless His name always,
for it is seemly so to do.

4 Because the LORD our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood
and shall from age to age endure.

5 Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise Him, all creatures here below;
praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!