Nun jauchzt dem Herren, alle Welt

The text was written by David Denicke, based on a metered paraphrase of the psalm from the Becker Psalter, and published in his 1646 hymnal.

David Denicke, who had studied law and travelled in Europe, worked from 1629 for George, Duke of Brunswick-Calenberg, as a tutor of his two eldest sons.

[1] It was entitled New Ordentlich Gesang-Buch, Sampt Einer nothwendigen Vorrede u. Erinnerung Von dessen nützlichem Gebrauch (New orderly song-book, with a necessary preface and reminder of its fruitful use).

[1][2] Denicke wrote the text as a paraphrase of Psalm 100 (known as Jubilate), which calls on the believer to serve God with gladness in joyful sound.

[2] The hymn appears, with slightly modernised text, in the modern German-language hymnals for both Protestants and Catholics, in the Evangelisches Gesangbuch of 1993 as EG 288, and in the Gotteslob of 2013 as GL 144.

[11] The text in the 2013 Gotteslob, slightly revised compared to the original, is given juxtaposed with the Psalm 100 verses in the King James Version, with the final stanza being a metric paraphrase of the Gloria Patri: Nun jauchzt dem Herren, alle Welt.

Denicke's version is in iambic metre, and has been described as a piece of art, with clear diction, close use of the Biblical images, and a modest "voice".

[9] The two editors of the Hannoversches Gesangbuch note in their foreword that their intention is clear language without poetic artistry, following the standards by Martin Opitz.

In the first stanza, Denicke added to the topics of psalm text the idea "säumet nicht" (do not postpone), giving praise and service of God highest priority.

While Denicke wrote "zu Schafen" (as sheep), a later ecumenical version replaced it by "als guter Hirt" (as the good shepherd), a phrase from Psalm 23.

[12] The fourth stanza begins "Die ihr nun wollet bei ihm sein", pointing to the willingness to be close to God.

[6] The melody matches the text well, making "Nun jauchzt dem Herren, alle Welt" one of the most popular psalm songs, sung ecumenically.

[14] Karl Norbert Schmid composed a song cantata (Liedkantate) for congregation, choir, organ and winds ad lib.

[16] Enjott Schneider wrote a Fantasie for choir, organ and congregational singing, commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the Deutscher Cäcilienverein celebrated at the Regensburg Cathedral in 2018.