What Can We Learn from the Bible Verse 'God Inhabits the Praise of His People'?

It may seem like an unusual truth that God “inhabits” the praise of His people. We can understand that He calls us to praise, enjoys our praise, and responds to our praise. But what does it mean to inhabit, dwell, or exist in our praise and worship? It’s as if the psalmist is saying that God moves into and takes up residence within the praises of His people. Understanding where God has dwelt in the past (human history) and where He dwells now can provide beautiful clarification of this verse.

What Translation Says “God Inhabits the Praise of His People”?

The King James Version is where we find this particular wording of Psalm 22:3:

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

Other versions speak of this in slightly different wording.

“Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises” (NIV)

“God, you are the Holy One. You sit as King upon the praises of Israel” (ERV)

All three versions speak of Israel worshiping her King and how that is integral to the relationship between God and man.

Does “God Inhabits the Praise of His People” Mean He’s Only Present in Worship?

The short answer to this question is absolutely not. One of God’s immutable (unchanging) characteristics is that He is omnipresent: His presence is capable of being everywhere all of the time.

However, there are moments throughout Scripture where God makes his presence visible to humanity in concrete ways.

He chose that His presence would be with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall. He chose that His presence would be with Moses on Mt. Sinai and then in the traveling tabernacle (or “Tent of Meeting”) with the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness–even through the reigns of King Saul and King David. The tabernacle would be where God would dwell with His people—a place where they could worship and hear from Him. It housed the ark of the covenant that contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and a pot of manna. The ark was stolen for a time by the Philistines, but God allowed David and his army to recover it.

Soon after, David desired to build a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem, which would replace the tent of meeting and would house the ark of the covenant and be where God’s presence would rest. But God said He wanted it built by David’s son Solomon instead. Once complete, God’s presence indwelling the magnificent structure was a blessing to the Israelites, where the priests could serve and the people could celebrate Him in one place. God promised to stay with His people while they obeyed Him, but He would leave their presence when they rebelled.

Unfortunately, they didn’t obey Him, and God allowed the Babylonians to take His people captive. At the same time, He left the temple as the Babylonians destroyed it. The prophet Ezekiel envisioned all of this and wrote about it in Ezekiel 10.

How Does the Psalmist Use “God Inhabits the Praise of His People” to Inspire?

King David included this statement in a psalm of anguish in which he asks why God has forsaken him and believes he has cried out with no answer from God (verses 1,2). But then, like so many other places in the Psalms, David remembers that God doesn’t leave His people. In the past, God delivered his ancestors who trusted in Him (verse 4). So verses 3 and 4 refocus his thoughts away from his struggles to the God who is always present and always loves.

So often in the Old Testament, God calls His people to remember how He has saved them and their ancestors (most notably, saving the enslaved Israelites in Egypt and opening up the Red Sea). In this psalm, David does something similar by pouring out his lament, remembering all that God is and does to comfort His soul.

This is a great pattern for any Christian. We are to bring our pain and suffering to the Lord, asking for His intervention. At the same time, we think back and remember the times that He has already blessed us or saved us in times of trouble.

Also, we need to consider how praise touches the heart of our Lord. John Gill’s Commentary on BibleStudyTools.com says that in Psalm 22:3, “the phrase denotes God’s gracious acceptance of them, and well pleasedness in them, signified by his inhabiting of them, and the frequent and constant ascription of them to him:”

What Does “God Inhabits the Praise of His People” Teach Us about Praise?

Jesus became “God With Us” in a special way when He was born of the Virgin Mary. And when He was crucified and ascended back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live within the new temple of God: the hearts of all true believers. He inspires us to praise where God makes His dwelling on earth. Therefore, today, God still inhabits the praises of His people. We won’t really understand how this looks or how it works until we get to heaven, but King David clearly said thousands of years ago that where there is praise, there is God.

That gives us tremendous encouragement to praise God every day regardless of what we are experiencing. He hears our cries of anguish and promises never to leave or forsake us. God is present when we use our passion and energy to praise Him during trials. Lest we think that praising is just thanking God (maybe with our hands in the air), it also means prayers, singing, reading the Scriptures, listening to preaching, and telling others about Him.

As Debbie Przybylski beautifully explains in her article “God Victoriously Inhabits Our Praise,” praising God also works to close the mouth of our enemy. The word “inhabit” or “enthrone” (yashab) means to judge in ambush. When we praise God, He will sit right in the middle of our lives and judge the enemies surrounding us. The Japanese translation of Psalm 22:3 is: “When you praise God He brings a big chair and sits there.” Think about that! God is seated in the center of your life. The enemy cannot dethrone you because God cannot be overthrown!”

Verses That Can Help You Praise God

Praying God’s word back to Him is my favorite form of praise. It’s acknowledging that His word is true and powerful and pleasing to Him when it comes from the lips of His children. Here are some of my favorite verses to praise Him:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

“Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 72:19)

As you read the Bible, I encourage you to write down verses that speak to your heart that you want to pray back to God, knowing that God is very present in your praise.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kieferpix

Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).  

This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

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