The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)

I must confess, I don't remember running across this reference to God singing before. In one of his sermons I was reading, Spurgeon quoted this verse without giving the reference, and I was so intrigued I had to look it up. As far as I know, it's the only place in the Bible that describes God as singing.

(Note: I "corrected" the ESV by capitalizing the personal pronouns referring to God. Personally, I think that shows respect for Him. The bolding in the text is, of course, also mine.)

How delightful to know that God sings over us! What a blessing from the Word!

Update: Having discovered this verse, I excitedly showed it to my wife. It turns out that she quoted it back to me before I read it to her - she's known this verse for several years! Spoiled all my fun (heh, heh).

__________________
Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.alexandermaclaren.wordpress.com
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.spurgeonswords.wordpress.com

Devout souls do not take offence at the depths and difficulties of God's Word, but are, thereby, drawn to intenser contemplation of them. - Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

Great "catch" on the singing; thanks. And the capitalized pronoun for God is one of the things that first drew me to the NASB.

__________________
Lance G. Marshall
Pastor
Georgetown, Indiana

Our former pastor used to call on our birthday's and share this verse with us, and then proceed to sing Happy birthday.

__________________
Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

Neat, thanks for sharing!

__________________
sarah
WI
OPC
My Pastor's Sermons: Mark Jenkins...he's awesome!!!

Very thanks for sharing

__________________
Martin - Reformed
Husband to the most godly, honorable and loyal wife Line
Searching for a Church
Webpage www.5solas.dk
Free Online Reformed Seminary - http://www.tnars.net
Soli Deo Gloria

I opened it up in my NASB Bible I keep at my desk and found that the last part of the verse is "He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." instead. So I checked out a few other translations that I had in my Bible software or in print:

"he will be joyful over thee in praise." DRC (Vulgate)
"he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy." Geneva
"celebrates over you with shouts of joy." God's Word (pretty much a paraphrase; I used when I was young)

Any idea why the difference?

__________________
Jake; Hold to Original WCF, member of SBC; Greater Atlanta, Georgia Area

The cross does not give us a minor shift or two with regard to a few of our ethical and moral and religious values; the cross radically disrupts the very center and citadel of your life from self to Christ. —Albert N. Martin

The Hebrew word:

__________________
Brad
Member- Eagle Heights PCA
Winchester, VA

Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.