STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

How blest the righteous are BALAAM’s wish

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 20, under Numbers 23:10.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 20

METRE

Short Metre 6.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Numbers 23:10 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Newton printed them, with the verses their lines echo beside them. Point at a line to join it to its verse; click to read the passage.

SHARED WORDSthe verse shares the line's wording ECHOproposed by an AI model, confirmed by a separate check Not the author's own notes

AMONG THE SCRIPTURES

The stanzas at the centre; around them, every book its heading and its echoes come from, Old Testament on the left and New on the right. Choose a stanza or a book.

a line echoes this verse its heading or an echo comes from here

STANZA I

How blest the righteous are

When they resign their breath!

No wonder Balaam wished to share

In such a happy death.

No line of this stanza quotes a verse closely; it is the hymn's own confession.

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Numbers 23:10. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!” NUMBERS 23:10 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ NUMBERS 23

“Oh! let me die, said he, The death the righteous do; When life is ended let me be Found with the faithful few.” STANZA II

Its place in the book

Book I of Olney Hymns walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one hymn per passage: 141 hymns. This is number 20. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 20 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN How blest the righteous are

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