STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

My God! till I received thy stroke EPHRAIM repenting

William Cowper printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 68, under Jeremiah 31:18–20.

WRITTEN BY

William Cowper 1731–1800

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 68

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Jeremiah 31:18–20 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Cowper 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

My God! till I received thy stroke

My God! till I received thy stroke,

How like a beast was I!

So unaccustomed to the yoke,

So backward to comply.

Where Cowper found it

Cowper printed the hymn under Jeremiah 31:18–20. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

18I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God. 19After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 20Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD. JEREMIAH 31:18–20 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ JEREMIAH 31

Thy merciful restraint I scorned And left the pleasant road; Yet turn me, and I shall be turned, Thou art the Lord my God. STANZA III

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 68. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 68 · WILLIAM COWPER · THIS HYMN My God! till I received thy stroke

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.