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Poor sinners! little do they think BELSHAZZAR

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 74, under Daniel 5:5–6.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 74

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 7 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Daniel 5:5–6 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 7 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

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Daniel 5:5–6. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

5At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing, 6his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together. DANIEL 5:5–6 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ DANIEL 5

He saw a hand upon the wall (And trembled on his throne) Which wrote his sudden dreadful fall In characters unknown. 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 74. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 74 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Poor sinners! little do they think

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