STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

As once for Jonah, so the Lord The gourd

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 75, under Jonah 4:7.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 75

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Jonah 4:7 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

As once for Jonah, so the Lord

To soothe and cheer my mournful hours,

Prepared for me a pleasing gourd,

Cool was its shade, and sweet its flow’rs.

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 Jonah 4:7. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. JONAH 4:7 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ JONAH 4

While I admired its beauteous form, Its pleasant shade and graceful fruit; The LORD, displeased, sent forth a worm, Unseen, to prey upon the root. 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 75. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 75 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN As once for Jonah, so the Lord

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