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Poor Esau repented too late ESAU

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 8, under Genesis 25:34, 16.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 8

METRE

8.8.8.8a 5 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Genesis 25:34, 16 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 5 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

Poor Esau repented too late

That once he his birth–right despised;

And sold, for a morsel of meat,

What could not too highly be prized:

How great was his anguish when told,

The blessing he sought to obtain,

Was gone with the birth–right he sold,

And none could recall it again!

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Genesis 25:34, 16. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright. GENESIS 25:34, 16 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ GENESIS 25

Poor Esau repented too late That once he his birth–right despised; And sold, for a morsel of meat, What could not too highly be prized: How great was his anguish when told, The blessing he sought to obtain, Was gone with the birth–right he sold, And none could recall it again! STANZA I

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

NO. 8 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Poor Esau repented too late

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