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When the sun, with cheerful beams The rainbow

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book II, no. 82, under Genesis 9:14.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 82

METRE

7.7.7.7.7.7 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Genesis 9:14 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 4 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

When the sun, with cheerful beams

When the sun, with cheerful beams,

Smiles upon a low’ring sky;

Soon its aspect softened seems,

And a rainbow meets the eye:

While the sky remains serene,

This bright arch is never seen.

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 Genesis 9:14. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, GENESIS 9:14 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ GENESIS 9

Favored John a rainbow saw Circling round the throne above; Hence the saints a pledge may draw Of unchanging cov’nant love: Clouds awhile may intervene, But the bow will still be seen. STANZA IV

Its place in the book

Book II of the hymn book, “On occasional subjects”, holds these hymns in this order: 100 hymns. This is number 82. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 82 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN When the sun, with cheerful beams

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