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The moon has but a borrowed light Moon-light

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book II, no. 86, under 1 Corinthians 13:1.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 86

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

1 Corinthians 13:1 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

The moon has but a borrowed light

The moon has but a borrowed light,

A faint and feeble ray;

She owes her beauty to the night,

And hides herself by day.

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 1 Corinthians 13:1. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ 1 CORINTHIANS 13

Thus moonlight views of truths divine To many fatal prove; For what avail in gifts to shine, Without a spark of love? 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 86. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 86 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN The moon has but a borrowed light

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