STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Why should I deprive my neighbour The thief

Isaac Watts printed it in 1715 in Divine Songs for Children, Moral Songs, no. 4.

WRITTEN BY

Isaac Watts 1674–1748

PRINTED

1715 Divine Songs for Children · no. 4

METRE

8.7.8.7 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

A subject no verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Watts 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

Why should I deprive my neighbour

Of his goods against his will?

Hands were made for honest labour,

Not to plunder, or to steal.

The passage it draws on most

Its book prints no verse above this hymn. Of the verses its lines share most wording with, this is the one the whole hymn draws on, chosen by an AI model from those the word matching found. Not the author's own heading.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need. EPHESIANS 4:28 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE OPEN IT BESIDE THE PAGE

Its place in the book

Moral Songs holds these hymns in this order: 8 hymns. This is number 4. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 4 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Why should I deprive my neighbour

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