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Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive Psalm 51 Part 1

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 51, printed in 1719 in The Psalms of David Imitated, where he set the psalms "in the language of the New Testament".

WRITTEN BY

Isaac Watts 1674–1748

PRINTED

1719 The Psalms of David Imitated · no. 1

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 6 stanzas

IN HYMNALS

1 listed at Hymnary.org

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

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 51, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge. … 15 more verses PSALM 51 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 51

O wash my soul from every sin, And make my guilty conscience clean; Here on my heart the burden lies, And past offences pain my eyes. STANZA III

Its place in the book

Watts's psalms run from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150, several settings to many psalms: 367 hymns. This is number 1. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 1 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive

Where hymnals place it

Printed hymnals list, for each hymn, the Bible passages it goes with, so a church can choose a hymn for the day's reading. Gathered from the hymnals Hymnary.org catalogues, editors have tied this hymn to 1 passage in 1 book. One square is one passage; a ringed square is one the hymn's own lines echo. Point at a square to read it; click to open it beside the page.

Psalms 1

PSALM 51 · THE WHOLE CHAPTERECHOED IN STANZA III, IV

1Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge. … 15 more verses

a passage hymnals tie it to one its lines echo (1)

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