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O Lord, our heav'nly King Psalm 8

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 8, 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. 8

METRE

Short Metre 6.6.8.6 · 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 8 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 8 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 8, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. 2From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger. 3When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place— 4what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? … 5 more verses PSALM 8 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 8

[Out of the mouths of babes And sucklings thou canst draw Surprising honors to thy name, And strike the world with awe. STANZA VII

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

NO. 8 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN O Lord, our heav'nly King

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