STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Lord, if thine eye surveys our faults Psalm 90 Part 2

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 90:8–12, 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. 2

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 7 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 90:8–12 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 7 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 90:8–12, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

8You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. 9For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh. 10The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty if we are strong— yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due. 12So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom. PSALM 90:8–12 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 90

Lord, if thine eye surveys our faults, And justice grows severe, Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts, And burns beyond our fear. STANZA I

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

NO. 2 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Lord, if thine eye surveys our faults

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.