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The Lord is come; the heav'ns proclaim Psalm 97 Part 2

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 97:6–9, 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

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 3 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 97:6–9 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 3 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

2 echoes in 12 lines.

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 Lord is come; the heav'ns proclaim

His birth; the nations learn his name;

An unknown star directs the road

Of eastern sages to their God.

No line of this stanza quotes a verse closely; it is the hymn's own confession.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 97:6–9, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

6The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory. 7All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods! 8Zion hears and rejoices, and the towns of Judah exult because of Your judgments, O LORD. 9For You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. PSALM 97:6–9 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 97

Let idols totter to the ground, And their own worshippers confound But Judah shout, but Zion sing, And earth confess her sovereign King. 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 2. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 2 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN The Lord is come; the heav'ns proclaim

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