STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Great God, the heav'ns' well-ordered frame Psalm 19

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 19, 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. 19

METRE

8.8.8.8.8.8 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 19 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 19, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, 4their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. … 10 more verses PSALM 19 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 19

Great God, the heav'ns' well-ordered frame Declares the glories of thy name: There thy rich works of wonder shine; A thousand starry beauties there, A thousand radiant marks appear Of boundless power and skill divine. 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 19. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 19 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Great God, the heav'ns' well-ordered frame

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