STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

When strangers stand and hear me tell Christ dwells in heaven, but visits on earth, Cant. 6. 1 2 3 12

Isaac Watts printed it in 1707 in Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book I, no. 76, under Song of Songs 6:1–3, 12.

WRITTEN BY

Isaac Watts 1674–1748

PRINTED

1707 Hymns and Spiritual Songs · no. 76

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Song of Songs 6:1–3, 12 the verse printed above it

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

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

When strangers stand and hear me tell

What beauties in my Saviour dwell;

Where he is gone, they fain would know,

That they may seek and love him too.

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

Where Watts found it

Watts printed the hymn under Song of Songs 6:1–3, 12. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Which way has he turned? We will seek him with you. 2My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies. 3I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me; he pastures his flock among the lilies. 12Before I realized it, my desire had set me among the royal chariots of my people. SONG OF SONGS 6:1–3, 12 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ SONG OF SONGS 6

[He takes my soul ere I'm aware, And shews me where his glories are; No chariot of Amminadib The heavenly rapture can describe. STANZA V

Its place in the book

Book I of the hymn book, “Collected from the Holy Scriptures”, holds these hymns in this order: 179 hymns. This is number 76. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 76 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN When strangers stand and hear me tell

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.