STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

"Now let a spacious world arise," The creation of the world, Gen. 1

Isaac Watts printed it in 1707 in Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, no. 147, under Genesis 1.

WRITTEN BY

Isaac Watts 1674–1748

PRINTED

1707 Hymns and Spiritual Songs · no. 147

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 11 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Genesis 1 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 11 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

"Now let a spacious world arise,"

Said the Creator-Lord:

At once the obedient earth and skies

Rose at his sovereign word.

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 Genesis 1. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. … 27 more verses GENESIS 1 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ GENESIS 1

[Dark was the deep; the waters lay Confus'd and drown'd the land: He call'd the light; the new-born day Attends on his command. STANZA II

Its place in the book

Book II of the hymn book, “Composed on divine subjects”, holds these hymns in this order: 181 hymns. This is number 147. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 147 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN "Now let a spacious world arise,"

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.