STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Bless, O my soul, the living God First Part. L. M Blessing God for his goodness to soul and body

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 103:1–7, 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. 1

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 103:1–7 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 103:1–7, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— 3He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, 5who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. PSALM 103:1–7 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 103

Bless, O my soul, the living God, Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad; Let all the powers within me join In work and worship so 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 1. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 1 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Bless, O my soul, the living God

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