STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

The lord, the sovereign King Third Part. S. M God's universal dominion; or, Angels praise the Lord

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 103:19–22, 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. 5

METRE

Short Metre 6.6.8.6 · 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 103:19–22 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 4 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 103:19–22, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

19The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. 20Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command. 21Bless the LORD, all His hosts, you servants who do His will. 22Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! PSALM 103:19–22 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 103

The lord, the sovereign King, Hath fix'd his throne on high; O'er all the heavenly world he rules, And all beneath the sky. 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 5. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 5 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN The lord, the sovereign King

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.