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My refuge is the God of love God loves the righteous and hates the wicked

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 11, 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. 11

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 11 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

My refuge is the God of love

My refuge is the God of love;

Why do my foes insult and cry,

"Fly like a timorous trembling dove,

"To distant woods or mountains fly"?

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

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 11, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! 2For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men. … 3 more verses PSALM 11 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 11

The Lord in heaven has fix'd his throne, His eye surveys the world below; To him all mortal things are known, His eyelids search our spirits thro'. STANZA III

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 11. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 11 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN My refuge is the God of love

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