STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Lord, thou hast heard thy servant cry Second Part Public praise for deliverance from death

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 118:17–21, 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. 2

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 118:17–21 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 118:17–21, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

17I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done. 18The LORD disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death. 19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21I will give You thanks, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. PSALM 118:17–21 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 118

Open the gates of Zion now, For we shall worship there, The house where all the righteous go Thy mercy to declare. 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 2. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 2 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Lord, thou hast heard thy servant cry

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