STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS
Lo! what a glorious corner-stone L. M An hosanna for the Lord's day; or, A new song of salvation by Christ
Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 118:22–27, 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. 6
METRE
Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 4 stanzas
WRITTEN ON
Psalm 118:22–27 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
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
Lo! what a glorious corner-stone
The Jewish builders did refuse;
But God hath built his church thereon,
In spite of envy and the Jews.
The psalm it sets
Watts made this hymn from Psalm 118:22–27, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.
22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25O LORD, save us, we pray. We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper! 26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. 27The LORD is God; He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. PSALM 118:22–27 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 118
Lo! what a glorious corner-stone The Jewish builders did refuse; But God hath built his church thereon, In spite of envy and the Jews. 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 6. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.
NO. 6 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Lo! what a glorious corner-stone
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