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Thou God of love, thou ever blest Complaint of quarrelsome neighbours; or, A devout wish for peace

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 120, 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. 120

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

IN HYMNALS

47 listed at Hymnary.org

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

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 120, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me. 2Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. 3What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue? 4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree! … 3 more verses PSALM 120 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 120

Peace is the blessing that I seek, How lovely are its charms; I am for peace; but when I speak, They all declare for arms. STANZA IV

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

NO. 120 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Thou God of love, thou ever blest

Where hymnals place it

Printed hymnals list, for each hymn, the Bible passages it goes with, so a church can choose a hymn for the day's reading. Gathered from the hymnals Hymnary.org catalogues, editors have tied this hymn to 2 passages in 1 book. One square is one passage; a ringed square is one the hymn's own lines echo. Point at a square to read it; click to open it beside the page.

Psalms 2

PSALM 120 · THE WHOLE CHAPTERECHOED IN STANZA I, IV, V

1In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me. 2Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. 3What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue? 4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree! … 3 more verses

a passage hymnals tie it to one its lines echo (1)

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