STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Lo! what an entertaining sight Brotherly love

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 133, 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. 1

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 133 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 133, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes. 3It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore. PSALM 133 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 133

Lo! what an entertaining sight Are brethren that agree, Brethren, whose cheerful hearts unite In bands of piety! 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 1. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 1 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Lo! what an entertaining sight

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