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Happy the city, where their sons Third Part Grace above riches; or, The happy nation

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 144:12–15, 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. 3

METRE

Long Metre 8.8.8.8 · 3 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 144:12–15 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 3 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

3 echoes in 12 lines.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 144:12–15, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

12Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace. 13Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields. 14Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets. 15Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. PSALM 144:12–15 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 144

Happy the city, where their sons Like pillars round a palace set, And daughters bright as polish'd stones Give strength and beauty to the state. 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 3. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 3 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Happy the city, where their sons

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