STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Now let our mournful songs record Christ's sufferings and exaltation

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 22:1, 7–8, 12–13, 16, 18, 24, 28–29, 31, 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 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 22:1, 7–8, 12–13, 16, 18, 24, 28–29, 31 the verse printed above it

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

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

Now let our mournful songs record

The dying sorrows of our Lord;

When he complain'd in tears and blood

As one forsaken of his God.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 22:1, 7–8, 12–13, 16, 18, 24, 28–29, 31, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? 7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: 8“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.” 12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul. 16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. 18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 24For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help. 28For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations. 29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives. 31They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn— all that He has done. PSALM 22:1, 7–8, 12–13, 16, 18, 24, 28–29, 31 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 22

Now let our mournful songs record The dying sorrows of our Lord; When he complain'd in tears and blood As one forsaken of his God. 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 Now let our mournful songs record

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