STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Blest is the man, for ever blest Repentance and free pardon; or, Justification and sanctification

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 32, 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 · 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 32 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

Blest is the man, for ever blest

Blest is the man, for ever blest,

Whose guilt is pardon'd by his God,

Whose sins with sorrow are confess'd,

And cover'd with his Saviour's blood.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 32, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him, in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. 4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah … 7 more verses PSALM 32 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 32

Blest is the man to whom the Lord Imputes not his iniquities, He pleads no merit of reward, And not on works, but grace relies. STANZA II

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 Blest is the man, for ever blest

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