STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

While men grow bold in wicked ways! C. M Practical atheism exposed; or, The being and attributes of God asserted

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 36:1–2, 5–7, 9, 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. 2

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 36:1–2, 5–7, 9 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 8 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 36:1–2, 5–7, 9, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin. 5Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings! 9For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. PSALM 36:1–2, 5–7, 9 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 36

While men grow bold in wicked ways! And yet a God they own, My heart within me often says, "Their thoughts believe there's none." 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 2. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 2 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN While men grow bold in wicked ways!

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