STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

My God, my everlasting hope First Part The aged saint's reflection and hope

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 71:5–9, 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. 1

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 5 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 71:5–9 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 5 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 71:5–9, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

5For You are my hope, O Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth. 6I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You. 7I have become a portent to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your splendor all day long. 9Do not discard me in my old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. PSALM 71:5–9 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 71

My God, my everlasting hope, I live upon thy truth; Thine hands have held my childhood up, And strengthen'd all my youth. 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 My God, my everlasting hope

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