STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Lord, what a thoughtless wretch was I L. M The prosperity of sinners cursed

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 73:22, 3, 6, 17–20, 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 · 5 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 73:22, 3, 6, 17–20 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 73:22, 3, 6, 17–20, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

22I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. 3For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 6Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them. 17until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end. 18Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. 19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! 20Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form. PSALM 73:22, 3, 6, 17–20 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 73

Lord, what a thoughtless wretch was I, To mourn, and murmur, and repine To see the wicked plac'd on high, In pride and robes of honour shine! 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 Lord, what a thoughtless wretch was I

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.