STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Let children hear the mighty deeds First Part. Providence of God recorded; or, Pious education and instruction of children

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 78, 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 · 4 stanzas

IN HYMNALS

181 listed at Hymnary.org

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

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 78, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, 3that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. 4We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed. … 68 more verses PSALM 78 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 78

He bids us make his glories known, His works of power and grace; And we'll convey his wonders down Thro' every rising race. 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 1. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 1 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Let children hear the mighty deeds

Where hymnals place it

Printed hymnals list, for each hymn, the Bible passages it goes with, so a church can choose a hymn for the day's reading. Gathered from the hymnals Hymnary.org catalogues, editors have tied this hymn to 1 passage in 1 book. One square is one passage; a ringed square is one the hymn's own lines echo. Point at a square to read it; click to open it beside the page.

Psalms 1

PSALM 78:1–7ECHOED IN STANZA I, III, IV

1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, 3that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. 4We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed. … 3 more verses

a passage hymnals tie it to one its lines echo (1)

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.