STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Almighty Ruler of the skies paraphrased First Part. L. M. The Hosanna of the children; or, Infants praising God

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 8:1–2, 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 8:1–2 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

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

Almighty Ruler of the skies

Almighty Ruler of the skies,

Thro' the wide earth thy name is spread,

And thine eternal glories rise

O'er all the heavens thy hands have made.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 8:1–2, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. 2From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger. PSALM 8:1–2 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 8

Almighty Ruler of the skies, Thro' the wide earth thy name is spread, And thine eternal glories rise O'er all the heavens thy hands have made. 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 Almighty Ruler of the skies

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