STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Sing to the Lord aloud The warnings of God to his people; or, Spiritual blessings and punishments

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 81:1, 8–16, 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. 81

METRE

Short Metre 6.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 81:1, 8–16 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 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 81:1, 8–16, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob. 8Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me! 9There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god. 10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it. 11But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. 12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, 14how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes! 15Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever. 16But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” PSALM 81:1, 8–16 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 81

Sing to the Lord aloud, And make a joyful noise; God is our strength, our Saviour God; Let Israel hear his voice. 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 81. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 81 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Sing to the Lord aloud

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