STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Return, O God of love, return &c. Third Part. C. M Breathing after heaven

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 90:13–17, 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. 4

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 4 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 90:13–17 the verse printed above it

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 90:13–17, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

13Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants. 14Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen evil. 16May Your work be shown to Your servants, and Your splendor to their children. 17May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands— yes, establish the work of our hands! PSALM 90:13–17 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 90

Return, O God of love, return; Earth is a tiresome place: How long shall we thy children mourn Our absence from thy face! 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 4. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 4 · ISAAC WATTS · THIS HYMN Return, O God of love, return

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