STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

To our almighty Maker, God First Part. Praise for the gospel

Isaac Watts's setting of Psalm 98, 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 · 3 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 98 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 3 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

3 echoes in 12 lines.

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

To our almighty Maker, God

To our almighty Maker, God,

New honours be address'd;

his great salvation shines abroad,

And makes the nations blest.

No line of this stanza quotes a verse closely; it is the hymn's own confession.

The psalm it sets

Watts made this hymn from Psalm 98, "in the language of the New Testament": a paraphrase, not a translation. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

1Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations. 3He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises! … 5 more verses PSALM 98 · ITS FIRST VERSES · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 98

Let the whole earth his love proclaim With all her different tongues; And spread the honours of his Name In melody and songs. STANZA III

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 To our almighty Maker, God

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