The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord
Isaac Watts · 1719 · tune UXBRIDGE
Key of G · public domain
Words
In every star Thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold Thy Word,
We read Thy name in fairer lines.
And nights and days Thy power confess;
But the blest volume Thou hast writ
Reveals Thy justice and Thy grace.
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So when Thy truth began its race,
It touched and glanced on every land.
Till through the world Thy truth has run,
Till Christ has all the nations blest
That see the light or feel the sun.
Bless the dark world with heavenly light;
Thy gospel makes the simple wise,
Thy laws are pure, Thy judgments right.
The story
Psalm 19 has a hinge in the middle that has bothered readers for centuries. The first six verses are about the sky, the sun running its course like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, the heavens declaring the glory of God without using words. Then it stops and starts again on an entirely different subject: the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Some have argued these were two separate poems stitched together. Watts read them as one argument and made the join the whole point of the hymn. The stars say something true about God. The Word says more, and says it in fairer lines. The last verse asks for what the first verse describes, but indoors: bless the dark world with heavenly light.
Chords in G
In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.
Common questions
Who wrote The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord? Isaac Watts wrote the words in 1719.
What tune is it sung to? UXBRIDGE, set here in the key of G.
What scripture is it built on? Psalm 19.
Is The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.
The psalm it came from
The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord is Psalm 19 set to a tune. The psalm itself is here in full — King James, Berean Standard and Reina-Valera side by side, with a note on what it is doing and where it sits in the book.
Themes
Psalms · Creation · Scripture