Thomas Sternhold

Short Name: Thomas Sternhold
Full Name: Sternhold, Thomas, d. 1549
Birth Year (est.): 1449
Death Year: 1549

Thomas Sternhold was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI. With Hopkins, he produced the first English version of the Psalms before alluded to. He completed fifty-one; Hopkins and others composed the remainder. He died in 1549. Thirty-seven of his psalms were edited and published after his death, by his friend Hopkins. The work is entitled "All such Psalms of David as Thomas Sternhold, late Groome of the King's Majestye's Robes, did in his Lyfetime drawe into Englyshe Metre." Of the version annexed to the Prayer Book, Montgomery says: "The merit of faithful adherence to the original has been claimed for this version, and need not to be denied, but it is the resemblance which the dead bear to the living." Wood, in his "Athenae Oxonlenses" (1691, vol. I, p. 62), has the following account of the origin of Sternhold's psalms: "Being a most zealous reformer, and a very strict liver, he became so scandalized at the amorous and obscene songs used in the Court, that he, forsooth, turned into English metre fifty-one of David's psalms, and caused musical notes to be set to them, thinking thereby that the courtiers would sing them instead of their sonnets; but they did not, some few excepted. However, the poetry and music being admirable, and the best that was made and composed in these times, they were thought fit to be sung in all parochial churches." Of Sternhold and Hopkins, old Fuller says: "They were men whose piety was better than their poetry, and they had drunk more of Jordan than of Helicon." Sternhold and Hopkins may be taken as the representatives of the strong tendency to versify Scripture that came with the Reformation into England--a work men eagerly entered on without the talent requisite for its successful accomplishment. The tendency went so far, that even the "Acts of the Apostles" was put into rhyme, and set to music by Dr. Christopher Tye.
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872.


Texts by Thomas Sternhold (55)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
All people that on earth do dwellSternhold (Author)English2
All ye that fear Him, praise the LordThomas Sternhold (Author (stanza 1))2
Ascribe to God, ye sons of menThomas Sternhold (Author)English2
Attend, my people, to my law; Thereto give thou an earThomas Sternhold (Author)English3
Blessed art thou that fearest GodThomas Sternhold (Author)English3
Give to the Lord ye PotentatesThomas Sternhold (Author)3
Help Lord for good and godly menT. S. (Author)3
How ever it be yet God is goodThomas Sternhold (Author)3
How long wilt Thou forget me, Lord, Shall it forever beT. S. (Author)English1
How long wilt Thou forget me Lord? Shall I never be remembered?Thomas Sternhold (Author)English2
I lift my heart to thee, My God and Guide most justThomas Sternhold (Author)English10
I trust in God, how dare ye thenT. S. (Author)English3
I will give laud and honour bothThomas Sternhold (Author)3
In my distress I sought my GodThomas Sternhold (Author)2
In trouble and adversityThomas Sternhold (Author)3
In trouble and in thrallThomas Sternhold (Author)English3
Incline thine eares unto my wordsT. S. (Author)English3
Joy to the world! the Lord is come!Thomas Sternhold (Author)English2
Judge and revenge my cause O LordThomas Sternhold (Author)3
Let God arise and then his foesT. S. (Author)3
Lord be my Judge and thou shalt seeThomas Sternhold (Author)3
Lord in thy wrath reprove me notThomas Sternhold (Author)3
Lord keep me for I trust in thee And do confess indeedThomas Sternhold (Author)English3
My shepherd is the living Lord, Nothing therfore I needT. S. (Author)3
My Shepherd is the living Lord, Now shall my wants be well suppliedThomas Sternhold (Author (1st quartrain))English1
My Shepherd is the living Lord, I therefore nothing needThomas Sternhold (Author)English16
My soul give laud unto the LordT. S. (Author)English3
O God my God I watch betimeT. S. (Author)3
O God my God, wherefore dost thouThomas Sternhold, 1500-1549 (Author)3
O God, my strength and fortitudeThomas Sternhold (Author)English32
O God our Lord how wonderfulT. S. (Author)3
O God that art my righteousnessThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O Lord give eare to my just causeThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O Lord, how are my foes increased? Against me many riseThomas Sternhold (Author)English4
O Lord how are my foes increased, Which vex me more and moreThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O Lord how joyfull is the KingThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O Lord my God I put my trustThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O Lord within thy TabernacleThomas Sternhold (Author)3
O thou my soul, bless God the LordT. Sternhold (Author)English2
O Lord that heaven dost possesseT. S. (Author)English3
Oft they (now Israel may say)Thomas Sternhold (Author)English1
Our ears have heard our fathers tellT. S. (Author)English3
The foolish man is that which heThomas Sternhold (Author)3
The heavens and the firmamentThomas Sternhold (Author)3
The Lord descended from above, And bowed the heavens most highThomas Sternhold (Author)English132
The man is blest that careful isThomas Sternhold (Author)3
The man is blest that hath not bentThomas Sternhold (Author)3
The man is blest whose wickednesseThomas Sternhold (Author)3
There is no God as foolish menT. S. (Author)3
Thou art (O Lord) my strength and stayT. S. (Author)3
Thy praise alone, O Lord, doth reignThomas Sternhold (Author)English3
What is the cuase that thou O LordT. S. (Author)2
Why did the Gentiles tumults raise?T. S. (Author)4
With heart & mouth unto the LordThomas Sternhold (Author)3
Ye men on earth in God rejoiceThomas Sternhold (Author)3
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