Now Israel May Say

Representative Text

1 Now Israel may say, and that truly,
if that the Lord had not our cause maintained;
if that the Lord had not our right sustained,
when cruel men against us furiously
rose up in wrath, to make of us their prey;

2 Then certainly they had devoured us all,
and swallowed quick, for aught that we could deem;
such was their rage, as we might well esteem.
And as fierce floods before them all things drown,
so had they brought our soul to death quite down.

3 The raging streams, with their proud swelling waves,
had then our soul o'erwhelmèd in the deep.
But blest be God, who doth us safely keep,
and hath not given us for a living prey
unto their teeth, and bloody cruelty.

4 Even as a bird out of the fowler's snare
escapes away, so is our soul set free:
broke are their nets, and thus escapèd we.
Therefore our help is in the Lord's great Name,
who heaven and earth by his great power did frame.

Source: Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #84

Author: William Whittingham

(no biographical information available about William Whittingham.) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Now Israel may say, and that truly
Title: Now Israel May Say
Author: William Whittingham
Meter: 10.10.10.10
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

OLD 124TH

GENEVAN 124 (also known as OLD 124TH) was first published in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter. Dale Grotenhuis (PHH 4) harmonized the tune in 1985. One of the best known from the Genevan Psalter, the tune is published in most North American hymnals. By 1564 it was adopted in English and Scott…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 7 of 7)

American Hymns Old and New #18

Text

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #84

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #84

TextPage Scan

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #P124b

TextPage Scan

The Presbyterian Hymnal #236

Together in Song #79

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #614

Include 19 pre-1979 instances
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