From All That Dwell Below the Skies

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From all that dwell below the skies

Author: Isaac Watts (1719)
Opening Hymns
Published in 1266 hymnals

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	From All That Dwell Below the Skies

Piano/Organ
	From All That Dwell Below the Skies

Choral
	Good and Simple Gifts

Representative Text

1 From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creator's praise arise;
Let the Redeemer's name be sung
Through ev'ry land by ev'ry tongue.

2 Eternal are Thy mercies Lord;
Eternal truth attends Thy Word;
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore
Till suns shall rise and set no more.

Baptist Hymnal, 2008

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Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

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Related Texts

First Line:	From all that dwell below the skies
Title:	From All That Dwell Below the Skies
Author:	Isaac Watts (1719)
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Notes:	Spanish translation: "De todos bajo el brillante sol" by Anonymous
Copyright:	Public Domain
Liturgical Use:	Opening Hymns

Year A, Christmas season, First Sunday after Christmas Day
Year A, Easter season, Sixth Sunday
Related to Psalm 66 (NPM)
Year B, Epiphany season, Fourth Sunday

English

10 shown out of 789

Notes

From all that dwell below the skies. I. Watts. [Psalm cxvii.] This paraphrase appeared in his Psalms of David, 1719, as follows:—

"Psalm cxvii. Long Metre.
i.
"From all that dwell below the Skies
Let the Creator's Praise arise:
Let the Redeemer's Name be sung
Thro' every Land, by every Tongue,
ii.
“Eternal are thy Mercies, Lord;
Eternal Truth attends thy Word;
Thy Praise shall sound from Shore to Shore
Till suns shall rise and set no more."

In this its original form this hymn is in extensive use in all English-speaking countries. It has also been translated into several languages, including Latin, by Bingham, in his Hymnologia Christiana Latina, 1871:—" Magna Creatoris cunctis alturn aethera subter."
2. A second form of the hymn appeared about 1780, under the following circumstances. John Wesley, in the Preface to his Pocket Hymn-book for the Use of Christians of All Denominations, dated Nov. 15, 1786, says:—

”A few years ago I was desired by many of our preachers to prepare and publish a small Pocket Hymn-book, to be used in common in our Societies. This I promised to do, as soon as I had finished some other business, which was then on my hands. But before I could do this, a Bookseller stepped in, and without my consent or knowledge, extracted such a Hymn-book chiefly from our works, aud spread several editions of it throughout the kingdom. Two years ago I published a Pocket Hymn-book according to my promise. But most of our people were supplied already with the other Hymns. And these are largely circulated still. To cut off all pretence from the Methodists for buying them, our Brethren in the late Conference at Bristol advised me to print the same Hymn-book which had been printed at York. This I have done in the present volume; only with this difference," &c.

The hymn-book here referred to is:— A Pocket Hymn-book designed as a constant Companion for the pious, collected from Various Authors. York, R. Spence [c. 1780], 5th edition, 1786.
From this hymn-book J. Wesley reprinted in his Pocket Hymn-book, 1786, Watts's “From all that dwell below the skies," with these additional lines in one stanza:—

“Your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring,
In songs of praise divinely sing;
The great salvation loud proclaim,
And shout for joy the Saviour's name:
In ev'ry land begin the song;
To ev'ry land the strains belong;
In cheerful sounds all voices raise,
And fill the world with loudest praise."

The original, together with these lines from the York book, passed into several collections as a hymn in 4 stanzas of 4 lines. The cento in this form is in common use in Great Britain and America.
3. A third form of the text is also in common use. It appeared in the 1830 Supplement to the Wesleyan Hymn Book, No. 690. It is composed of Watts's original, four lines from the York Pocket Book text, and Bp. Ken's doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," &c. This was omitted in the 1875 revised edition of the Wesleyan Hymn Book, in favour of Watts's original text.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

OLD HUNDREDTH

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list below. According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Old 100th first appeared in the Genevan Psalter, and "the first half of the tune contains phrases which may ha…

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DUKE STREET

First published anonymously in Henry Boyd's Select Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1793), DUKE STREET was credited to John Hatton (b. Warrington, England, c. 1710; d, St. Helen's, Lancaster, England, 1793) in William Dixon's Euphonia (1805). Virtually nothing is known about Hatton, its composer,…

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LASST UNS ERFREUEN

LASST UNS ERFREUEN derives its opening line and several other melodic ideas from GENEVAN 68 (68). The tune was first published with the Easter text "Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich sehr" in the Jesuit hymnal Ausserlesene Catlwlische Geistliche Kirchengesänge (Cologne, 1623). LASST UNS ERFREUEN appeared…

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For Leaders

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Most of us have, at some point, made or seen the paper cut-outs of a long chain of people, connected by hands and feet. Or we’ve seen images of a globe with a circle of people from around the world surrounding it, hands grasped in equality and love. This image is evoked once more in the words of Isaac Watts’ hymn, "From All That Dwell Below the Skies". It is a beautiful thing to imagine a whole world of people, stretching across deserts, over mountains, deep in a forest, sitting on ships in the ocean, and lining the streets of a city. It’s even more powerful to envision them with hands joined together and a song of praise on their lips. What is most astonishing is that this vision, more beautiful and powerful than we could ever imagine, will be fully realized. Every voice will be lifted in a cry of praise to our Redeemer. And until that day, though some voices are silent, we know that the whole earth resounds with a song that could only be sung in love of the Creator.

Text:

Isaac Watts wrote this text for his 1719 publication The Psalms of David, Imitated. It was one of three paraphrases he wrote based on Psalm 117, and it was first published in two verses. In 1780 John Wesley published a version with an added two verses. These verses are included in the United Methodist Hymnal, Trinity Hymnal, and Presbyterian Hymnal. A third form of the hymn originated with the doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” as a final verse. This verse is included in the Lutheran Hymnal and Episcopal Hymnal. The original two verses are found in the Baptist Hymnal 2008. Note that Watts uses chiastic structure here at its finest: the first and last line mirror each other, and the middle two are synonymous.

Tune:

There are three tunes that are split almost equally in their use with this hymn text. The first is LASST UNS ERFREUN, commonly associated with the hymn, “All Creatures of our God and King.” When this tune is used, “Alleluias” are added to the text, as in “All Creatures.” Another tune used is OLD HUNDREDTH, the classic doxology tune. Finally, you could use DUKE STREET, commonly associated with ‘Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun,” another of Watt’s famous texts. Information on performing these tunes can be found on the featured hymn pages for “All Creatures” and “Jesus Shall Reign.”

When/Why/How:

Albert Bailey describes this hymn as “the classic of English doxologies” (The Gospel in Hymns, 57). In fact, it could be sung as a doxology, an opening hymn, or a hymn of response to a message on God’s goodness and mercy. It could be sung as the doxology during a service celebrating diversity and the beauty of all of God’s people and creation.

Alternative Harmonization for Organ:

Burkhardt, Michael. As Though the Whole Creation Cried.
Burkhardt, Michael. 5 Psalm Hymn Improvisations
Uppercue, Kevin. Benchmarks (A Service Resource for Organ
Innes, John. Hymn Accompaniments for Organ

Alternative Harmonization for Piano:

Hopson, Hal H. The Creative Use of the Piano in Worship

Choral arrangements:

Burkhardt, Michael. From All That Dwell Below the Skies - using DUKE STREET

Other suggestions:

Wilson, John F. LASST UNS ERFREUEN - Brass arrangement
Linker, Janet. Variations on All Creatures of Our God and King - Organ
Pelz, Walter L. Festival Prelude on Old Hundredth - Organ and Trumpet

Laura de Jong,
Hymnary.org

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Baptist Hymnal 1991 #13

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Baptist Hymnal 2008 #41

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The Cyber Hymnal #1425

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Philadelphia harmony: a collection of Psalm tunes, hymns, and anthems #4a

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The United Methodist Hymnal #101

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Page Scans

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Christian Worship: Hymnal (2021), p.598

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Instances

Instances (601 - 700 of 1266)

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Public Worship, and Approved by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America #P117b

Seamen's Devotional Assistant, and Mariners' Hymns; prepared under direction of the American Seamen's Friend Society #617

Selection from Tate and Brady's Version of the Psalms; with Hymns by Various Authors, for the Church in Brattle-Square #d72

Selection of Hymns for the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church #172

Selection of Hymns for the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church #241

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Piano/Organ From All That Dwell Below the Skies Fourteen (14) American Spirituals and Hymns CREATIVE USE OF THE PIANO IN WORSHIP, THE More Piano/Organ...
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Instrumental Great Is Our God! (Contemporary Solos for Flute) Great Is Our God! (Contemporary Solos for Flute) Festival Prelude on Old Hundredth More Instrumental...
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PowerPoint FROM ALL THAT DWELL BELOW THE SKIES (Gloria Deo 1901 - 89) FROM ALL THAT DWELL BELOW THE SKIES (Presbyterian Hymnal 229) FROM ALL THAT DWELL BELOW THE SKIES (Baptist Hymnal 2008 - 41) More PowerPoint...

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