Delight in Church Ordinances

O Lord of Hosts, how lovely, Thy tabernacles are

Tune: ST. HILDA (Knecht)
Published in 5 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Sibelius
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ

Gather With the Saints (Familiar hymn-tu…

Full Text

1 O Lord of Hosts, how lovely,
Thy tabernacles are;
For them my heart is yearning
In banishment afar.
My souls is longing, fainting,
Thy sacred courts to see;
My heart and flesh are crying,
O living God, for Thee.

2 Beneath Thy care the sparrow
Finds place for peaceful rest;
To keep her young in safety
The swallow finds a nest;
Then, Lord, my King Almighty,
Thy love will shelter me;
Beside Thy holy altar
My dwelling-place shall be.

3 Blest they who dwell in Zion,
Whose joy and strength Thou art;
Forever they will praise Thee,
Thy ways are in their heart.
Though tried, their tears like showers
Shall fill the springs with peace,
And all the way to Zion
Their strength shall still increase.

The Psalter: with responsive readings, 1912

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Text Information

First Line: O Lord of Hosts, how lovely, Thy tabernacles are
Title: Delight in Church Ordinances
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
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Notes

Scripture References:
st.1 = Ps. 84:1-2
st.2 = Ps. 84:3
st.3 = Ps. 84:4-7

Taken form Psalm 84:1-7, “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling” is a prayer of longing for God’s house and for the blessing of serving God there. Stanza 1 describes the beauty of God’s house and the soul’s longing for the joy and comfort of that holy place. Stanza 2 highlights God’s care of his people, combining the images of sparrow and swallow from Psalm 84:3 with the image of God’s sheltering wings found in other psalms (36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 91:4). Stanza 3 extols the blessedness of being God’s people in Zion or the New Jerusalem.

The versification is form the 1912 Psalter, the original first line read “O Lord of hosts, how lovely.” See PHH 84 for other comments on Psalm 84.

Liturgical Use:
Beginning of worship; expressions of longing for the New Jerusalem.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Tune

ST. HILDA (Knecht)

The original form of ST. EDITH (also known as ST. HILDA) was composed in 1793 by Justin Heinrich Knecht for the text “Der neidern Menschhiet Hülle.” It was published in Vollstandige Sammlung … Choralmelodien (1799), edited by Johann Friedrich Christmann and Knecht, who composed ninety-seven o…

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Media

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #243
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Instances

Instances (3)TextImageAudioScore
Lift Up Your Hearts: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs #507Image
Psalms for All Seasons: a complete Psalter for worship #84AImage
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #243TextImageAudioScore
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