Deus, Deus meus

O God my God I watch betime

Author: Thomas Sternhold
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 O God, my God, I early seek
to come to thee in haste;
For why? my soul and body both
do thirst of thee to taste:

2 And in this barren wilderness,
where waters there are none,
My flesh is parch'd for thought of thee,
for thee I wish alone;

3 That I might see yet once again
thy glory, strength and might,
As I was wont it to behold
within thy temple bright.

4 For why? thy mercies far surmount
this life and wretched days;
My lips therefore shall give to thee
due honour, laud and praise.

5 And whilst I live I will not fail
to worship thee alway,
And in thy Name I will lift up
my hands, when I do pray.

6 My soul is as with marrow fill'd,
which is both fat and sweet;
My mouth therefore shall sing such songs
as are for thee most meet.

7 When in my bed I think of thee,
and in the wakeful night,
I under cover of thy wings
rejoice with great delight:

8 My soul doth closely seek to thee,
thy right-hand is my pow'r,
And tho se that seek my soul to slay
death shall them soon devour:

9 The sword shall them devour each one,
their carcasses shall feed
The hungry foxes, which do run
their prey to seek at need.

10 The king and all men shall rejoice,
that do profess God's word;
For liars mouths shall then be stopp'd,
and all their ways abhorr'd.

Source: The Whole Book of Psalms #LXIII

Author: Thomas Sternhold

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 "Athe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O God my God I watch betime
Title: Deus, Deus meus
Author: Thomas Sternhold

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The Whole Booke of Psalmes #33a

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The Whole Book of Psalms #LXIII

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