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SDAH 372
How beauteous are their feet
Who stand on Zion’s hill;
Who bring salvation on their tongues,
And words of peace reveal!
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: How Beauteous Are Their Feet
Isaac Watts draws from Isaiah 52 and Matthew 13 to celebrate the beauty of those who carry the gospel. In this paraphrase from his 1707 Psalms and Spiritual Songs, Watts points to the joy and privilege of hearing the good news of salvation—something prophets longed to see. The tune ST. THOMAS, set to this text, adds a sense of quiet dignity to the message. As we sing, may we not only praise God for the gospel but also pray to be His messengers, bringing glad tidings to a waiting world.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
This paraphrase by Isaac Watts (1674- 1748; see Biographies) appears in his Psalms and Spirituals Songs, 1707, and is entitled “The Blessedness of Gospel Times; or, the Revelation of Christ to Jews and Gentiles,” followed by the references of Isaiah 52:7-10 and Matthew 13:16,17. By relating three verses from the book of Isaiah to the Lord’s comments recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Watts describes the wonderful blessings experienced by the gospel message. SDAH omits the sixth stanza, a paraphrase of Isaiah 52:10.
ST. THOMAS appears in the New Universal Psalmodist, 1763, by Aaron Williams (1731-1776; see SDAH 344), a music engraver. It was marked “Never before published.” The tune is one quarter of a quadruple Short Meter tune called HOLBORN, which has been attributed to George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) but without supporting evidence. The bass has a flowing part, with only one note repeating the preceeding one.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
How beauteous are their feet
Who stand on Zion’s hill;
Who bring salvation on their tongues,
And words of peace reveal!
2
How charming is their voice,
So sweet the tidings are:
“Zion, behold thy Savior King;
He reigns and triumphs here!”
3
How happy are our ears,
That hear the joyful sound
Which kings and prophets waited for,
And sought, but never found!
4
How blessed are our eyes,
That see this heavenly light;
Prophets and kings desired it long,
But died without the sight!
5
The watchmen join their voice,
And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Isa 52:7 (b) Isa 52:7 (c) Matt 13:16, 17 (d) Matt 13:16, 17 (e) Isa 52:8, 9
Author
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Year Published
1707
Hymn Tune
ST. THOMAS
Metrical Number
S.M.
Tune Source
from Williams’ Psalmody, 1770
