To the hills I lift mine eyes

Details

Hymnal / album Collection of Psalms and Hymns, 2nd edition

Publisher William Strahan

Copyright Public Domain (Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. The publication year, if correct, suggests that this work may be in public domain in the U.S..)

Scripture connections

Expository

This passage is the main idea of the song

Psalm 121

References

Verses this song directly draws from

Deuteronomy 28:6 Deuteronomy 33:27 Psalm 73:23 Luke 18:1 I Thessalonians 5:17

Lyrics

Verse 1
To the hills I lift mine eyes (Ps. 121:1)
The everlasting hills, (Gen. 49:26, Deut. 33:15, Hab. 3:6)
Streaming thence in fresh supplies,
My soul the Spirit feels:
Will he not his help afford?
Help, while yet I ask, is given:
God comes down: the God and Lord
That made both earth and heaven. (Ps. 121:2, Gen. 1:1, Gen. 2:4, Ex. 20:11, Ex. 31:17, II Ki. 19:15, II. Chr. 2:12, Ps. 115:15, Ps. 124:8, Ps. 134:3, Ps. 146:6, Isa. 37:16, Isa. 45:12, Isa. 45:18, Jer. 10:12, Jer. 32:17, Jer. 51:15, Acts 4:24, Acts 14:15, Acts 17:24, Rev. 14:7)

Verse 2
Faithful soul, pray always; pray, (Luke 18:1, Eph. 6:18, I Thess. 5:17)
And still in God confide;
He thy feeble steps shall stay, (Ps. 121:3)
Nor suffer thee to slide: (Ps. 37:23-24)
Lean on the[1] Redeemer’s breast, (John 13:23, John 21:20)
He thy quiet spirit keeps,
Rest in him, securely rest; (Matt. 11:28, Heb. 4:1-11)
Thy watchman never sleeps. (Ps. 121:4)

Verse 3
Neither sin, nor earth, nor hell
Thy keeper can surprize, (Ps. 121:5)
Careless slumber cannot steal
On his all-seeing eyes: (Ps. 121:4)
He is Israel’s sure defence; (Ps. 121:4)
Israel all his care shall prove
Kept by watchful providence,
And ever-waking love. (Ps. 121:4)

Verse 4
See the Lord thy keeper stand (Ps. 121:5)
Omnipotently near:
Lo! He holds thee by thy hand, (Ps. 73:23, Ps. 139:10, Isa. 41:13, Isa. 42:6)
And banishes thy fear; (Isa. 41:10, Isa. 41:13)
Shadows with his wings thy head, (Ps. 17:8. Ps. 91:4)
Guards from all impending harms;
Round thee and beneath are spread
The everlasting arms. (Deut. 33:27)

Verse 5
Thee in evil’s scorching day,
The sun shall never smite; (Ps. 121:6)
Thee the moon’s malignest ray
Shall never blast by night: (Ps. 121:6)
Safe from known or secret foes,
Free from sin and Satan’s thrall,
God, when flesh, earth, hell oppose,
Shall keep thee safe from all. (Ps. 121:7)

Verse 6
Christ shall bless thy going out,
Shall bless thy coming in, (Ps. 121:8, Deut. 28:6)
Kindly compass thee about, (Ps. 32:7)
Till thou art sav’d from sin, (Matt. 1:21)
Like thy spotless Master thou,
Fill’d with wisdom, love, and power,
Holy, pure, and perfect now, (Matt. 5:48, I Pet. 1:15-16)
Henceforth, and evermore. (Ps. 121:8)

[1] Wesley changed “the” to “thy” in 1789.