O God, Our Help in Ages Past Isaac Watts, 1719
5 verses, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. O God! our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come;
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Verse 2. Under the shadow of thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Verse 3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
Verse 4. A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night,
Before the rising sun.
Verse 5. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their cares and fears,
Are carried downward by the flood,
And lost in following years.
Words copied from The Otterbein Hymnal (1892). They were published in 1719, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Isaac Watts paraphrased Psalm 90 as O God, Our Help in Ages Past and published it in 1719 in The Psalms of David Imitated. He wrote three paraphrases of parts of the psalm. The one churches sing is the second, which had nine stanzas under the title "Man Frail, and God Eternal." Hymnary says Watts wrote it around 1714, near the end of Queen Anne's reign, when England was anxious about who would rule next. Discipleship Ministries gives no writing date. Watts began the hymn "Our God, our help in ages past." John Wesley changed the first word to "O" in his Collection of Psalms and Hymns. Hymnary dates that change to 1737 or 1738. Discipleship Ministries says Wesley thought "our" suggested a God for the elect only, and it credits his 1780 Collection with the seven-stanza form most editors use. Hymnals today print six or seven stanzas. The tune ST. ANNE is credited to William Croft. Hymnary says he may have written it while organist at St. Anne's in Soho, but no firm documentation exists. It first appeared in 1708 in A Supplement to the New Version, set to Psalm 42. Hymns Ancient and Modern paired it with Watts's words in 1861, and the two have stayed together. Churches sing the hymn at New Year, at funerals and on All Saints' Day.
Isaac Watts
1674-07-17 to 1748-11-25
Isaac Watts was born in Southampton, England, on July 17, 1674, the son of a schoolmaster. He became a Nonconformist minister in London and lived his last years at Stoke Newington. His Hymns and Spiritual Songs first appeared in 1707 with 210 hymns, and a larger second edition followed in 1709. The Psalms of David Imitated came out in 1719. Counts of his hymns vary. Hutchins says more than 800, and Julian lists 454 hymns and psalm versions still in common use. Watts died on November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields in London.
William Croft
1677 to 1727
William Croft was an English organist and composer. Hymnary gives his birth as 1677 in the biography and 1678 in its data. He trained at the Chapel Royal under John Blow and joined it as a Gentleman Extraordinary in 1700. In 1707 he became joint organist with Blow after the death of Jeremiah Clarke, and in 1709 he became organist of Westminster Abbey. He died in 1727. Many of his works survive only in manuscript. The tune ST. ANNE appeared in 1708 in A Supplement to the New Version, and tradition credits it to him, though no firm documentation exists.
- Hymnary.org, text O God, Our Help in Ages Past , read 2026-10-16
- History of Hymns: O God, Our Help in Ages Past (Discipleship Ministries) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, tune ST. ANNE , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in O God, Our Help in Ages Past
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Psalm 90:1 In verse 1 of the hymn
- Psalm 90:2 In verse 2 of the hymn
- Psalm 90:4 In verse 4 of the hymn
- Psalm 90:5-6
O God, Our Help in Ages Past videos
-
O God, Our Help in Ages Past (Grace Community Church) Martijn de Groot, Congregation
-
O God, Our Help in Ages Past (2019) | The Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Choir
-
O God, our help in ages past (St. Anne) Saint Mark's Church, Philadelphia, Choir
-
O God, Our Help In Ages Past - piano instrumental hymn with lyrics Kaleb Brasee, Piano
-
O God Our Help In Ages Past | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video Reawaken Hymns, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Print and project
For Sunday
- Slides for O God, Our Help in Ages Past All 5 verses. Full screen, or a PowerPoint file that ProPresenter and Keynote open.
- Add it to a bulletin Opens the bulletin maker with O God, Our Help in Ages Past in the order of service.
- Add it to a funeral program Opens the funeral program maker with this hymn in the order of service.
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in C.
Questions people ask
What is the history behind O God, Our Help in Ages Past?
Isaac Watts paraphrased Psalm 90 and published it in 1719 in The Psalms of David Imitated. John Wesley later changed the first word from "Our" to "O."
Who wrote O God, Our Help in Ages Past?
Isaac Watts wrote the words. The tune ST. ANNE is credited to William Croft and first appeared in 1708.
What Bible passage is O God, Our Help in Ages Past based on?
Psalm 90. Hymnary ties the stanzas to Psalm 90:1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
What key is O God, Our Help in Ages Past in?
Hymnary lists ST. ANNE in C major.
Is O God, Our Help in Ages Past in the public domain?
Yes. Watts's words were first published in 1719 and Croft's tune in 1708, and both are public domain in the United States. Modern arrangements may be copyrighted.
On this page