167 O God of Bethel, by Whose Hand
Philip Doddridge, 1702-51
and others
A paraphrase of Genesis 28:20-22: “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”
The hymn has undergone certain changes and additions so that it really is a composite production, the details of which need not be enumerated here. Ours is the Scottish version found in the Scottish Paraphrases, 1781. In Scotland it is the best-loved of the paraphrases as “The Lord’s My Shepherd” is the best-loved of the psalms.
For comments on Philip Doddridge see Hymn 56.
MUSIC. SALZBURG is an adaptation of an air in a movement of a Mass composed by J. M. Haydn “for the use of country choirs.” It was originally in 6-8 time. An entirely different tune by the same name is found at Hymn 545.
For comments on Johann Michael Haydn see Hymn 7.