About The New Metrical Version of the Psalms
The New Metrical Version of the Psalms to one of two major developments in the history of English hymnody: the 1696 "Tate and Brady" version or the various 20th-century revisions intended to modernize the language of the Psalter.
1. The "Tate and Brady" Version (1696)
Historically, this is the most famous "New Version." It was created by Nahum Tate (the Poet Laureate) and Nicholas Brady (a clergyman) to replace the "Old Version" (Sternhold and Hopkins) of 1562.
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Objective: The "Old Version" was criticized for its clunky, rugged, and sometimes archaic rhymes. Tate and Brady sought to provide a more "polished" and poetic rendering in line with the literary standards of the Restoration era.
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Approval: It was authorized by King William III for use in the Church of England, though it took decades to fully displace the Old Version, as many congregations found the new language "too modern" or "theatrically light."
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Famous Hymns: Several staples of modern hymnody originated as selections from this version:
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"As Pants the Hart" (Psalm 42)
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"Through All the Changing Scenes of Life" (Psalm 34)
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"O 'Twas a Joyful Sound to Hear" (Psalm 122)
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2. The 1912 and Modern "New Versions"
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various Reformed and Presbyterian denominations in North America collaborated to create a New Metrical Version to replace older Scottish Psalters.
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The 1912 Psalter: This was a massive undertaking by nine denominations (including the United Presbyterian Church of North America). It broke away from the strict "Common Meter" ($8.6.8.6$) tradition, introducing a vast variety of musical meters and more contemporary English.
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The Psalter Hymnal: This work laid the foundation for the 1934 and 1959/1976 Psalter Hymnals used by the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and other Reformed bodies.
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The "New Metrical Version" (Scottish): In the United Kingdom, the Free Church of Scotland published its own New Metrical Version in 2003, seeking to maintain the accuracy of the original Hebrew while removing "thou/thee" and archaic verb endings.
Comparison of Versions
| Feature | Old Version (1562) | New Version (1696) | Modern Versions (1912+) |
| Authors | Sternhold & Hopkins | Tate & Brady | Inter-denominational Committees |
| Style | Rugged, literal, "plain" | Polished, elegant, poetic | Contemporary, linguistically accessible |
| Meter | Mostly Common Meter ($CM$) | Various, but leaning $CM/LM$ | Wide variety of complex meters |
| Theology | Strict Puritan simplicity | Anglican/Restoration literary | Reformed/Broadly Evangelical |
Significance in Worship
The move to a "New Version" often signaled a shift in how a church viewed worship. While the "Old Version" was seen as a literal transcription of God's Word, the "New Versions" began to treat the Psalms as sacred poetry, paving the way for the eventual transition from strict "Psalm-singing" to the "Isaac Watts" era of freely composed hymns.
