IN THY HAND

Earlham School of Religion

Richmond, Indiana

Recently at Meeting for Worship Gary recalled the words of a hymn he sang when he was a student at Earlham School of Religion. He remembered these words from the hymn:

Lord they’ll hast searched me and dost know 

Where I rest, where e're I go

Thou knowest all that I have planned

All my ways are in thy hand.

For the Thou didst form my inner parts

Thou didst knit me together in my mothers womb

Where can I go apart from thee?

Whither from thy presence flee?

Heav'n it is thy dwelling fair

E'en in death Lord, thou art there

The hymn quotes words from Psalms 139.

[1] O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
[2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
[3] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
[4] For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
[5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
[6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
[7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
[8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
[9] If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
[10] Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
[11] If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
[12] Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
[13] For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
[14] I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
[15] My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
[16] Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
[17] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
[18] If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
[19] Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
[20] For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
[21] Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
[22] I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
[24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Although there are several versions of the Hymn on youtube, none exactly matches the version which Gary sang at Earlham. However the the hymn is included in our Quaker Hymnal, Worship in Song, on Page 210. The note in back of the hymnal states: "A close paraphrase of Psalm 139:1-12, by an anonymous author, set to an old shape-note hymn tune [Tender Thought] which is almost pentatonic except for A flat in the sixth measure. This is one of the tunes from the Kentucky Harmony, published by Ananias Davisson in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 1815."

These are the words from Worship in Song:

1 Lord, thou hast searched me and dost know
Wherever I rest, wherever I go;
Thou knowest all that I have planned,
And all my ways are in thy hand.

2 My words from thee I cannot hide;
I feel thy power on every side;
O wondrous knowledge, awesome might,
Unfathomed depth, unmeasured height!

3 Where can I go apart from thee,
Or whither from thy presence flee?
In heaven? It is thy dwelling fair;
In death's abode? Lo, thou art there.

4 If I the wings of morning take,
And far away my dwelling make,
The hand that leadeth me is thine,
And my support thy power divine.

5 If deepest darkness cover me,
The darkness hideth not from thee;
To thee both night and day are bright,
The darkness shineth as the light.

This verse is included in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal:

6 Within the womb you knitted me
so fearfully and wondrously;
I give my maker thankful praise,
whose wondrous works my soul amaze.

I look forward to soon singing Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me at meeting after Gary teaches it to us.

Listen to a group of Mennonites singing this hymn.