are
treasured in every branch of the faith. In the early centuries they
formed the bulk of Christian hymnody. References to their use appear
throughout the New Testament and are familiar to all. And, moreover, the
influence of the Hebrew psalms upon the composition of new hymns is
apparent even in the Gospels.

Keeping these important facts in mind regarding the psalms, the student
may pass on to other hymnic sources in the Old Testament. Many striking
lyrical passages in the Hebrew scriptures, uttered or perhaps repeated in
moments of emotional fervor, were used by later worshippers to express a
similar attitude toward the Divine.[5] Among these may be cited the Songs
of Moses,

I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously (_Ex.
15:1-19_),

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words
of my mouth (_Deut. 32:1-43_);

Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving,

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord (_I Sam. 2:1-10_);

the great hymns in the Book of Isaiah,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (_Isa. 6:3_),

We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and
bulwarks (_Isa. 26:1-21_),

the second part of which begins,

With my soul have I desired thee in the night (_Isa. 26:9-21_);

Jonah's Song,

I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord (_Jonah 2:2-9_);

the Song of Habbakuk,

O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid (_Hab. 3:2-19_)

The apocryphal addition to the Book of Daniel, known as the Song of the
Three Holy Children, may be considered with Old Testament lyrics.
Comprising sixty-seven verses, it was added to _Daniel 3:23_, but,
strictly speaking, its date, author and original language are unknown. It
is probable that it is of Hebrew authorship and belongs to the first
century, B. C. Its use, however, is unquestioned.[6] The first part,

Blessed art Thou, O Lord of our fathers,

is the familiar _Benedictus es, Domine_; and the second part,

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,

is the _Benedicite, omnia opera_.

The term _canticle_, mentioned above, has been applied in a general sense
to such lyrics from the Old Testament and also from the New. "In
practice," says James Mearns, "it means those Songs of Holy Scripture
which have been selected for ecclesiastical use and are appended to, or
incorporated with, the Psalter or other parts of the Divine Office."[7]
Both Eastern