The Ten Commandments in Metre

The Ten Commandments in Metre  The numerous versions of the psalms in metre that were published during the Reformation were frequently accompanied by a few hymns, either at the beginning or the end of the book. This is not surprising: ‘The Book of Psalms provided not only models for prayer but also a treasury of moral and religious instruction’ (Zim, 1987, p. 30). They included, among others, the Veni creator spiritus*, the Magnificat*, the Te Deum*, the Benedicite*, the Song of the Three Children from the Apocrypha, and the Ten Commandments (for a full list from 1543 to 1677, see Frost, 1953, pp. 3-50). Some originated from Strasbourg, where Jean Calvin* accepted the call to serve the...