7 July 2026

Douglas J Maclagan wrote a meticulous history of ‘The Scottish Paraphrases’ which was published in December 1888. As he says in the preface, ‘The main portion of this book is taken up with the reprints of the three editions of the Paraphrases.’

He has laid out the three versions of each paraphrase side by side and has analysed their differences. In addition, he acknowledged that when the Paraphrases were published, it wasn’t customary to append the name of the author.

As a result, he spent a considerable amount of time sourcing the original versions and allocating their authorship. In some cases, this wasn’t a straightforward matter. Some were based on well-known hymn-writers like Watts and Doddridge but adapted by less well known Scottish divines.

The three editions were completed in 1745, 1751 and 1781. But it was on 25 May 1741 that the General Assembly proposed ‘that it be recommended to some fitt persons to turn some passages of the Old and New Testament into metre, to be used in the churches as well as in private families’.

Over the next forty years, the General Assembly was prodded into action by the Presbytery of Dundee in 1742 and the Synod of Glasgow and Aye in 1775. The original committee of 1742 comprised 19 ministers and 2 elders with three forming a quorum. In 1744, 5 ministers and 4 elders were added to make 31!

Delays were caused by the Jacobite Rebellion but also by a majority of conservative ministers who were trying to stymie the initiative. In the end, the General Assembly agreed that ‘the collection should be allowed to be used in public worship in congregations where the minister might find it for edification.’

When you consider that it took forty years to produce and use a collection of 67 paraphrases of Scripture, we may marvel at the speed with which the contemporary church has embraced change. In thirty two years, our Kirk produced two editions of the Church Hymnary and two supplements!