Bible Songs — Scriptures, Law, Sabbath

What Says the Bible?

What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?

No. 1305
Tune WHAT SAYS THE BIBLE?
Words F. E. B.
Music F. E. Belden.
Key E-flat major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 9/8
3 stanzas

Words

What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?This should my only question be;Teachings of men so often mislead us,—What says the book of God to me?

Chorus.

What says the Bible? few can tell;What says the Bible? study it well.Keep the commandments, the ten commandments,Look for the coming Saviour too.

Few ever study the law eternal,Few ever seek to know or do;Yet there are some who try to improve it,Touching the fourth commandment too.

How will you answer at Jesus' coming—Ye, who Jehovah's law construe?Can you reply, "I've kept the commandments"?Answer the question, each of you.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «1305» (large, left), title «WHAT SAYS THE BIBLE?» centred (capitals and small capitals, «What Says the Bible?»; the question mark is worn). Under it TWO epigraphs in small type: «"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."—Matt. 15 : 9.» (one line) and «"To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light / in them."—Isa. 8 : 20.» (two lines; old-style figures). On the next line «F. E. B.» at the left (words) and «F. E. BELDEN.» at the right (music, capitals and small capitals). No meter, no tune name other than the title, no reference line, no running head, no tempo or dynamic marks. The three stanzas are interlinear, numbered «1.»–«3.» (the «3» is ink-filled and looks like an «8»), between the staves of systems 1–3; the verse lines run on across the systems and are given here one verse line per line (joined across system breaks: «This should my / on-ly question be;», «Few ey-er / seek», «Ye, who Je- / ho-vah's», and in the chorus «few can / tell;», «Keep the com- / mandments,»). «CHORUS.» (bold capitals) stands over the middle of system 3; the chorus words are printed once, in one line. Under the music, centred: «Copyrighted 1886 by F. E. Belden.» (the last figure of the year is blotted; read 6 — see uncertainties.md). Stanza 2 line 2 is printed «Few ey - er» (a y for the v of «ever»: a printer's slip, kept as printed — see uncertainties.md). The print sets a thin space before «;», «:» and «?» in places («be ;», «do ;», «tell ;», «15 : 9»); it is closed up here; curly quotes and apostrophes are written straight. Spelling and punctuation are the print's.