Sternhold and Hopkins

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The old metrical version of the Psalms that used to be bound up with the Book of Common Prayer and sung in churches. They were mainly the work of Thomas Sternhold (d.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Sternhold and Hopkins” mean?

The old metrical version of the Psalms that used to be bound up with the Book of Common Prayer and sung in churches. They were mainly the work of Thomas Sternhold (d.

Is “Sternhold and Hopkins” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.