parts, "Great was the company of the preachers" expanded for four parts with long coloraturas on "company". 38 How beautiful are the feet of Him The preachers are described tenderly in a duet in D minor and 3/4 time, as written first by Isaiah () and quoted by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (: "How beautiful are the feet of Him". Two alto voices begin and are joined by the choir, stressing "good tidings", "break forth into joy" and culminating on a cantus firmus of one repeated note: "Thy God reigneth!" Block, quoting , reflects that you see the feet of a messenger if you "fall prostrate before a superior. In the Bible, when people are confronted by a heavenly messenger (angel) the natural response is to fall down on one’s face before the messenger." Handel's original version, a duet in D minor for two altos and chorus or soprano, alto and chorus, was later rewritten by him in 1749 as an aria for soprano in G minor and 12/8 time and in 1750 transposed for alto in C minor. 39 Their sound is gone out into all lands Based on a number of Bible references, a tenor arioso describes the preachers further: "Their sound is gone out into all lands" (, ). In another Handel's version (so called version B), which is commonly preferred by performers now, the same text is set to new music and scored for chorus. Scene 6 Scene 6 shows the difficulties and rejection of the preaching, based on four consecutive verses from Psalm 2, . It is the first text in the oratorio actually referring to the Messiah, the "anointed one" (verse 2). 40 Why do the nations so furiously rage together An Air for bass in C major, accompanied by an orchestra in continuous motion, tells of the difficulties. "Why do the nations so furiously rage together". Several terms, such as "Rage", are expressed by long melismas in triplets. 41 Let us break their bonds asunder The choir continues the thought; the intention "Let us break their bonds asunder" is expressed in a fast succession of entries of the voices. 42 He that dwelleth in heaven The text continues in a short tenor recitative: "He that dwelleth in heaven". Scene 7 Scene 7 is called "God's triumph" by Jennens. 43 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron A forceful