O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Stanzas 1 and 4 translated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)
Stanzas 2 and 3 translated by Henry S. Coffin (1877–1954)
THIS HYMN is ancient, not only in its text, but also in its music. While the tune used today was not really finalized until the 1800s, it is based on plainsong, which was used in the church during medieval times. The lack of strict rhythmic measures gives the tune a free-flowing style. You can almost imagine the simple intervals echoing through a stone cathedral.
The text developed without the chorus as a series of liturgical phrases used during Advent. Each stanza concentrates on a different biblical name for Christ, making this hymn a rich source for Christian meditation. Jesus is Emmanuel—“God with us”; Wisdom from on high; Desire of nations; Lord of might; Rod of Jesse; Dayspring; and Key of David. As we approach Christmas, let us take some time to think about the nature of the Christ whose coming we celebrate.
[Zechariah prophesied,]“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.”
Luke 1:76-78
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