how great thou art lyrics

how great thou art lyrics

An In-depth Analysis of the Poetic and Theological Significance of the Hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’

1. Introduction to the Hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’

Consequently, the poem was published with the Lina Sandell appended to it as the composer. Romantically inclined scholars say the mood of the poem is a flashback to a honeymoon journey Carl Boberg took long before the cholera scare, storm, and the near shipwreck. They cannot, however, agree on the time the poem was actually written – 1886, 1888, or 1891. Nor on the place – Vassaro, Mönsterås, or Kronobäck. Irrespective of the date and the place, Boberg’s lyrics were set to an old Swedish folk melody graceful in its distinguished simplicity. The melody, entitled “O Store Gud”, was published for the first time in the 1890 Vårstamöten (Spring Meetings), a Pentecostal Conference songbook.

Written by Carl Gustav Boberg, the hymn actually became famous by being retranslated into English. Stuart K. Hine, an enthusiastic missionary in war-ravaged Eastern Europe, found himself one day in Bolshevo, Russia, caught in a frightening war storm as he walked across the fields. Suddenly, the sky above the whole village and the fields surrounding it were completely filled with dark, menacing clouds, the air in motion, and the leaves of the trees completely still as if held by a mysterious hand. It was a very bad storm, and all he could do was to make for shelter as fast as he could. As he entered home, he thought about the great contrast between the thunderstorm outside and the open sky full of sunshine between the storm and himself. Later that evening, he wrote a poem reflecting on that impelling contrast – i.e., “O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy Hand hath made…” This inspired him to write the original hymn during several stopping places on his route and after reaching Limestone, Michigan, USA, and his mission headquarters.

2. Historical Context and Origins of the Hymn

It is based on an old Swedish text by Carl Boberg, the editor of Sanningsvittnet, a weekly Christian magazine, and it was set to a new arrangement of a Swedish folk tune in the late 19th century. It was translated into German and then into Russian. The final version of How Great Thou Art was written by American preacher Stuart K. Hine who acquired the song from Dr. J. Edwin Orr, the translator of the 1949 Rodeheaver compilation, entitled “Great Hymns of the Faith.” Dr. Orr had used the song in the scansplet Gospel campaigns in the 1920s, for which Hine expresses deep appreciation. The early English and German translations of this hymn were shaped by opposition to war, with the 3rd verse professing hatred for war and longstanding tradition.

The hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ originated as a Swedish folk melody in 1885. It was arranged by Stuart K. Hine. His original English text was first issued in the Rodeheaver revival hymn-drill in 1949. In 1949, two verses from “How Great Thou Art” were published in a book called “Grace and Peace” because a translation of the Russian verses into English. The fourth verse was added in the 1953 edition of the hymnal. And the full text of the hymn first appeared in print in Caryl Micklem’s 1954 hymnal “Hymns”. Initially used without permission, the tune was later popularized by George Beverly Shea during the Billy Graham crusades.

3. Poetic Analysis of the Lyrics

The hymn is distinguished not only by its structure but also its use of poetic devices. Beginning each verse with the word “O,” and starting the first and last stanzas with the repeated line “Then sings my soul,” the hymn becomes a song within a song. Additionally, by repeating the word “how,” the hymn gains a therapeutic, as well as magnifying quality, where emphasis is made on the patent but oft-overlooked wonders of the creation and creator. The full hymn thus becomes a poetic expression composed of a series of poems, and with this disjunction, a subsidiary educational theme is discovered. Indeed, when one traces the intertextual connections between the Hymn of Creation found in the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament and the hymn together with the Scriptures used to compose the hymn in Christian tradition, the entire hymn is seen to fittingly serve another significant theological end beyond that of praise.

The poetry of the hymn is nothing short of remarkable, as each of the six verses sets forth a new argument praising the greatness of God. The first verse poses a question regarding the magnificence of God, and in the second, it is answered by observing the entire universe, giving deference to the Creator. The third verse contemplates that inner longing unique to humanity that can only be satisfied by the realization of the divine. The fourth verse looks to nature and specifically to the birds of the air as an example of the exquisite interrelationship between all things created by God. This then forms the basis for the fifth verse, which points beyond nature and all created things to Jesus as the solution to the inner longing addressed in the third verse. The final verse returns to the cosmic, offering a doxological ending to the hymn, punctuating the ultimate greatness of God with the proclamation, “How Great Thou Art!”

4. Theological Themes and Symbolism in the Hymn

Stuart notes: “The uniqueness of this hymn is the way it poetically celebrates God’s actions in creation, redemption, and the consummation of the ages – the Trinitarian Godhead is thus celebrated. The hymn moves through the various verses from creation to the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and the final reign of the Lord of lords. The magnificent panorama covers the past, the present, and the future.”

The hymn’s “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made” points forward to the many references in the New Testament to Jesus as the “creator and sustainer” of the cosmos or as “the redeemer of creation”. It draws directly from the opening verse of the biblical Book of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We also find such an understanding of Jesus in, for example, the first chapter of the biblical Book of Hebrews, which describes “the Son” as “through whom also He made the worlds”, and in the twenty-first chapter of the biblical Book of Revelation, which tells of “a new heaven and a new earth”.

5. Impact and Legacy of ‘How Great Thou Art’

As the hymn was increasingly used and sung, it started to meet with a similar response as been found later in a number of such texts. They prove to be a moving, transforming experience for many of these singers and listeners still today. It has been particularly popular among African American groups. In other cases, prisoners were known to ask for hymn singing, particularly with this hymn as the favorite. At a YMCA meeting in London, the hymn was such an overwhelming success that it was described as “one of the outstanding hymns of the Reformation, which made it an absolute essential.” It is frequently referred to as a favorite symmetry, such as that known as the Decagon, which was built in downtown Salt Lake City by the Methodist Church.

It is debatable whether any other hymn has had the same kind of worldwide success over such a span of time as “How Great Thou Art.” It has been translated into well over 150 languages and dialects, making it one of the most widely recognized hymns in the world. The circumstances of the hymn’s birth no doubt contributed to its lasting impact and success. The urgent demand for hymns that arose both before and especially after World War II came from churches everywhere, familiar hymns that could guide people in their faith, humanitarian efforts, and their search for peace. It is remarkable that an obscure Swedish folk tune could become an icon of the Christian faith across the world over a relatively brief period. The answer to this question almost certainly lies in the incalculable pull of the hymn text referred to above.