Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

LSB #549 "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Revelation 5:9-14, Hebrews 2:9, Philippians 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16

Revelation 5:9-14:  "9 And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'  11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'  13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!'  14 And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Hebrews 2:9:  "But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

Philippians 2:9-10:  "9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth"

Revelation 19:16:  "On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords."

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The text is public domain:
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
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Philippians 2:9-10 and Revelation 19:16 seem to be combined in the line "All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name."  Philippians 2:9-10 appears in the next line "Let angels prostrate fall" (which may also draw from the Revelation 5 text) and in the last verse:  "Oh that... We at His feet may fall!"  The title "Lord of lords" from Revelation 19:16 is rendered as "Lord of all," repeated at the end of each verse.

Hebrews 2:9 supplies the repeated "crown Him" and also seems to appear in the line "Hail Him who saves you by His grace" in the third verse.

The text from Revelation 5 is the basis for the last two verses.

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The lines "martyrs of our God, / Who from His altar call" in the second verse are drawn from Revelation 6:9-11:  "9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.  10 They cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'  11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been."

"The stem of Jesse's rod" from the same verse comes from Isaiah 11:1:  "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit."

"Whom David Lord did call" in the fourth verse refers to Matthew 22:45, Mark 12:37, and/or Luke 20:44.

"The wormwood and the gall" in the fifth verse may come from Lamentations 3:19:  "Remember my afflictions and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!"