Crown Him With Many Crowns
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His Throne;
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for me,
And hail Him as my matchless King
Through all eternity.
Verse 2
Crown Him the Lord of Life,
Who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.
Verse 3
Crown Him the Lord of Peace,
Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
And all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end,
And round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.
Verse 4
Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the King to Whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love
Crown Him with many crowns,
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is King of all.
Verse 5
Crown Him the Lord of Love,
Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Throughout eternity.
Behind the Hymn
"Crown Him with Many Crowns" was written by Matthew Bridges in 1851 and later supplemented by Godfrey Thring in 1874, creating the composite version most commonly sung today. Bridges was an Anglican layman who had converted to Roman Catholicism, deeply influenced by the Oxford Movement and its emphasis on the majesty and mystery of Christ. His original six stanzas were a meditation on the various crowns that belong to Christ — the Crown of Life, the Crown of Love, the Crown of Peace — drawing from the vision in Revelation 19:12 where Christ is seen wearing "many crowns." Thring, a Somerset vicar, added additional stanzas (including the popular "Crown Him the Lord of life" and "Crown Him the Lord of years") because he felt Bridges' version needed supplementing with more Protestant emphasis on Christ's atoning work. The majestic tune "Diademata" was composed by George Job Elvey in 1868, and its triumphant, ascending melody perfectly captures the coronation theme. The hymn is one of the greatest christological hymns ever written, and its comprehensive portrait of Christ as Lord of all creation makes it a fitting companion to "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" — together they form the twin pillars of coronation hymnody.