Holy, Holy, Holy
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning
our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons,
Blessèd Trinity!
Verse 2
Holy, Holy, Holy!
All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden
Crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art,
And evermore shalt be.
Verse 3
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy;
There is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power,
In love, and purity.
Verse 4
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name
In earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy;
Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons,
Blessèd Trinity!
Behind the Hymn
"Holy, Holy, Holy" was written by Reginald Heber, an Anglican bishop who served as a missionary in India, in 1826. Heber originally composed it for Trinity Sunday, drawing on the vision from Revelation 4:8 where heavenly creatures ceaselessly cry "Holy, holy, holy." Heber was known for his literary gifts — he was a friend of Sir Walter Scott and won the prestigious Newdigate Prize at Oxford. Tragically, he died just a year after arriving in India at the age of 43, having collapsed from a stroke after baptizing 42 converts. The hymn was published posthumously and quickly became one of the most recognized hymns in the English-speaking world. Alfred, Lord Tennyson called it the finest hymn in the English language. John Bacchus Dykes composed the tune "Nicaea" specifically for this text in 1861, naming it after the Council of Nicaea where the doctrine of the Trinity was formally affirmed.