O Come, Emmanuel

Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel

Oh, come, oh, 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!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save;
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations,
bind In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Hymn # 31 from Lutheran WorshipAuthor: French Processional
Translated: John Neal, 1818-66 Tune: Veni Emmanuel1st Published in: 1854


Imagine back with me now, to the Medieval Catholic church with cold, stone floors and vacant, vaulted ceilings. Imagine a solemn chant, the earliest form of singing in the church, echoing through the chilled winter air. It is a pleading, longing chant of the Israelites for the coming of their Savior, for deliverance from all captivity and sorrows. It is a longing we all share as God’s children on the earth.

Veni, veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio,

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

And then the comforting answer to the supplication:

Gaude, gaude,
Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel.

Rejoice, rejoice.
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O, Israel.

The origins of the haunting melody are unclear, though they are commonly considered to be 12th Century. However, it may have begun as early as the 8th century. It was sung in the Advent season, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. The Hymn began as a series of Antiphons-short statements sung at the beginning of the Psalm or of the Magnificat at Vespers, the evening prayers. Each of the Antiphons greets the Savior with one of the various titles to which He is referred in the Scriptures.

1. Emmanuel
O EMMANUEL, God with us, Our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: COME to save us, O Lord our God.

Matt. 1: 23
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

2. Wisdom
O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: COME, and teach us the way of prudence.

Proverbs 8:14
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

3. Lord of Might
O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: COME, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
Micah 2
2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

4. Root of Jesse
O ROOT OF JESSE, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: COME, to deliver us, and tarry not.
Isa. 11: 10, 2 Ne. 21: 10
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

4. Key of David
O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: COME, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Isa. 22: 22
22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

5. Daysrpring, meaning dawn or daybreak
O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice: COME, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Luke 1:67-79
When Zacharias could speak again after John the Baptist was born, he prophesied that Christ would
77…give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

6. Desire of Nations
O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: COME, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.
Hag. 2: 7
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

Rejoice, rejoice.
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O, Israel.

I testify to you that these prophesies were fulfilled, that Jesus Chris was born in Bethlehem to Mary who wrapped him warmly and laid him in a manger. His birth was announced by glorious angels of His Father, the Most High God. He began his earthly ministry as a humble carpenter and taught his followers peace and hope through repentance. We can rejoice, because Emmanuel has come to Israel, redeemed us from temporal and spiritual death, and will return again to usher in the millennial dispensation. Let us continue to sing glad Noels to our Savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Works Cited
The Bible, King James translation.
The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1299.asp Charlene E. Fairchild 2002 - 2006
http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/3819/0578.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_come,_O_come,_Emmanuel
Title: O Come ImmanuelBy: Ray C. StedmanSeries: Isaiah: A Short Series Scripture: Isaiah 7, 9 Message No: 3 Catalog No: 578 Date: December 22, 1985
http://christianmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/neales_o_come_o_come_emmanuel
Prayer for the Jubilee by Kathy Coffey
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/sr-oantiphons.php

© 2008 Penny Lee Soutar Kjelgaard