It’s been a while since I chose my own song to review. Lately, I’ve been listening to great hymns, including Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!, All Creatures of our God and King, and yes, How Great Thou Art, thinking through them as I bathe in their Scriptural glory.

How Great Thou Art originated from a Swedish traditional melody and a poem traditionally attributed to Swedish pastor Carl Boberg around the year 1886. With Boberg’s version translated to Russian, English missionary Stuart K. Hine took it upon himself to translate this song from Russian to quasi-Ye Olde English. Adding two stanza’s of his own, Hine published and copyrighted his work in 1949. He later added two optional copyrighted verses in 1953, historically absent from modern publications.

An altered version (Manna Music version; 1955) was popularized during the Billy Graham crusades, chiefly by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows. It blossomed from there, finding multiple versions, translations, and languages to boot, earning a #2 spot on America’s favorite hymns in a survey by Christianity Today magazine in 2001. The #1 favorite was, you guessed it, John Newton’s Amazing Grace.

For this review, I will be utilizing the most popular and well-known version, containing four verses with a refrain repeated after each verse.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Boberg’s original lines kick things off with our amazement at the wonder of God’s creation, pointing us to God’s great power. We respond in worship. Hine’s first added verse clarifies any ambiguity that exists within the refrain, strengthening its biblical accuracy and increasing my overall score. He explains the Gospel in just a few short lines, that Christ’s sacrifice takes away sins. Finally, his second addendum summarizes Christ’s second coming, with our eternal praise and humility in response. He weaves together worship with human response into a cohesive whole.

Despite the quad-refrains, two repeats for each one, somehow Hine managed to escape my notice. Spacing it out between verses is the key to use 8 repeats. Perhaps it is because each verse adds something to why we sing “how great thou art”, putting the rationale in the forefront rather than the actual worship. In any case, Hine’s usage of repetition is a rare moment that strengthens it rather than annoys.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All lines are Biblically sound.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Refers to God as creator, His power and presence manifest in what He has made (Psalm 8:1, Psalm 19:1-4, Psalm 66:5, and Romans 1:18-20).

[Refrain]

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

In response to the wonder of God, we worship, singing about “how great Thou art”, or “how great are you”, referring to God’s unfathomable greatness (Psalm 8:1, Psalm 8:9, and Jeremiah 10:6), with rationale towards salvation, described in more detail in Verse 3.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

Repeats first two lines.

[Verse 2]

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

Repeats the same concept as Verse 1.

[Verse 3]

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,

You got that right! We cannot fully comprehend the depth of Christ’s death.

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Hine’s explains what Christ came to do: die for our sins (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

[Verse 4]

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Refers to Christ’s second coming. While not an exhaustive list, Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15 are the most commonly cited passages.

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!

Our response to His sacrifice and rescue is surrender, forever praising Him (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13). This is the part where thunderous applause is common, with hands raised in worship.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Given its global recognition, we have good reason to think that unbelievers will easily identify this as a worship song. The words are easy to comprehend for anyone willing to examine them, despite their Ye Olde English style.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

How great your art is, whatever that is. Oh wait, I already explained that earlier. It magnifies the greatness of God, with explicit explanation of who He is and what He has done.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

What else can I say about Stuart K. Hine’s How Great Thou Art? Its awesome message seeps throughout each line, easily understood by anyone willing to learn and finding Biblical support, all of which brings glory to God. Sing this one at your churches! Oh wait, you probably already have, around 10-15 years ago. Time to dust the old books…

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: How Great Thou Art (listen to Carrie Underwood’s version, it’s the best I have ever heard)

Artist: Stuart K. Hine

Album: N/A

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 1949 & 1953

Duration: N/A

Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright 1949 and 1953 by the Stuart Hine Trust CIO. All rights in the USA its territories and possessions, except print rights, administered by Capitol CMG Publishing. USA, North, Central and South America print rights and all Canadian rights administered by Hope Publishing Company. All other non US Americas rights administered by the Stuart Hine Trust CIO. Rest of the world rights administered by Integrity Music Europe. Words: Stuart Hine. Music: Based on a Swedish folk melody adapted and arranged by Stuart Hine.

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