GOD THE FATHER >> POWER OF GOD IN NATURE
SDAH 96
The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue, ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Text
1
The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue, ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th’unwearied sun from day to day
Does his Creator’s power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand
2
Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale;
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth;
While all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole
3
What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
“The hand that made us is divine.”
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Ps 19:1, 4 (c) Ps 19:3
Author
Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
Year Published
1712
Hymn Tune
CREATION
Metrical Number
L.M.D.
Tune Source
Arr. from F.J. Haydn (1732-1809) / 1798
Theme
POWER OF GOD IN NATURE
Hymn Score
Piano Accompaniment
Recommended Reading
The general idea when it comes to hymns is that there is a close bond between the author and the composer. That the author writes a hymn and the composer invents a tune to suit it, and then provides the harmony to accompany the tune. However, such wasn’t always the case.
Many hymns actually worked vice versa wherein authors would write verses according to existing tunes. Hundreds of hymns are sung from borrowed tunes, such as secular songs, chants, and even classical works. That being said, I went ahead and researched which hymns in the SDA Hymnal were originally classical works.
Notes
Get to know the hymns a little deeper with the SDA Hymnal Companion. Use our song leader’s notes to engage your congregation in singing with understanding. Even better, involve kids in learning this hymn with our homeschooling materials.
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