Both words and music of this Christmas carol were written in 1857 by John Henry Hopkins and appeared in his Carols, Hymns, and Songs, 1863. Objection has been raised to the words in that the Wise Men are not called kings in the Bible, neither is their number given. However, the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh imply three givers. They possibly signify three aspects of our Lord’s life on earth, namely gold for kingship, frankincense for worship, and myrrh for sacrifice, representing Him respectively as king, priest, and lamb. 

Hopkins was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 28,1820, and educated at the University of Vermont, where he graduated in 1839.He spent time as a reporter and continued his study of law, gaining his M.A. in 1845. He then studied at the New York City General Theological Seminary and graduated in 1850. He was the first instructor there in church music, from 1855 to 1857. He founded the Church Journal of the Episcopal Church in 1853 and remained its editor until 1868. After he was ordained in 1872, he was rector of Trinity Church, Plattsburgh, New York, for four years. He then transferred to Christ Church, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In addition to his musical talent, he designed stained-glass windows. He died at Troy, New York, on August 14, 1891. 

By its name, the tune KINGS OF ORIENT recalls the seventh-century tradition that says that the gold was brought by the old man Melchior, the frankincense by the ruddy youth Kaspar, and the myrrh by the swarthy, dark-skinned Balthasar. The music for the stanzas is in the minor key, the refrain then modulating to the relative major key.