All Glory, Laud and Honor is the classic Palm Sunday hymn. It was written in Latin around 820 by Theodulf, bishop of Orleans in France, and translated into English by John Mason Neale in the 1850s. It retells Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, when crowds waved palm branches and children cried Hosanna, and invites the church to join them. Its refrain praises Christ as Redeemer and King, To Whom the lips of children made sweet Hosannas ring, an echo of Matthew 21:15-16. Palm Sunday in 2027 is March 21.
Theodulf was one of the leading scholars at the court of Charlemagne and became bishop of Orleans. After Charlemagne died, Theodulf was accused of plotting against the new emperor and was imprisoned at Angers. A well-known story says that on Palm Sunday the emperor passed beneath his cell during the procession, heard him singing this hymn, and set him free. The story may be a legend, but the hymn itself has been sung in Palm Sunday processions for more than a thousand years, often with the choir singing the verses and the whole congregation answering with the refrain. In many churches children carry palm branches as it is sung, just as children shouted in the temple on the first Palm Sunday. Below are the words as printed in 1861, followed by 12 KJV passages from the triumphal entry and the praise it calls for.
All Glory, Laud and Honor: the words
Refrain (sung first)
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Verse 1
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David's Royal Son,
Who in the Lord's Name comest,
The King and Blessed One.
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Verse 2
The company of Angels
Are praising Thee on high,
And mortal men, and all things
Created make reply.
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Verse 3
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went,
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before Thee we present.
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Verse 4
To Thee before Thy Passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee now high exalted
Our melody we raise.
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Verse 5
Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honour
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.
Words: Theodulf of Orleans (about 750-821), from his Latin hymn Gloria, laus et honor, written about 820; English translation by John Mason Neale (1851, revised 1859). Text copied from the first music edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern (London: Novello, 1861), The Sunday next before Easter (Palm Sunday), under the text Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise (Internet Archive scan, Princeton Theological Seminary copy). That printing gives the refrain in full first and then All glory, &c. after each verse; it is written out here. American hymnals spell it All Glory, Laud and Honor. Tune: St. Theodulph (Valet will ich dir geben), Melchior Teschner (1615). Public domain.
Sweet Hosannas ring: the King comes to Jerusalem
1. Matthew 21:9
"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."
The first verse of the hymn hails Christ as the One Who in the Lord's Name comest, the King and Blessed One. Those words come from the crowd on the road into Jerusalem: And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna is a Hebrew cry meaning save, we pray, which had become a shout of praise. Blessed is he that cometh is from Psalm 118, sung by pilgrims on their way to the temple. The crowd was hailing Jesus as the promised King.
2. Matthew 21:15
"And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,"
The refrain singles out the children: To Whom the lips of children made sweet Hosannas ring. Matthew records that after Jesus cleansed the temple, the leaders saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased. The adults with power were offended, and the children with no power were praising. Jesus had just healed the blind and the lame in the temple courts, and the children simply said what they saw. That is why Palm Sunday processions so often put children in front with their palm branches.
3. Matthew 21:16
"And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
The 1861 hymnal printed this hymn under one line: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise. It is Jesus' reply to the angry leaders: And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? He was quoting Psalm 8:2, a psalm about the praise of God. By applying it to the praise He was receiving, Jesus quietly claimed to be the God of Psalm 8. The simple hosannas of children were the praise God Himself had prepared.
4. Zechariah 9:9
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
Jesus' ride into Jerusalem was a deliberate fulfillment of prophecy. Five centuries earlier Zechariah wrote: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass. Kings rode horses to war; a king on a donkey came in peace. The hymn calls Him Thou David's Royal Son and the King of Israel, and both titles point here. He came as King, but as a lowly King bringing salvation. See our page on Palm Sunday Bible verses for the full story.
With palms before Thee went: the crowd, the stones and the great multitude
5. John 12:12-13
"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Only John tells us the branches were palms: On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. Palms were a national symbol of victory, used to welcome conquering heroes. The crowd hoped Jesus would drive out the Romans. He had come for a greater victory over sin and death. The hymn's line The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went is drawn from this verse.
6. Mark 11:8
"And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way."
And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. Spreading cloaks on the road was how Israel welcomed a king; the people did the same for Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13. Strawed means scattered. The crowd made a royal carpet out of whatever they had. The hymn turns that act into worship: Our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present. We do not have cloaks to spread on a road in Jerusalem, but we can lay our praise and our lives before the same King.
7. Luke 19:39-40
"And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
Some Pharisees told Jesus to silence His followers. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. The hymn's second verse says the angels are praising Him on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply. Jesus' answer shows why. Creation itself owes Him praise. If people refused to give it, the stones of the road would. Palm Sunday is not about a crowd's mood but about the true identity of the One riding by, the Creator coming to His own city.
8. Revelation 7:9-10
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
The palms of Palm Sunday appear again in heaven. John saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. They cry, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. The Jerusalem crowd waved palms for a few hours and then many turned away. This crowd will wave them forever. The hymn's line To Thee now high exalted our melody we raise joins earthly worship to that heavenly scene.
To Thee now high exalted: our praise to the good and gracious King
9. Ephesians 1:20-21
"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:"
The fourth verse contrasts then and now: To Thee before Thy Passion they sang their hymns of praise; to Thee now high exalted our melody we raise. Paul describes Christ's exaltation: God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named. The crowd on Palm Sunday praised a King on His way to die. We praise the same King risen and reigning. That is why Palm Sunday leads into Holy Week; see our Holy Week timeline.
10. Psalms 24:7
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24 was probably sung when the ark was carried into Jerusalem, and churches have long read it on Palm Sunday. The question follows: Who is this King of glory? The answer is the LORD strong and mighty. When the gates of Jerusalem opened for Jesus, the city did not realize that the King of glory was coming in. All Glory, Laud and Honor asks us not to make the same mistake, but to open the gates of our hearts to Him.
11. Hebrews 13:15
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
Our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present. Hebrews tells Christians what kind of sacrifice we still bring: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. The animal sacrifices ended with the cross, but praise has not ended. It is offered by him, through Christ, and it is to be continual, not only on Palm Sunday. A thousand years of processions singing this hymn are part of that offering, and every voice that joins the refrain adds to it.
12. Psalms 145:9
"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."
The hymn's last verse calls Christ the One Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King. The psalmist says of the LORD, The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. A good king delights in doing good to his people. Jesus showed that goodness throughout Holy Week, weeping over Jerusalem, healing in the temple and praying for those who crucified Him. Theodulf, writing from prison, could still call his King good and gracious. Whatever our circumstances, we can ask Him to accept our prayers on the same ground: He is good.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, all glory, laud and honour to You, our Redeemer and King. You came to Jerusalem lowly, riding on a donkey, bringing salvation. Like the children in the temple, I want to cry Hosanna, and like the crowd I lay my life before You. You are now high exalted, far above every name, yet You still accept the praises of Your people. Accept my prayer today, good and gracious King, and keep me praising You not only on Palm Sunday but through every day of the week that follows. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
Who wrote All Glory, Laud and Honor?
The Latin hymn Gloria, laus et honor was written around 820 by Theodulf (about 750-821), bishop of Orleans and a scholar at the court of Charlemagne. John Mason Neale translated it into English in 1851 and revised it for later hymnals. The tune St. Theodulph was composed by Melchior Teschner in 1615.
Why is All Glory, Laud and Honor sung on Palm Sunday?
It was written for the Palm Sunday procession and has been sung in that procession for over a thousand years. It retells Jesus' entry into Jerusalem from Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19 and John 12, and its refrain recalls the children who cried Hosanna in the temple. Palm Sunday in 2027 falls on March 21, one week before Easter.
Is the story about Theodulf in prison true?
It is an old tradition, not certain history. Theodulf was imprisoned at Angers around 818 after being accused of conspiring against Emperor Louis the Pious. The story that the emperor heard him singing the hymn on Palm Sunday and released him appears in later sources and may be a legend.
What does laud mean in All Glory, Laud and Honor?
Laud is an old English word for praise, from the Latin laus. The phrase All glory, laud, and honour translates the Latin Gloria, laus et honor: glory, praise and honor given to Christ the King.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
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