Hark the Herald Angels Sing is a Christmas carol by Charles Wesley, first published in 1739 as Hymn for Christmas-Day and later revised by George Whitefield, who gave it its famous first line. Since the 1850s it has been sung to a tune adapted from Felix Mendelssohn. The carol is a short course in the meaning of Christmas: God and sinners reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:19), God "manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16), and the "Sun of righteousness" rising "with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2). The words and tune are in the public domain.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing is the loudest of the great carols. Where Silent Night whispers, this one shouts, calling all nations to rise and join the angels' song. Charles Wesley wrote it in 1739, the year after his conversion, and packed almost every line with Scripture and doctrine: the virgin birth, the incarnation, Jesus as Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace and the new birth. It is the closing hymn of the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge. Below are the three verses as usually sung, the story of how the carol took its present shape, and 12 KJV verses behind its words. For the angels' song itself, see Angels We Have Heard on High; for more on the name in verse 2, read Emmanuel meaning.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing: the words
Verse 1
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Verse 2
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Verse 3
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Words: Charles Wesley, Hymn for Christmas-Day, in Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739), ten four-line stanzas beginning Hark how all the welkin rings; altered by George Whitefield (1753) and Martin Madan (1760) into the form sung today. Tune: Mendelssohn, adapted by William H. Cummings (1855) from Felix Mendelssohn's Festgesang (1840). Public domain. Note that verse 3 says Sun of Righteousness, from Malachi 4:2, not Son.
God and sinners reconciled (verse 1)
1. Revelation 5:11-12
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
A herald is a messenger who announces the coming of a king. At Bethlehem, the angels were heralds of the newborn King. In heaven, John saw the same angels gathered around the throne, now praising the Lamb who was slain: And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. The song that began over the shepherds' field never stopped.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:19
"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
God and sinners reconciled is the heart of the first verse and of the whole carol. To reconcile is to bring together two parties who were enemies. Paul explains how God did it: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Christmas is not only about a baby. It is about God coming in person to make peace with people who had turned against Him. Peace on earth, and mercy mild: the peace of Christmas begins with peace with God. See Bible verses about grace.
3. Psalms 117:1
"O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise. The shortest psalm in the Bible is a call to the whole world: O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. Paul quotes it in Romans 15:11 to show that God always meant to save people from every nation, not Israel alone. The angels told the shepherds their news was good tidings of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). Wesley's first verse picks up that worldwide note: Christ is born in Bethlehem, but the triumph of the skies is for every nation on earth.
4. Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Peace on earth comes from the angels' song in Luke 2:14, but what kind of peace did they mean? Paul answers that the deepest peace is between God and us, and it comes through Christ: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Justified means declared right with God. The world has rarely been at peace since that first Christmas. But anyone who trusts in Christ can have peace with God today, and that peace changes how we treat others. See Bible verses about peace.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see (verse 2)
5. Hebrews 1:6
"And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
Christ, by highest heaven adored. Hebrews says that when God brought His Son into the world, He commanded the angels to worship Him: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. Angels worship only God. So the angels' song at Bethlehem is a statement about who the baby is. Christ, the everlasting Lord: the newborn King in the manger is the One the highest heaven adores. Firstbegotten here is a title of honor and rank, the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2).
6. Isaiah 7:14
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of a virgin's womb. Wesley is pointing to Isaiah's sign to King Ahaz: Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Matthew quotes this verse when he tells of the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:22-23). Late in time means after long waiting: centuries passed between the promise and its fulfillment. Jesus, our Emmanuel, at the end of verse 2, completes the thought: the virgin's son is God with us. See Emmanuel meaning.
7. 1 Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity. This is one of the clearest statements of the incarnation in any carol, and it rests on verses like this one: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Incarnate means in the flesh. In Jesus, God did not just send a message. He came Himself, His glory veiled in a human body, seen of angels at Bethlehem.
8. John 1:14
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Pleased as man with man to dwell. John says it plainly: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. The word dwelt means pitched His tent, the same idea as the tabernacle, where God lived among Israel in the wilderness. Wesley adds that God was pleased to do it. The incarnation was not a reluctant duty. God was glad to come and live with us. See Bible verses about Christmas.
Born to give them second birth (verse 3)
9. Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Verse 3 begins with a title from Isaiah's great Christmas prophecy: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. A child is born: He is truly human. A son is given: He came from heaven as a gift. Heaven-born Prince of Peace holds both together. For more of this prophecy and others, see prophecies about Jesus.
10. Malachi 4:2
"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Risen with healing in His wings. Many people sing Son, but Wesley wrote Sun, quoting the last chapter of the Old Testament: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. The wings are the rays of the rising sun spreading over the earth. After four hundred years of silence between Malachi and the angels, the Sun rose at Bethlehem. Light and life to all He brings.
11. Philippians 2:6-7
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
Mild He lays His glory by. Paul's hymn in Philippians describes the same step down from heaven: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: He did not stop being God. He laid aside the display of His glory and took the place of a servant. The verse goes on to say He humbled Himself to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). Born that man no more may die: the manger led to the cross. See Bible verses about humility.
12. John 3:3
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. The carol ends with the new birth. Jesus told Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel who came to Him by night: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Second birth means being born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:5-6). Wesley, who had experienced this himself, saw the connection: Jesus was born once in Bethlehem so that we could be born again. The best Christmas gift is a new life. See John 3:16 meaning.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, newborn King, I join the herald angels in giving You glory. Thank You that in You God and sinners are reconciled, and that I can have peace with God through faith. You are the everlasting Lord, veiled in flesh, Emmanuel, God with us. You laid Your glory by and were born so that I would not die. Rise on my life as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in Your wings. Give me the second birth and make me new, and let me praise You with all the nations. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Hark the Herald Angels Sing?
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) wrote the words, published in 1739 in Hymns and Sacred Poems as Hymn for Christmas-Day. His opening line was Hark how all the welkin rings, welkin being an old word for the sky. George Whitefield changed it to Hark! the herald angels sing in 1753, and Martin Madan made further changes in 1760. The text sung today combines their work.
Who wrote the music for Hark the Herald Angels Sing?
The tune comes from Felix Mendelssohn's Festgesang, a secular cantata he wrote in 1840 for a festival celebrating Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press. In 1855 William H. Cummings, an English organist, adapted it to Wesley's words. Mendelssohn is reported to have said the music would not suit sacred words, but the pairing became one of the best-known carols in the world.
Is it Sun of Righteousness or Son of Righteousness?
Wesley wrote Sun of Righteousness, quoting Malachi 4:2, where the Sun of righteousness arises with healing in his wings. The image is of sunrise, with the sun's rays pictured as wings. Many people sing or print Son because Jesus is the Son of God, but the original word, and the one that matches the next line, is Sun.
Is Hark the Herald Angels Sing in the public domain?
Yes. Wesley's words (1739), Whitefield's and Madan's changes (1753, 1760), Mendelssohn's music (1840) and Cummings's adaptation (1855) are all in the public domain. Modern arrangements, such as the descant used at King's College, Cambridge, and recordings may be under copyright, but the traditional words and tune are free to use.
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.
Related: Christmas · Silent Night · O Come, All Ye Faithful · Joy to the World · Emmanuel meaning · Names of Jesus · Angels · Peace
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