The First Noel is a traditional English Christmas carol from Cornwall, first printed in its present form in 1823 and 1833 and sung today in John Stainer's 1871 arrangement. Noel (old spelling Nowell) is an old word for Christmas, from the French Noël and the Latin natalis, birthday. The carol tells two Gospel stories in one song: the angel's news to the shepherds in Luke 2 and the star that led the wise men in Matthew 2. The wise men asked, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). The words and tune are in the public domain.
The First Noel is one of the oldest carols still sung everywhere at Christmas. No one knows who wrote it. It was sung in Cornwall long before anyone printed it. Its six verses move like a little Christmas play: shepherds in the cold fields, a star in the east, wise men on the road, the star stopping over Bethlehem, gifts at the feet of the child, and a final call to praise the Lord who made the world and bought it with His blood. Below are the words, the meaning of Noel, and 12 KJV verses behind the carol, verse by verse. For the wise men, see the three wise men; for another star carol, see We Three Kings.
The First Noel: the words
Verse 1
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep:
Verse 2
They looked up and saw a star,
Shining in the east, beyond them far:
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night:
Verse 3
And by the light of that same star,
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wheresoever it went:
Verse 4
This star drew nigh to the north-west;
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay:
Verse 5
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense:
Verse 6
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with His blood mankind hath bought:
Refrain:
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Words: traditional English carol of Cornish origin. Its current form was first printed in Davies Gilbert's Some Ancient Christmas Carols (second edition, 1823) and William Sandys's Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833); the text above follows Bramley and Stainer's Carols, New and Old (1871), as transcribed on Wikipedia and compared with Sandys's 1833 text, with the old spelling Nowell modernized to Noel. The refrain is sung after every verse. Public domain. Some books print the angels did say, or leave out verse 6.
Certain poor shepherds (verse 1)
1. Luke 1:52
"He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree."
To certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay. Why did God send the first Christmas news to shepherds? Mary had already sung the answer months before Jesus was born: He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Low degree means humble rank. Shepherds were poor and often looked down on. Yet God passed over palaces and temple courts and sent His angel to a hillside. The First Noel begins with these overlooked men on purpose. The good news of Jesus still comes first to people who know they have nothing to offer. For the full account, read the Christmas story in the Bible.
2. Psalms 78:70-71
"He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance."
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep. Bethlehem had known a famous shepherd before. David, the greatest king of Israel, grew up in those same hills: He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. God took a shepherd boy and made him king. About a thousand years later, the shepherds of Bethlehem were told that the Son of David had been born in David's own town. It was fitting that men who watched sheep heard first about the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the King who would feed His people. See prophecies about Jesus.
3. 1 Corinthians 1:27
"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"
On a cold winter's night that was so deep. The carol paints an English winter, and the shepherds look small and cold under a dark sky. That is often how God works. Paul writes: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. Confound means put to shame. The first witnesses of Christmas had no rank and no learning that the world respected, yet they were the ones who saw the Savior and told everyone what they had seen (Luke 2:17). See Bible verses about humility.
4. John 1:49
"Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."
Born is the King of Israel. The refrain is a confession of faith. Years later, when Nathanael met Jesus, he said the same thing: Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. King of Israel is a title for the Messiah, the promised son of David. The carol sings it over and over, after every verse, because that is the heart of the story: the baby in the manger is the King God promised. The same title was written over His cross (John 19:19), as King of the Jews. See prophecies about Jesus.
They looked up and saw a star (verses 2 to 4)
5. Psalms 147:4
"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."
They looked up and saw a star, shining in the east, beyond them far. The God who sent the star to Bethlehem is the God who made and knows every star: He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Telleth means counts. The verse just before says He healeth the broken in heart (Psalm 147:3), setting the size of the heavens beside the tenderness of His care. The star of Bethlehem was not an accident of the sky. It was placed and timed by the One who names the stars, to lead seekers to His Son. See Bible verses about stars.
6. Isaiah 60:1
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee."
And to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night. Isaiah's great chapter about the nations coming to God's light begins with a command: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. The light Isaiah means is not a star but the glory of the LORD Himself, rising over His people like the sun at dawn. The wise men followed a star, but what they found was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:9). Many churches read this chapter at Epiphany on January 6, when they remember the Magi. See Bible verses about light.
7. Revelation 22:16
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
By the light of that same star, three wise men came from country far. The Bible ends with Jesus describing Himself in star language: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. The morning star is the last star still shining before dawn, a promise that the night is nearly over. The star of Bethlehem led the wise men to Jesus; in the end Jesus is Himself the star, the sign that a new day is coming. See We Three Kings.
8. Psalms 19:1
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
This star drew nigh to the north-west; o'er Bethlehem it took its rest. Old folk carols love homely details like this, and no one needs to work out the compass. The deeper point is that the sky itself served God's purpose: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Firmament means the wide expanse of the sky. Every night the heavens preach without words, and once, over Bethlehem, a light in the sky did both stop and stay right over the place where Jesus lay. See Bible verses about nature.
Gold and myrrh and frankincense (verses 5 and 6)
9. Psalms 96:8
"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts."
Then entered in those wise men three, full reverently upon their knee, and offered there in His presence their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Matthew says they fell down and worshipped the child first, and only then opened their treasures (Matthew 2:11). An old psalm calls every nation to the same order: Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. Glory first, then the gift. Christians have long seen meaning in the three gifts: gold for a king, frankincense for God, myrrh for a death to come. See the three wise men.
10. Hebrews 11:3
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
That hath made heaven and earth of nought. The last verse of the carol reminds us who the baby is: the Creator. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Of nought means out of nothing. John says all things were made by the Word who became flesh (John 1:3, 14). The hands that made the stars were the hands of the baby the star led the wise men to. That is the wonder the carol asks us to praise with one accord. See Bible verses about creation.
11. 1 Peter 1:18-19
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
And with His blood mankind hath bought. Gold was one of the wise men's gifts, but Peter says gold could never buy what Jesus bought: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Vain conversation means an empty way of life. The baby who was given gold in Bethlehem grew up to pay what no treasure could. The carol's last verse moves from the manger to the cross, because that is why He came. See Bible verses about the blood of Jesus.
12. Revelation 5:9
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"
And with His blood mankind hath bought. The carol does not stop at the manger; it goes on to the cross. In heaven, the redeemed sing to the Lamb: Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Kindred means family or clan. Shepherds from Israel and wise men from the East were the first of that great crowd from every nation. Christmas is the beginning of the story whose center is Good Friday and Easter. See Bible verses about salvation.
A short prayer
Heavenly Lord, thank You for the first Noel, the good news the angel brought to poor shepherds on a dark night. Thank You for the star that led the wise men from far away to Jesus. Like them, I want to seek the King, rejoice when I find Him, and worship Him on my knees. Take my gifts and my life as an offering to You. You made heaven and earth out of nothing, and You bought me with Your blood. With all Your people, I sing: born is the King of Israel. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Noel mean in The First Noel?
Noel is an old word for Christmas. It comes from the French Noël, which comes from the Latin natalis, meaning birthday, as in the day of birth. The older English spelling was Nowell. In the carol, the first Noel is the first announcement of Christmas, made by the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2. The refrain Noel, Noel is simply a joyful shout of Christmas, Christmas, followed by the news: born is the King of Israel.
Who wrote The First Noel?
No one knows. The First Noel is a traditional English carol from Cornwall, sung for generations before anyone printed it. Its present form was first published by Davies Gilbert in 1823 and by William Sandys in 1833. The harmony most churches sing was arranged by John Stainer in Carols, New and Old in 1871. Because it is traditional and its first printings are so old, the words and tune are in the public domain.
Did the shepherds see the star in The First Noel?
The carol says the shepherds looked up and saw a star, but the Bible does not say that. In Luke 2 the shepherds see angels and the glory of the Lord. The star appears in Matthew 2, where it leads wise men from the East, probably some time after Jesus was born. The carol, like many nativity scenes, joins the two stories into one night. The message is still biblical: God led both groups to Jesus.
How many wise men were there?
The Bible does not say. Matthew 2 speaks of wise men from the east who brought three kinds of gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The tradition of three wise men comes from the three gifts, and later traditions gave them names. The First Noel follows that tradition when it sings of three wise men. For what the Bible does say about the Magi, see the page on the three wise men.
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 · Three wise men · We Three Kings · O Holy Night · O Come, All Ye Faithful · The Christmas story in the Bible · Angels We Have Heard on High · Christmas cards · Angels, from the Realms of Glory (lyrics)
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