Discovering that 2026 not only stands as the 250th anniversary of a couple of great hymns of the Christian faith – “Rock of Ages Cleft For Me” and “Thy Mercy My God” – caused me to look to see if 2026 marks a significant “birthday” for any other popular Christian hymns. And lo and behold, I discovered that 2026 stands as the 200th birthday of “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” as it was first published in 1826. Like many hymns, it was probably written a few years before that and the tune used for it came years later, but this year marks the 200th anniversary of it being unveiled to the public. It is a hymn that has transcended denominational lines, so it is worth learning more about its writer and pondering the great words that he penned.

The Writer
The song was written by Reginald Heber, an Englishman who served as an Anglican clergyman and lived from 1783-1826. The date of his death and the song’s publication is the same as it was published posthumously (after his death) when his wife collected his work and published it. Heber ministered as a priest in an English town called Hodnet from 1807-1823 before being appointed as a bishop of Calcutta, India (which covered India, Australia, and even some parts of southern Africa!) serving in that post from 1823 until his death in 1826. The church he pastored in England was the same one that his father served at before him, and his brother would minister alongside him there for a time as well. During his time there, he displayed a heart for taking the gospel around the world, a passion that eventually led to his appointment of a bishop in India. His short-lived life and early death are likely due to his hard work in hard circumstances overseas, though some underlying health conditions probably also factored (the younger brother who served with him died at the age of 31). 

Heber was a skilled poet, known for his poetry while he studied at Oxford, and he wrote a number of hymns (probably around 100). This one is by far the best known one. Some accounts I found noted that this was probably written while he served that church in England, but others think that it was while he was in India. While this song and hymns like it are viewed as “traditional” elements of worship today, it is wise to remember that the singing of hymns like this in worship service was an innovation in Heber’s time and resisted by many church authorities and leaders. Heber and others, however, both wrote new hymns and sought to have the people sing them as they gathered for worship.

The song itself seems to have been written for the occasion of Trinity Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost (which is the 49th day after Easter – so it changes every year). When you look at the words, you can see why it is so fitting for that occasion, but also you can see why it has been sung on so many other occasions as well and in groups that might never celebrate (or even know about) that Christian day. 

The Words
The song reflects upon Revelation 4:1-11, a passage that also draws on much imagery in other portions of Scripture (such as Isaiah 6:3). While that passage serves as a springboard for the song, it also touches on a variety of other passages and themes from Scripture. Here are the words.

Verse 1
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning
our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons,
Blessèd Trinity!

Verse 2
Holy, Holy, Holy!
All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden
Crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art,
And evermore shalt be.

Verse 3
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy;
There is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power,
In love, and purity.

Verse 4
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name,
In earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy;
Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons,
Blessèd Trinity!

The song is clearly a celebration of the holiness of the Triune God. The opening and closing lines speak about His holiness and how He exists in three persons. The opening and closing frame, however, also stress His mercy and might; God is all powerful but also shows kindness and benevolence to His people. His mightiness also means that His kindness knows no limits or bounds. Such a God is worthy of our praise early in the morning, even if (and maybe especially if!) you are not a morning person. The reference to praising God early in the morning I think also points to the idea that this praise should be all day long; it should mark our days.

Imagery of Revelation 4 is very apparent in the second verse that stresses both God’s holiness and also His eternality.The reference to the saints praising and casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea reflects Revelation 4:4-6 and 11, where John sees 24 elders with crowns (4:4), a sea of glass before the heavenly throne (4:6) and these elders, who represent God’s people, casting down their crowns before the throne (4:11). The reference to God as “who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be” comes from Revelation 4:8, as this is what the four living creatures that John sees say after proclaiming the words that open the hymn (“holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”). Revelation does not explicitly refer to these creatures as the cherubim and seraphim, but the description of these creatures in Revelation recalls the references to the cherubim (e.g., 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; and Psalm 80:1) and seraphim (only in Isaiah 6:2-6). Interestingly, there is no place in the Bible in which they appear together, so when someone refers to the cherubim and seraphim worshipping God, they may be alluding to this song without even knowing it.

The discussion of God’s holiness in verse 3 notes how we might not experience it or witness it due to darkness or sin. While God is holy, we are sinful and thus cannot see His glory. This movement from God’s holiness to our sin seems right, reflecting what we see in Isaiah 6 when the prophet sees God and is immediately struck by His holiness. Every person is sinful and only God is holy; His holiness is not just tied to His moral perfection but also to the way that He is totally – or wholly! – different from every created being.

The final verse echoes much of the opening verse. A difference is that the first verse spoke about each of us personally praising God, this verse speaks about all His works praising His name – those “in earth, and sky, and sea.” Thus, God is holy, powerful, merciful, and sovereign over all; He deserves all our praise and the praise of everything. 

Wrapping It Up

This hymn is a classic hymn that has been used by people of various denominations and backgrounds because it reflects Scripture and hones in on the key and essential doctrines that all Christians agree about. The stress on the Trinity and its essential nature to Christians was made clear at the Council of Nicaea 1701 years ago, so it is fitting that the tune that has been attached to this song since 1861 is called “Nicaea.” The song, though, is not just a reminder about the reality of God being three persons but also His nature (holy, merciful, powerful) and our proper response of seeing our sin and worshiping Him. I suspect that is why it has been well-loved and well-used for 200 years and will be for many more to come.

Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.