HYMN OF THE MONTH
April 2022
Thine Be the Glory
by Edmond Budry, 1854-1932; tr. by Richard Hoyle, 1875-1939
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory Thou o’er death hast won!
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu'ring Son;
endless is the victory Thou o’er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without Thee: aid us in our strife!
Make us more than conquerors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
HYMN BACKGROUND
Reflect a moment on the truth found in this hymn and learn more about its historical background.
BEHIND THE HYMN
In 1884, George Frideric Handel’s hymn tune MACCABAEUS met its perfect match in Frenchman Edmond Budry’s hymn text "A Toi la Gloire" and we know the match today as "Thine Be the Glory."
This pairing works remarkably well together because the two have much in common.
Handel originally composed the tune for the oratorio Joshua for a chorus called, “See, the Conquering Hero Comes!” which celebrates the military victories of the biblical figure named Joshua.
The tune, fittingly, stirs our spirits to the strong, happy emotions that coincide with victory.
Edmond Budry’s hymn text paints another scene of a War Hero returning home victorious: none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who conquered death once and for all when He rose from the dead and paid the price for our sin.
If ancient war heroes returned home from battle to the sound of praise and triumph, infinitely more so should Jesus Christ — the ultimate Victor — hear His church sing glad hymns of triumph.