A Story on the Hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” by William Petersen

Reginald Heber was always trying to improve the music at the Anglican church he served in Hodnet, England. Though his superiors frowned on the use of anything but metrical psalms, Heber introduced hymns by Newton and Cowper and even wrote new hymns of his own. Many of our hymnals still carry three or four of Heber’s hymns, including “Holy, Holy, Holy,” which the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson called the world’s greatest hymn.

After serving sixteen years as a parish priest in England, Heber accepted the call to become the bishop of Calcutta, India. He served in Calcutta for only three years before he died at the age of forty-three. Whether in England, as he surveyed the prevalence of vice, or in India, where he was surrounded by the worship of false gods, Heber was impressed with the holiness of God. “Only Thou art holy,” he wrote. The tune to which this hymn is usually sung is called “Nicaea,” named after the church council that met in 325 A.D. which formulated the Nicene Creed and affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity.

Scriptures: Psalm 145:9-13; Isaiah 6:1-7; Revelation 4:8-11
Themes: Holiness of God, Trinity, Worship

Lyrics of the Hymn:
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, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

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 pow’r, in love and purity. 

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, blessed Trinity!

By REGINALD HEBER (1783–1826)

Reference for the Hymn:
Petersen, William. The Complete Book of Hymns (pp. 380-381). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.