Crown Him With Many Crowns

The text of “Crown Him with Many Crowns” was written by Matthew Bridges in 1851, and the tune written by George Elvey seventeen years later. It was first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern, and has had broad use throughout the English-speaking world.

This song invites us to join in the scenes of worship described in Revelation. The mood is triumphant, the sound is universal, and the focus is the Lamb who was slain. Although we live in an age when the enemies of Christ wage war against his authority and rule, we take comfort in the reality that Jesus is now on the throne and will “reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25).

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Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious through the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of Lords,
Who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth, the incarnate Word
For ransomed sinners slain
Now lives in realms of light
Where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night,
Their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of heaven,
Enthroned in worlds above;
Crown Him the King to whom is given
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns
For He is King of all.

Text: Stanza 1 by Matthew Bridges, Stanzas 2-4 by Godfrey Thring.
Tune: DIADEMATA, George J. Elvey, 1868