Lyrics
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
How Great Thou Art moves from creation to redemption and finally to the hope of Christ's return. The stars, thunder, woods, mountains, and breeze all point to divine power. The chorus turns that observation into worship, as the soul responds to God's greatness with praise. This movement closely matches Psalm 19:1, where the heavens declare the glory of God.
The later verses give the song its Christian center. The cross is presented as the place where Christ bears sin's burden, a theme consistent with Romans 5:8 and its declaration of God's love shown through Christ's death for sinners. The final verse looks toward Christ's coming, the believer's homecoming, and humble adoration. It echoes 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which speaks of the Lord's descent with a shout. By linking wonder at the created world with the cross and future hope, the hymn offers a full, reverent confession of God's greatness.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 19:1 The psalm says that the heavens declare God's glory.
- Romans 5:8 Paul points to Christ's death as the demonstration of God's love for sinners.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16 The passage describes the Lord descending with a shout.