Lyrics
Verse 1 (Igbo)
El'igwe nako sopurugi Chukwu
Eluwa nako sopurugi Chukwu
Olu akagika mbarigwe ne gosi
Chorus (Repeat)
Lord, You are wonderful and mighty
You reign everlasting
Lord, You are glorious in faithfulness
Fearful in praises
O Lord, how great Thou art
Verse 2 (Repeat)
The heavens declare Your goodness, Lord
And the earth proclaims Your kindness
The universe manifests Your power (x2)
Chorus (Repeat)
Verse 1 (Repeat)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"El'igwe (Lord You Are Wonderful)" moves between Igbo and English, opening with a declaration that heaven and earth alike owe worship to God before repeating that same claim in English through the chorus. That bilingual structure lets the song's central praise reach across language without changing its content.
Its second verse draws directly on a well-known psalm's picture of creation testifying to God, describing the heavens declaring his goodness and the earth proclaiming his kindness. Extending that testimony to "the universe" broadens the scope of witnesses even further, treating all of creation as united in pointing to the same character.
Quoting the closing line of a classic hymn, "how great Thou art," the song situates its own praise within a much older tradition of wonder at God's greatness. Rooted in Nigerian gospel worship, the song functions as sustained declaration of majesty and faithfulness, using both indigenous language and inherited hymn language to describe a single, shared object of praise.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 19:1 Describes the heavens declaring God's glory, directly echoed in the song's verse about the heavens declaring his goodness.
- Psalm 145:3 Declares that the Lord is great and greatly to be praised, echoed in the song's repeated declaration of his greatness and might.