Lyrics
Verse 1
Every tribe, every tongue
Immanuel, your King shall come
End of sorrows, end of pain
Come and praise Creator's Name
Vamp
Woah, oh, oh, oh
Woah, oh, oh, oh
Verse 2
Speak to the land, oh, man of war
To every isle and distant shore
All God's people say, "Amen"
Raise a shout, He's come again!
Verse 3
Terror shall return to them
To the ones who harm the innocent
They'd better lay down their sword
For the battle is not man's
It belongs to the Lord
Outro
Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai
Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Every Tribe" opens with language drawn directly from a vision in Revelation, describing every tribe and tongue gathering as Immanuel, God with us, is named as the coming King. That opening ties the song's anticipation to a specific scriptural scene of worship gathered from every nation rather than a generic call to praise. The song then shifts from celebration to warning, addressing a man of war directly and calling for the message to reach every island and distant shore, before naming a consequence for anyone who harms the innocent. Describing the coming battle as belonging to the Lord rather than to human combatants draws on a well-known Old Testament assurance given before an overwhelming conflict, reframing apparent threat as something already settled in God's favor. The closing Hebrew phrase, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, ties the entire song back to language used to welcome a returning king, giving the song's mixture of celebration and warning a single unifying moment it anticipates.
Related Scripture
- Revelation 7:9 Describes a multitude from every nation, tribe, and tongue before God's throne, directly matching the song's opening.
- Matthew 21:9 Records the crowd declaring "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," directly quoted in the closing Hebrew phrase.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 States that the battle belongs to God, not to the people, directly matching the third verse.