88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come thou Wisdom from on high, who orderest all things mightily:
To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, O come, thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, thou Root of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save and give them victory o’er the grave.
Refrain
O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and discord cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Refrain
Devotion
I just learned that the verses of this familiar Advent hymn were originally the “O Antiphons,” short chants that were used in vespers during the last seven days of Advent. Each one uses a different title for the Messiah, and each refers to the prophecy of Isaiah. The first verse refers to Christ as Emmanuel, “God with us.” Isaiah told of this sign from God: a young woman bearing a child named Emmanuel. The gospel of Matthew (1:22) reminds us that Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Isaiah told Israel of God’s presence with them during their exile in Babylon and their coming ransom, when they would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. It must have been reassuring to the people of Israel to hear that God planned to return them to Jerusalem and that there would be joy and gladness for them once again. As we wait in this season of Advent, we know that God sent his son Jesus to live among us and to pay the ransom for our sins. We can rejoice and be glad that God is with us now and forever.
Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 35:10 (NRSV)
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah told Israel of God’s presence with them during their exile in Babylon and their coming ransom, when they would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. It must have been reassuring to the people of Israel to hear that God planned to return them to Jerusalem and that there would be joy and gladness for them once again. As we wait in this season of Advent, we know that God sent his son Jesus to live among us and to pay the ransom for our sins. We can rejoice and be glad that God is with us now and forever.
Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 35:10 (NRSV)
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.