Crown Him with Many Crowns

by Andrew Rinaldi

Crown Him with Many Crowns
'Crown Him with Many Crowns' had two writers of different theological backgrounds. Learn the story behind the song and get the lyrics for this beloved hymn!

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 Virgin's Son!
  The God Incarnate born,--
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
  Which now his brow adorn!
Fruit of the mystic Rose
  As of that Rose the Stem:
The Root, whence mercy ever flows,--
  The Babe of Bethlehem!

Crown him the Lord of love!
  Behold his hands and side,--
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
  In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
  Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
  At mysteries so bright!

Crown him the Lord of peace!
  Whose power a scepter sways,
From pole to pole,--that wars may cease,
  Absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end,
  And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
  Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years!
  The Potentate of time,--
Creator of the rolling spheres,
  Ineffably sublime!
Glassed in a sea of light,
  Where everlasting waves
Reflect his throne,--the Infinite!
  Who lives,--and loves--and saves.

Crown him the Lord of heaven!
  One with the Father known,--
And the blest Spirit, through him given
  From yonder triune throne!
All hail! Redeemer,--Hail!
  For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail
  Throughout eternity!

Crown him with crowns of gold,
  All nations great and small,
Crown him, ye martyred saints of old,
  The Lamb once slain for all;
The Lamb once slain for them
  Who bring their praises now,
As jewels for the diadem
  That girds his sacred brow.

Crown him the Son of God
  Before the worlds began,
And ye, who tread where He hath trod,
  Crown him the Son of man;
Who every grief hath known
  That wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own,
  That all in him may rest.

Crown him the Lord of light,
  Who o'er a darkened world
In robes of glory infinite
  His fiery flag unfurled.
And bore it raised on high,
  In heaven--in earth--beneath,
To all the sign of victory
  O'er Satan, sin, and death.

Crown him the Lord of life
  Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in 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 of lords the Lord,
  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.

Songwriters Matthew Bridges, Godfrey Thring Published by Public Domain

“Crown Him with Many Crowns” was first written in 1851 by Matthew Bridges, inspired by the vision of Christ in Revelation 19:12, where John sees the risen Lord with “many diadems” upon His head. Bridges, influenced by the Oxford Movement and later a convert to Roman Catholicism, set out to exalt the majesty and kingship of Jesus in richly biblical language. His original six stanzas lift our eyes to the Lamb upon His throne. The hymn calls believers to behold Christ not in weakness, but in glory.

Years later, Anglican clergyman Godfrey Thring wrote six additional verses. Concerned that some of Bridges’ theology reflected specifically Catholic emphases, Thring sought to provide language that would be more widely embraced in Protestant congregations. His stanzas proclaim Christ as “Lord of life,” “Lord of love,” and “Lord of years,” drawing attention to the breadth of Jesus’ saving work and eternal reign. Though Bridges and Thring came from different church traditions, both were united in their desire to honor the supremacy of Christ.

Originally twelve verses in length, the hymn has since been shortened in most modern hymnals to four carefully chosen stanzas, blending selections from both authors. Set to Sir George Job Elvey’s triumphant tune “Diademata,” the hymn has become a lasting call to worship. In every generation, believers rise to sing of the crucified and risen King, crowning Him in song as Lord over life, death, heaven, and eternity. Its enduring power rests in its clear focus on Christ’s exaltation and the believer’s joyful response of praise.

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