Come Thou Redeemer Of The Earth
Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And manifest Thy virgin birth:
Let every age adoring fall;
Such birth befits the God of all.
Begotten of no human will,
But of the Spirit, Thou art still
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honor all unstained;
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in His temple dwells below.
Forth from His chamber goeth He,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now His course to run.
From God the Father He proceeds,
To God the Father back He speeds;
His course He runs to death and hell,
Returning on God's throne to dwell.
O equal to the Father, Thou!
Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.
Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.
All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.
The hymn "Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth" by Aurelius Prudentius is a beautiful celebration of the birth of Christ. The first stanza of the hymn speaks to the importance of Christ's virgin birth, calling on all to adore him. The second stanza emphasizes the divine nature of Christ. He was begotten not of human will, but of the Spirit, and is the Word of God in flesh, fulfilling the promise to man of a Savior. The hymn then moves to speak of Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, who gained honor for carrying the Son of God in her womb. Christ, the giant in twofold substance, leaves his chamber to come into the world, rejoicing in his purpose.
The hymn comes full circle in the last stanza, speaking of Christ's return to heaven. He is equal to the Father, and wears a fleshly mantle to bring deathless might to mortal man. Christ, as a babe in a manger, brings endless faith and eternal light where darkness once was. The hymn ends in a beautiful invocation to the Holy Trinity, praising God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, Thou Redeemer of the earth,
We welcome You, Savior of mankind, and ask that You reveal Your divine birth to all. Let all generations worship You, as only God is worthy of such honor.
And manifest Thy virgin birth:
Show us Your miraculous birth from a virgin, which defies human logic and reason.
Let every age adoring fall;
May people of all times and places kneel down in reverence and pay homage to You.
Such birth befits the God of all.
Your birth is fitting for the almighty God, Creator of all things.
Begotten of no human will,
You were not conceived by human desire or action.
But of the Spirit, Thou art still
Rather, You were conceived by the Holy Spirit, remaining forever divine despite Your earthly incarnation as a human being.
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
You are the Word of God, clothed in human flesh, fulfilling the promise of salvation to all mankind.
The promised Fruit to man displayed.
You are the promised Savior, displayed to humanity as the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for redemption.
The virgin womb that burden gained
The pure and holy virgin womb bore the great burden of carrying You, the Son of God.
With virgin honor all unstained;
Your mother, the virgin Mary, remained pure and unsullied, worthy of the highest honor for carrying You.
The banners there of virtue glow;
The banners of virtue fly high over Your birthplace, signifying the goodness, righteousness, and holiness that surrounded Your arrival.
God in His temple dwells below.
You, the divine Son of God, dwelled in a human body which served as a temple for God's presence on earth.
Forth from His chamber goeth He,
You emerge from the inner chamber of the virgin's womb, entering the world as the Savior of all who believe in You.
That royal home of purity,
You are born in a pure and holy place, a home fit for a king.
A giant in twofold substance one,
You are both fully divine and fully human, uniting two substances in one person, a giant among us.
Rejoicing now His course to run.
You are filled with joy and purpose as You embark on Your destined path to save humanity.
From God the Father He proceeds,
You proceed from God the Father, sent to us as the ultimate gift of love and redemption.
To God the Father back He speeds;
You return to God the Father, having completed the mission He gave You to save humanity.
His course He runs to death and hell,
You willingly face death and descend into hell, conquering death and sin for all who believe in You.
Returning on God's throne to dwell.
You return victorious, taking Your rightful place on God's throne to reign forever.
O equal to the Father, Thou!
You, the Son of God, are equal to the Father in all things, divine and worthy of all praise.
Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;
Clothe Yourself in human flesh, taking on the frailty and weakness of humanity in order to save us.
The weakness of our mortal state
You come to us in all our human weakness, frailty and brokenness.
With deathless might invigorate.
But You bring to us deathless life and strength, infusing us with new vigor and hope through Your resurrection.
Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
Your humble birthplace will be a source of bright shining light and hope for all mankind.
And darkness breathe a newer light,
You bring a new light to conquer the darkness of sin and death, illuminating our way to salvation.
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
In You we find a faith that never fades, but rather shines with a serene and peaceful glow, leading us to eternal life and joy.
And twilight never intervene.
You bring a light that will never be dimmed, darkened, or overcome by the shadows of life.
All laud to God the Father be,
Let us all give praise, honor, and glory to the one true God, our Father and Creator.
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
Let us worship and honor You, eternal Son of God, who came to earth to redeem us.
All glory, as is ever meet,
You alone are worthy of all glory and honor, now and forevermore.
To God the Holy Paraclete.
And to the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Companion in life, we give our praise and thanks.
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.