Hark! the Herald Angels Sing!
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel





Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Overall Meaning

Sufjan Stevens's cover of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" offers an invigorating, sophisticated interpretation of a Christmas favorite. The song's lyrics send a message of hope and promise of peace, joy, and reconciliation to all nations on earth. "Glory to the newborn King" is the chorus, a phrase that signifies the birth of Jesus, the messiah, who has come to reconcile God and sinners.


The lyrics go further, describing Jesus as "Christ by highest heav'n adored," the "everlasting Lord" who has come to earth as a human being. He was born in Bethlehem, and his birth was heralded by angels in the skies. The song speaks of the mystery of faith, how the "Godhead" was veiled in flesh, and how Jesus, as a human being, became "our Immanuel," meaning "God with us."


Overall, the lyrics of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" offer a beautiful message of hope, peace, and joy during the Christmas season, pointing us to the heart of the Christian faith.


Line by Line Meaning

Hark! The herald angels sing
Listen! The angels who proclaim important news are singing


"Glory to the newborn King!"
"Celebrate the arrival of the new King with great honor!"


Peace on earth and mercy mild
The birth of the King will bring peace to the earth and mercifulness


God and sinners reconciled!
God will bring sinners back to him, and make peace with them


Joyful, all ye nations rise
People of all nations, rise up and rejoice


Join the triumph of the skies
Join the angels in their triumphant celebration


With the angelic host proclaim
Proclaim alongside the angels from heaven


"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
"The Christ has been born in Bethlehem"


Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ is adored by the highest part of heaven


Christ the everlasting Lord
Christ is the Lord who lives forever


Late in time behold Him come
He has come at a late time for all to see


Offspring of a virgin's womb
He was born from a virgin woman


Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
God is seen in human form


Hail the incarnate Deity
Welcome the God in visible form


Pleased with us in flesh to dwell
He is pleased to live among us as a human


Jesus, our Immanuel
His name is Jesus, and he is also known as Immanuel which means 'God with us'




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUY MOON, TRADITIONAL (WRITER UNKNOWN)

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@vandannadale2689

Wonderfully wonderfully different!

@1Kent

That was different.

More Versions