O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Summary


"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is a classic Advent hymn that voices a deep, aching longing for divine rescue — calling on Emmanuel, the Rod of Jesse, the Day-Spring, the Key of David, and the Lord of Might to free Israel from exile, darkness, and death. Each verse builds the cry for liberation and light, answered by the jubilant refrain "Rejoice!" — a promise that Emmanuel shall come. The poem moves between grief and ecstatic hope, capturing the tension of waiting for salvation.

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O come! O come! Emmanuel!
And ransom captive Israel;
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

O come! Thou Rod of Jesse! free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.

A robed figure kneeling in prayer beneath a beam of golden light in a stone chapel, illustrating O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

O come! Thou Day-Spring! come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine Advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

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.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

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.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

Credits

Unknown writer is the attributed author of this ancient Latin hymn, originally titled "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel," with roots tracing back to medieval Advent antiphons used in monastic liturgy. Its most widely known English translation is credited to John Mason Neale (1851), though the original authorship remains anonymous. The hymn has been sung across centuries as one of the most recognized songs of the Christian Advent season.