O Lord My God (How Great Thou Art) | Hymn Lyrics, Tune, Video and Story

O Lord My God, When I in Awesome Wonder Lyrics

Stanza 1
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art,

How great Thou art.

Stanza 2

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Stanza 3

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Stanza 4

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!" 

O Lord My God, When I in Awesome Wonder Tune

About the Hymn "O Lord My God, When I in Awesome Wonder"

Writer: Carl Boberg
Year: 1885
Key: B, C or A major

History and Biography

The hymn “How Great Thou Art”, was originally a Swedish poem by Carl Boberg. The poem was written after Carl Boberg experienced the awe of a thunderstorm and the beauty of nature. He then remembered the greatness of God as described in Psalm 8, which was the inspiration for the hymn.

"1 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained..." Psalm 8:1-3

The English translation of "How Great Thou Art" was done by Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses.

How Great Thou Art Hymn is one of the most popular and beloved Christian songs of all ages. It expresses awe and gratitude to God for His creation, His sacrifice, and His promise of eternal life.

The original writer, Carl Boberg (1859-1940) was a Swedish poet, journalist, politician, and a minister. He wrote over 60 hymns, but “How Great Thou Art” is his most famous one. He was influenced by the revival movement in Sweden and was active in various Christian organizations. He also served as a member of the Swedish parliament for 20 years.

Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989) who translated the hymn into English and added more stanzas was a British missionary, evangelist, and hymn writer. He and his wife served in Ukraine, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, where they learned the Russian version of “How Great Thou Art” and translated it into English. He also composed other music and lyrics for many other hymns, such as “Wonderful Grace”.

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