Joy to the World
Words: Isaac Watts, 1719 · Tune "Antioch," arr. Lowell Mason, 1848 · Public domain
Verse 1
GJoy to the Cworld! The DLord is Gcome;
GLet earth Dreceive her GKing;
GLet every Cheart Gprepare DHim room,
GAnd heaven and nature sing,
GAnd heaven, Dand heaven Gand nature sing.
Verse 2
GJoy to the Cearth! The DSavior Greigns;
GLet men Dtheir songs Gemploy;
GWhile fields Cand Gfloods, Drocks, hills and plains
GRepeat the sounding joy,
GRepeat, Drepeat Gthe sounding joy.
Verse 3
GHe rules the Cworld with Dtruth and Ggrace,
GAnd makes Dthe nations Gprove
GThe glories Cof His Drighteousness,
GAnd wonders of His love,
DAnd wonders, Gwonders of His love.
Chords in the key of G
- G
- C
- D
About this hymn
- Words
- Isaac Watts, 1719
- Music
- ANTIOCH, attributed to George Frideric Handel, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836
- Meter
- 8.6.8.6 (Common Meter, with repeat)
- In
- 2,053 hymnals
- Scripture
- Psalm 98, Isaiah 9:1-7, Luke 2:1-20
The story
Isaac Watts published this in 1719 in his book of psalm paraphrases, under the heading about the Messiah's coming and kingdom. Here is the thing most people never notice. It is not a nativity song. It is a Christian reading of Psalm 98, with some imagery out of Genesis 3. There are no shepherds in it, no angels, no manger. Lowell Mason published the ANTIOCH arrangement in 1836 and credited the melody to Handel. Handel scholars have generally treated the resemblance to Messiah as coincidence, while allowing that both may go back to something older. It is the most published Christmas hymn in North America, and at 2,053 hymnals the number backs that up.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as the opening hymn on a Christmas Sunday, or as a processional. The tempo and the descending opening line make it a good song to start a service standing.
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