1
My Father God, when on Thy vast creation,
The wonders of the heav'n and earth, I gaze,
Things great and small, beyond enumeration,
Which manifest Thy pow'r in untold ways;
The wonders of the heav'n and earth, I gaze,
Things great and small, beyond enumeration,
Which manifest Thy pow'r in untold ways;
Then all my being sings in praise to Thee,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
And this I'll sing through all eternity,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
And this I'll sing through all eternity,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
2
As I enjoy the grace of Thy salvation
And contemplate how Thou Thy Son hast sent,
Who died that we might be Thy new creation,
Thy life expressing to the full extent;
And contemplate how Thou Thy Son hast sent,
Who died that we might be Thy new creation,
Thy life expressing to the full extent;
3
When in the church, in blest participation,
I see how millions Thine own life possess,
How they are built to form Thy habitation,
Containing Thee, Thy fulness to express;
I see how millions Thine own life possess,
How they are built to form Thy habitation,
Containing Thee, Thy fulness to express;
4
As I expect the coming age of fulness
And hope to share the new Jerusalem,
With all the heavens and the earth in newness
And all Thou art expressed in all of them;
And hope to share the new Jerusalem,
With all the heavens and the earth in newness
And all Thou art expressed in all of them;
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Mansfield, Ohio, United States
Here is a little interesting history on this hymn.
In 1885, at age 26, Swedish preacher Carl G. Boberg wrote the words of a poem entitled O Store Gud. Several years later, Boberg attended a meeting and was surprised to hear his poem being sung to an old Swedish melody.
In the early 1920’s, English missionaries Stuart K. Hine and his wife ministered in Poland. There they learned the Russian version of Boberg’s poem, O Store Gud, coupled with the original Swedish melody.
Later, Hine wrote original English words and made his own arrangement of the Swedish melody, which became popular and is now known as the hymn, How Great Thou Art.
The first three verses were inspired, line upon line, amidst unforgettable experiences in the Carpathian Mountains. In a village to which he had climbed, Mr. Hine stood in the street singing a Gospel Hymn and reading aloud, John, Chapter Three.
Among the sympathetic listeners was a local village schoolmaster. A storm was gathering, and when it was evident no further travel could be made that night, the friendly schoolmaster offered his hospitality.
Awe-inspiring was the mighty thunder echoing through the mountains, and it was this impression that was to bring about the birth of the first verse.
Pushing on, Hine crossed the mountain frontier into Romania and into Bukovina. Together with some young people, through the woods and forest glades he wandered, and heard the birds sing sweetly in the trees. Thus, the second verse came into being.
Verse three was inspired by the conversion of many Carpathian mountain-dwellers. The fourth verse did not come about until Hine’s return to Britain.
So you see several brothers have been inspired from the original. They each in turn adapted it and made it their own.
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
Certainly the author of the original hymn “How Great thou Art” was experiencing with awe the greatness of God as He wrote his hymn. [that is the original by Carl Boberg]. In This adaptation of “How Great Thou Art” you can see the inspiration of the original hymnodist and how it influenced this adaptation. But there is something more than creation and salvation that made the author of this hymn appreciate the greatness of God. That is the vision and experience of the church portrayed in the last verses. We must also have a vision like this and experience Christ in the church! Then we too will sing, with are entire being, how great, great, great, you are to the Father!
THE PRACTICE OF PRAISE
Now suppose that in our meeting we have taken up the matter of the greatness of God. This is a good point, but there is still not much doctrine here. Yet you may have many things to say. One may rise and say, “Look at the universe; how great God is! ” Another may say, “Look at the millions of saints in the earth; how great God is! ” Then another may say, “Look at all the local churches. See how all the saints are being built up together in love. How great God is! ” Eventually, someone may exclaim, “Look at us. See how He is building us up here as the local church in this place. How great God is! ” This will release a volume of praise. When the meeting has reached the climax, we may then sing the hymn, “How great Thou art! ” We will all be in the heavenlies.
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Chapter 23 (LSM)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
The grace of Thy salvation, Thy life expressing to the full extent.
London, United Kingdom
London blending conference- 2025
I sing I sing - through eternity- how marvellous how marvellous you are my God.
Then all my being sings in praise to Thee,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
And this I’ll sing through all eternity,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
London, United Kingdom
Hallelujah hallelujah…
As I enjoy the grace of Thy salvation
And contemplate how Thou Thy Son hast sent,
Who died that we might be Thy new creation,
Thy life expressing to the full extent;
Then all my being sings in praise to Thee,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
And this I’ll sing through all eternity,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
Sepang, Malaysia
Then all my being sings in praise to Thee,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
And this I’ll sing through all eternity,
How marvellous! How great Thou art!
Amen!
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
This hymn is actually an adaptation of “How Great Thou Art” by Carl Bobarg. The music, the first verse, and the chorous are taken directly from his hymn. I love this hymn and never knew the original one. It shows God’s revelation is progressive with brothers building on previous church fathers that came before. Lord, how wonderful how great thou art. I’m sure I will sing this for eternity. Thank the Lord for his many gifts to the church!
I like this
Sauyo, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A heartfelt hymn that beautifully captures the awe and gratitude for God's creation, salvation, and the glorious anticipation of a future in His presence. The melody of praise echoes through every verse, declaring the marvel and greatness of our Father God.