Crown Him With Many Crowns

I can vividly remember singing Crown him with many crowns as a young child surrounded by the booming voices of a small but enthusiastic congregation (particularly my dad). With a prodigious piano player and the minister conducting us, the anthemic tune burst forth into the early Sunday morning. As a young child, I don’t think it was the lyrics so much as the melody that arrested my senses as I triumphantly sang out, trying to match my father’s volume. 

Written by Matthew Bridges in 1851, the well known hymn has seen many iterations, from as short as four verses to as long as twelve, each verse speaking to a defining character or action of Jesus. In this version we have arranged three key verses to proclaim the glorious victory of Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension.

The triumphant melody evokes the image of a jubilant crowd exclaiming the many beautiful characteristics of Christ as he sits enthroned in glory. As revelation 19:12 describes, His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

In verse one we adore and praise the King and crown of sacrifice - the lamb that was slain for us! In verse two we praise and sing the glory of his victory over death bringing eternal life and putting death to death. And in verse three we sing of the ascended, eternal King who shows the scars of his great sacrifice on his body. 

What I love about this hymn is the repeated call, to sing and to praise our great King and saviour. This hymn cries out again and again, look at His majesty and praise him! Look at his love, praise Him! Look at sacrifice, praise Him! Look at his victory over death, praise him! Christ is so many wondrous things and if Bridges and then Thring had written down every reason we had to praise Christ, the song would never end.

This song cannot but rouse the heart and the spirit into joyful praise. It considers the character of Christ and responds the only way it can - to sing! To praise! To Hail!

This song cannot but rouse the heart and the spirit into joyful praise. It considers the character of Christ and responds the only way it can - to sing! To praise! To Hail!

I wonder if we do that much when we don’t have hymns like this in front of us. Are we stirred to jubilant praise as is deserving of the servant King? When we read Scripture and come upon Christ character, are we moved to sing? Perhaps we should be. Perhaps we should be, even if we don’t feel like it. When we encounter Christ’s sacrifice and experience his mercies anew each day do we respond with thanks in our heart? Do we awaken our soul to sing to our great and good Saviour?

When we encounter Christ’s sacrifice and experience his mercies anew each day do we return thanks in our heart? Do we awaken our soul to sing to our great and good Saviour?

When I think back to the church I grew up in and the way they belted this hymn out, I am deeply encouraged. I think of my dad, unashamed to sing out these truths, the minister spurring us on to exalt our King, and I think of how great a witness they were to me in that moment.

So I encourage you, listen to the hymn, sing it out, awaken your soul and open your lips to praise your mighty redeemer, whose crowns are countless.

Written by Jenny Denny, August 2022