HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

By Tim Claubaugh

TEXT: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826, alt.
MUSIC: John Bacchus Dykes, 1823-1876
TUNE: NICAEA
METER: 11 12 12 10

This hymn is a standard hymn of both Protestants and Catholics alike. Reginald Heber was an Anglican clergyman who wrote many hymns for his small parish near Birmingham, England. The first appearance of Heber’s hymn to the Holy Trinity came in 1826 (the year of his death in Calcutta, India) in “Selections of Psalms and Hymns for the Parish Church of Banbury.”

John Bacchus Dykes wrote the music to this hymn . Dykes was a child prodigy at the organ and was one of the men who established the University Musical Society at Cambridge. In 1849, he held the post of precentor at Durham Cathedral and it is while he was at the Cathedral that he wrote much of his music. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Durham in 1849. While he and the Bishop of Durham did not get along very well, he found solace and comfort in setting hymns by Newman and others to music. Dykes died on January 22, 1876, in the asylum at Ticehurst in Sussex.


On the website Lectionary.org, Richard Niell Donovan writes the following history of this well known hymn:

“’Holy, Holy, Holy’ was written by Reginald Heber, an Anglican clergyman, nearly two centuries ago. He wrote hymns in an attempt to improve the singing in his little congregation at Hodnet, near Birmingham, England.

Most congregations in those days sang the Psalter–– but most sang it badly. To inject a bit of spirit in the hymn-singing, Heber introduced his congregation to some of the modern church music of his day, to include John Newton's ‘Amazing Grace.’ He also wrote dozens of hymns, the best-known being ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ He wrote it for Trinity Sunday, as evidenced by the words, ‘God in three persons, blessed Trinity,’ in the first and last verses.

The hymn tune was written by John Dykes. He called it Nicaea (also spelled Nicea) after the church council that established the doctrine of the Trinity.

When Rev. Heber was 40 years old, he reluctantly left his beloved England to begin service as Bishop of Calcutta, India. The scope of the job combined with the hot climate and primitive conditions, proved too much for Bishop Heber. He died at the age of 43 after serving only three years in India.

His music was Rev. Heber's true legacy. After his death, a hymnal was published that included all of his hymns. Even today, most hymnals include two or three of his hymns.

But it is this hymn, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ that has blessed people all over the world. Translated into many languages and sung in many tongues, it was Rev. Heber's most enduring gift to the church.”


In his book, “Hymn Notes for Church Bulletins,” Austin Lovelace writes the following about the text of this hymn:

“In spite of a very limited rhyme scheme (the ‘ee’ vowel), irregular accent, and uneven numbers of syllables in the various lines, this hymn based on John’s vision of God enthroned in heavenly glory as found in Revelation 4 is a very popular hymn. The use of the angels’ song (Holy, Holy, Holy) is pure adoration of God in his ‘wholly-otherness.’ Although filled with apocalyptic language, the hymn combines a sense of mystery with God’s mercy, power, love and purity.”



1. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

2. Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
God everlasting through eternity.

3. Holy, Holy, Holy! Through the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy Name in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.