Hymns for the Family: All Hail the Power of Jesus Name

Hymns for the Home

Hymns for the Home is a series that will highlight hymns and worship music that are great for family worship. They are chosen for their Biblical and spiritual content, as well as their simplicity.

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Devotional

All Hail the Power of Jesus name is an anthem for Christians as we lift up and praise Jesus our King. In a faithful home this hymn can be a rallying cry for the entire family.

Crown Him King

At the power of Jesus name, even angels bow. We too should feel the presence of the almighty when we speak the name of Christ. Let us crown Him the Lord and master of our lives.

Hail the Savior

We are products of a sinful people. In our natural state we rebel and find ourselves facing the wrath of God head on. Joyously we have a savior, who by His grace has saved us and forgiven us. Hail him who has saved you.

Every Tongue sings the Everlasting Song When we find ourselves at the end of our days, we will join a choir of people; a magnificent gathering from every tribe and every tongue and every nation, singing together the everlasting song of God's glory and grace.

History

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name is often called the "National Anthem of Christendom." Regardless of its ascribed status, the history of this hymn is rather complicated. In doing my research, I found various accounts of its creation that contradict each other in different ways. Therefore, I chose to make use of only the most necessary information so as to provide a seamless, yet truthful, account of how this great hymn came to be what it is today.

The first verse of this magnificent hymn appeared in the November 1779 Gospel Magazine. In the April 1780 edition of the same magazine, the complete hymn was printed except with a different title, "On the Resurrection, the Lord is King." Most historians and experts are confident that the author of these two texts was Edward Perronet. A few years after the Gospel Magazine printings, another hymn writer, J. Rippon, adapted the hymn and altered the text in his 1787 Selection of Hymns. Today, most hymnals include four stanzas: 1-3 authored by Perronet and altered by Rippon, and stanza 4 by Rippon.

Because the original author is widely accepted to be Edward Perronet, a brief summary of his life will be provided. Edward Perronet was born to French Huguenot emigrants in Sundridge, Kent, England in 1726. His grandparents had fled France in the late 1600s to avoid religious persecution. His early education was conducted at home under the instruction of a tutor, but it is uncertain whether or not he attended university.

Being born, baptized, and raised in the Church of England, he originally thought he would become part of the clergy. However, regardless of his clergical aspirations, he was constantly discouraged by some of the legalistic attitudes within the Church of England. So much so that he published The Mitre (a satirical charge against those attitudes) in 1756, in which he says, "I was born, and am likely to die, in the tottering communion of the Church of England; but I despise her nonsense, and thank God that I have once read a book that no fool can answer, and that no honest man will." Edward spent the last few decades of his life ministering the Gospel around England. His final pastorship was located in a small church in Canterbury, where he stayed until his death on January 2, 1792.

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