How Is the Song “O Come All Ye Faithful” Biblical?

…the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then,
and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
Luke 2:15

O Come All Ye Faithful is one of the most popular Christmas hymns we sing today.

It’s common to sing traditional Christmas songs and not think about where they came from or what they intend to convey.

Sometimes we have a general idea of what the song is about but fail to understand its whole meaning.

Knowing who wrote it and when can be interesting. But knowing what the author was saying can bring new life and meaning to the song. It becomes more than just words.

So, let’s look at the history and meaning of O Come All Ye Faithful. And find out if this hymn is biblical.

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Is the Song “O Come All Ye Faithful” Biblical?

When looking at the lyrics of the four verses that were translated by Frederick Oakeley, we discover that the song Oh Come All Ye Faithful is indeed biblical. Though some question whether the Bible teaches that angels sing as said in the third verse. Additionally, John Francis Wade is generally accepted as the author of this song. And some believe because Wade was a Jacobite, this song had coded Jacobite meanings that were meant for “the Faithful.” The Faithful were those who were faithful to the cause.

A Little History

O Come All Ye Faithful is a Latin hymn known initially as Adeste Fideles. The authorship has been attributed to John Francis Wade, who published it in his Cantus Diversi collection in 1751.

Wade was born in England in 1711, where he probably wrote the song. However, he fled to France in 1945 because of Catholic discrimination. There Wade lived with exiled English Catholics and got a job teaching music at an English college in Douay. And that is where he died in 1786.

The hymn was originally written in Latin with four verses. Other writers added to the song, and by the early nineteenth century, the hymn consisted of eight verses.

In 1841, Frederick Oakeley translated verses 1-3 and 6 into English, and these four verses are what you might find in your typical hymnbook.

Growing up, we sang verses 1, 3, and 4 at church. Most people probably know the first verse and are familiar with the third and fourth, but not the second.

While listening to O Come All Ye Faithful being sung at Westminster Abbey in a 2013 video, I heard the people sing six verses. It was quite impressive to watch.

You can read more about Wade and his other accomplishments at ALLMUSIC.

Lyrics

Here are the lyrics from the four stanzas Frederick Oakeley translated into English:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
Refrain
O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
God of God and Light of Light begotten,
Lo, He abhors not the virgin’s womb;
Very God, begotten, not created;
Refrain
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation!
O Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
Refrain
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Refrain

Song Meaning

The hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful, is a song celebrating the birth of Jesus! When the angels announced this good news to the shepherds, they immediately went to Bethlehem to find the baby.

After all, the angels said, “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Do you think the shepherds were excited to “see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15b)?

When they found Jesus, they told Mary and Joseph what the angels had told them. I imagine they also worshiped Him. And when they left, they were “glorifying and praising God…” (Luke 2:20).

As we sing this song, we, too, are invited to adore Jesus as Savior and Christ the Lord.

Come Joyful and Triumphant

Verse 1 invites the faithful to come joyfully and triumphantly to Bethlehem. We do this by remembering and celebrating His birth at Christmas.

Many set up nativities in their home. You may read the Christmas story around the table with your family or celebrate Advent the entire month of December. Whatever your traditions are, I hope they include adoring Christ.

Jesus isn’t just a baby born in a manger; He is “born the King of angels.” This phrase reminds me of what Jesus told Pilate after He was arrested. He said: My kingdom is not of this world… (John 18:36a).

So, when we sing this song, we are not only worshiping Jesus as a baby born in Bethlehem but as the King of angels in heaven.

Additionally, when we are born again, Jesus also becomes our King. Our citizenship is transferred to heaven (Philippians 3:20), and we say, “This world is not my home” (John 17:14; Hebrews 11:16).

Refrain

The refrain is sung after each verse and has only one message for us: Come and adore Christ the Lord.

The word “adore” comes from the Latin adorare and means “to worship.”

Each verse gives us a reason:

The shepherds praised and adored Jesus when they found Him in Bethlehem
People in history made it clear who Jesus was when false teaching arose
The angels gave glory to God when they announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds
We are invited to do the same as those before us

God of God and Light of Light

The second verse is perhaps the most difficult of the four to comprehend. It’s also the verse we sing less often.

However, it is rather interesting to learn that Wade borrowed language from the Nicene Creed.

This creed was written in AD 325 in response to the false teaching of Arius. He was saying that Jesus was God’s most perfect creation but not equal to God. And the council at Nicea wanted to make it clear that they condemned Arius’ view.

Part of the creed says, “We believe…”

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of Very God, begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made.

Notice the words in verse two say, “God of God, Light of Light,” and “Very God, begotten, not created,” which is almost identical to the words in the creed.

We, too, want to be clear about what we believe about Jesus. It will affect our attitude toward Him and how we relate to Him.

But what about the second line, “He abhors not the virgin’s womb?” It simply means that Jesus didn’t resent being born into this world as a baby. And He willingly emptied Himself of what was rightfully His so that we could be reconciled to God. Jesus and the Father were unified on the plan to redeem humanity.

Philippians 2:5-7 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Stop and think about the lengths that Jesus went to so that we could be saved.

C.S.Lewis puts it this way:

The Son of God became a Son of Man that sons of men might become sons of God.

Sing Choirs of Angels

The third verse is addressed to the angelic choir. And it encourages the angels to sing in exultation about the glory of God.

Give All Glory to Jesus as You Remember Who He Is

Verse 4 ends by inviting us to remember and adore Jesus for:

The happy morning He was born (Luke 2:6-7) – Jesus may not have been born in the morning though
The glory He is due (John 1:14)
Being the Word (John 1:1)
Coming in the flesh (John 1:14)

We are repeatedly invited to come and adore Christ the Lord in this song. The first verse also incorporates both advents. Jesus came the first time to be our Lord and Savior, and He will return one day as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Do Angles Sing?

The Bible doesn’t explicitly say that angels sing. Nor does it tell them to do so. However, numerous Scriptures talk about angels worshiping God. And just as humans worship and praise God through speaking and singing, it seems logical that angels would do the same.

For example, we see the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders singing a new song (Revelation 5:8-10). And in the following two verses, the angels join them. But now they are all “saying with a loud voice” rather than singing (Revelation 5:11-12).

So, sure, it’s possible they stopped singing and started shouting their praise, but it’s not unreasonable to think they were still singing.

You can read more about whether angels sing at Compelling Truth, Do Angels Sing?

Jacobite Controversy

Bennet Zon, head of the department of music at Durham University, argues that Adeste Fideles has coded Jacobite meanings. Zon has also noted that Wade’s liturgical books were often decorated with Jacobite floral imagery.

He believes Adeste Fideles was a birth ode to Bonnie Prince Charlie and had messages that would have been understood by the Jacobites, also known as “the Faithful.”

Zon says there is far more to the hymn than originally thought.

He says, “Fideles is faithful Catholic Jacobites, Bethlehem is a common Jacobite cipher for England, and Regem Angelorum is a well-known pun on Angelorum, angels and Anglorum, English.”

So, the line, “Come and behold him, born the king of angels,” would say, “Come and behold him, born the king of the English” – Bonnie Prince Charlie. This prince was also known as the Pretender, and his real name was James Francis Edward Stuart.

Zon concludes by saying the Jacobite meaning gradually faded with time. He believes it is up to the individual to decide whose birth they celebrate when singing this song.

I find Zon’s assessment curious because the refrain specifically says, “Christ the Lord.”

You can read about the Jacobite British history at Britannica.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the history and meaning of O Come All Ye Faithful. And can see how, for the most part, it lines up with Scripture.

The only concern might be whether the Bible supports angels singing. Or if the song was written about Jesus’ birth or Bonnie Prince Charlie’s.

However, you will find much biblical support for the four verses that Frederick Oakeley translated into English.

Overall, the song encourages believers to remember why Jesus was born and to worship and adore Him. And to join the angels in praising God and proclaiming what you know to be true about Christ as Savior and King.

What do you know to be true about Jesus?

How does it affect the way you relate to Him?

Do you think the song O Come All Ye Faithful is biblical? Why or why not?