One of my favorite hymns we sing at Christmas is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It doesn’t have the joyful sounds of “Joy to the World,” or the triumphant ringing of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” I love these also because they so well articulate the wonder of this season. But there is something about the longing and the waiting of this carol that resonates with me. I wanted to do a little research into its history.
This is one of the oldest Christmas songs that we still sing today. Its lyrics were originally in Latin, written somewhere around the 8th century. The music is more current, if the 1800s can be considered that! John Mason Neale translated the text in 1851 and turned it into the carol we are familiar with. This is a song that is perfect for the Advent season, the days before Christmas.
Before I delve into the meaning of the song, I want to briefly talk about Advent. Unless you are in a church that follows the liturgical calendar, you may or may not be familiar with Advent. Advent is a word with Latin roots that means “coming.” Advent is the season in the Christian calendar leading up to Christmas. On a side note, the twelve days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and end on January 5, so if you are a Christmas lover, you can rejoice that you will have a lot more time to celebrate! Advent represents both the first and the second coming of our Lord. According to The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “The first phrase refers to God’s becoming incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. The latter phrase speaks of Jesus’ second coming. In a second sense “advent” designates a period before Christmas when Christians prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. This practice may have begun in some churches as early as the late fourth century.”
Let’s get back to the song. O Come, O Come Emmanuel was used to sing seven titles for the Messiah. These are called the Great “O” Antiphons. First, what is an antiphon? The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “1. A devotional composition sung responsively as part of a liturgy. 2. A short liturgical text chanted or sung responsively preceding or following a psalm, psalm verse, or canticle.” The Great “O” Antiphons are ancient Advent responses used in the seven days preceding Christmas that all begin with “O” and call on the Messiah using names and attributes for Him from the Old Testament. As they are sung each night, they bring anticipation for the celebration of His birth at Christmas.
First, we will look at the antiphons, then we will look at the song. On December 17, the Latin antiphon is O Sapientia which translates to O Wisdom. If you are interested in reading the whole verse, there are many websites where you can read them. December 18 is O Adonai (“O Lord”); December 19, O Radix Jesse (“O Root of Jesse”); December 20, O Clavis David (“O Key of David”); December 21, O Oriens (“O Rising Dawn / Dayspring”); December 22, O Rex Gentium (“O King of Nations”); and finally, on December 23, O Emmanuel (“God with us”). I am sure you recognize these phrases from our carol. And I am also sure you recognize that the first verse is the antiphon recited on the 23rd.
Now let’s look at the verses. I will put in bold print the antiphon for each verse, although I am sure you will be able to catch it. I am using the words from hymnary.org.
1 O come, O come, Immanuel, (December 23)
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
2 O come, O Wisdom from on high, (December 17)
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain
3 O come, O come, great Lord of might, (December 18)
who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
4 O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem, (December 19)
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave. Refrain
5 O come, O Key of David, come (December 20)
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death’s abode. Refrain
6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star, (December 21)
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light. Refrain
7 O come, O King of nations, bind (December 22)
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain
I have always loved this carol, and now I love it even more. It builds in us the anticipation of Jesus’ birth, the advent of our Savior. But there is even more that makes this, and the antiphons extra special. Look at the first letter in Latin of each of the antiphons in order from the 17th to the 23rd: Sapientia, Adonai, Radix, Clavis, Oriens, Rex, Emmanuel=SARCORE. If you read this backward in Latin, you read Ero Cras, which translates “Tomorrow, I will be there.” Advent not only celebrates Jesus’ first advent, but it is also a time where we eagerly await His second advent. It is a reminder that He is indeed coming back, that one of these tomorrows, He will indeed return for us!
Grace be with you!
Abundant Joy 