O Come, O come, Emmanuel by John Mason Neale

This hymn is actually a restructuring of the Great Antiphons (psalm or anthem). Each psalm or anthem was a series of Latin hymns beginning with "O" sung each day during Christmas Vespers from Dec. 17-23 around the 800's. Restructured into verse form in the 1100's, published in Latin in 1710 and later discovered by John Mason Neale, an English minister who produced the first draft in 1851 entitled "Draw nigh, Draw nigh, Emmanuel'.


Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” 

Immanuel is Hebrew for “God with us.”

The “Rod of Jesse” refers to Isaiah 11:1: “There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse”; Jesse was the father of David, second king of Israel. 

“Day-Spring” comes from Zacharias, father of John the Baptist. in Luke 1:78: “The day spring from on high has visited us.” 

“Thou Key of David” is in Isaiah 22:22: “The key of the house of David will I lay up on his shoulder,” which in turn refers to Isaiah 9:6 “The government shall be upon His shoulder.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel. Oh come, Oh come, Thou Lord of Might who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel. Oh come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell thy people save and give them victory o'er the grave. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel. Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Oh come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high and close the path to misery. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel. Oh come, Thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things, far and nigh to us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel. Oh come, Desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid Thou our sad divisions cease and be Thyself our King of peace. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel.