Give Glory to God, All You Heavenly Creatures

Give glory to God, all you heavenly creatures

Versifier: Calvin Seerveld (1983)
Tune: ARLES
Published in 3 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI
Representative text cannot be shown for this hymn due to copyright.

Versifier: Calvin Seerveld

Calvin Seerveld (b. 1930) was professor of aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto from 1972 until he retired in 1995. Educated at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan; the University of Michigan; and the Free University of Amsterdam (Ph.D.), he also studied at Basel University in Switzerland, the University of Rome, and the University of Heidelberg. Seerveld began his career by teaching at Bellhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi (1958-1959), and at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois (1959-1972). A fine Christian scholar, fluent in various biblical and modern languages, he is published widely in aesthetics, biblical studies, and philosophy. His books include Take Hold of God and Pull (1966), The Gr… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Give glory to God, all you heavenly creatures
Title: Give Glory to God, All You Heavenly Creatures
Versifier: Calvin Seerveld (1983)
Meter: 12.11.12.11
Language: English
Copyright: © Calvin Seerveld

Notes

A call to praise the Creator, whose majesty and might as displayed in the thunderstorm is the source of the people's security and welfare.

Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-2
st. 2 = vv. 3-4
st. 3 = vv. 5-6
st. 4 = vv. 7-9
st. 5 = vv. 9-10

Psalm 29 attributes to the God of Israel what the Canaanites attributed to Baal–the divine majesty and power seen in the awesome sights and sounds and force of a thunderstorm. After the opening call to the great powers of creation to glorify the LORD (st. I), the main body of the psalm (st. 2-4) evokes the experience of thunderstorms in northern Canaan as they form over the Mediterranean ("the waters"), sweep across the Lebanon ranges, and spend themselves over the desert-like steppe to the east. Appropriately "the voice of the LORD," that is, thunder (in Baal mythology, the voice of Baal), sounds seven times in this psalm (vv. 3-9). Such displays of divine might may cause Baal worshipers to tremble, but true believers praise their God exuberantly, knowing that the LORD of the thunderstorm gives strength to his people and blesses them with peace (st. 5). Calvin Seerveld (PHH 22) versified this psalm in 1983 for the Psalter Hymnal.

Liturgical Use:
Whenever the people of God want to express their praise to the Lord as the One who sits enthroned in the heavens, rules over all creation as King forever, and blesses and sustains his people.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune

ARLES

ARLES was composed by Charles H. Gabriel (PHH 24), a prolific composer of gospel hymn tunes; it was associated with this psalm in the 1912 Psalter. Named after the French city, ARLES bears energetic, rhythmically precise accompaniment and four-part singing. For variety and contrast, sing the stanzas…

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Timeline

Media

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #29
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
Audio

Lift Up Your Hearts #114

Psalms for All Seasons #29C

Text InfoTune InfoScoreAudio

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #29

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