How Great Thou Art

This page includes a lyric video, history, sheet music, and other resources for the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art.” Enjoy!

Enjoy this You Tube video, performed by Charlie Hall and Band, with lyrics for “How Great Thou Art”:

History of “How Great Thou Art”

Words by Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940), Written in 1885

Carl Boberg was born in Sweden as the son of a shipyard carpenter. After spending some years as a sailor, Carl had a conversion experience at the age of 19. He decided to attend a Bible school in Sweden and then accepted a pastorate in his hometown. In 1890, he began serving as the editor of an evangelistic magazine. He soon became the owner of the magazine, and he continued as its editor until 1916. According to hymnologist J. Irving Erickson, “Under [Carl’s] leadership, the periodical became an increasingly important arm of the evangelical movement.”¹ For almost 20 years, Carl also served as a member of the Swedish Parliament. He was a popular speaker and a gifted writer. He published several collections of poetry as well as many hymns which are still sung in Sweden. Only a handful of Carl’s hymns have been translated into English – the most popular being “How Great Thou Art.” Carl wrote this hymn when he was only 26 years old. He had been walking through a spectacular thunderstorm in 1885 when he was inspired with the opening words of his poem “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”).² He wrote 9 stanzas based on Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise.” A few years later, while visiting a church in Sweden, Carl was surprised to hear his poem being sung to an old Swedish folk melody.³

Tune “O Store Gud,” a Swedish hymn adapted and translated by Stuart Wesley Keen Hine (1899-1989), Published in 1949

Stuart Hine was born in London, England. He became a Christian at the age of 14 and later became a missionary to Eastern Europe. Stuart first heard the hymn “How Great You Are” in 1933 in Ukraine where it was sung in Russian. The Swedish original had been translated into both German (1907) and Russian (1912).⁴ Stuart and his wife began singing the hymn in Russian at evangelistic meetings, but it was not until he was caught in a storm in the Carpathian Mountains that he began a “free translation” of the hymn into English.⁵ He translated nine of the verses into two and later added a third and fourth verse of his own.⁶ Hine published his version in 1949 in Grace and Peace, an evangelistic publication that circulated in at least 15 countries. Furthermore, British missionaries helped to spread the hymn to both Africa and Asia. The popularity of the hymn grew in the U.S. (and renewed interest in the hymn in Europe) through its use in the Billy Graham Crusades. “How Great Thou Art” continues to rank as a favorite hymn across the globe.⁷

Additional Resources for “How Great Thou Art”:

Sheet Music (PDF Compliments of Hymn Time)

Guitar Chords (Links to Ultimate Guitar)

Visit Hymnary.org or Hymn Time.com for more on this hymn.

See our Hymn of the Week page for a list of the hymns that are included on this site.

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Sources:

¹ Erickson, J. Irving. Sing It Again! A Handbook on The Covenant Hymnal. Covenant Press, 1985, p. 247.
² Dowley, Tim. Christian Music, A Global History. Fortress Press, 2011. p. 218.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Hustad, Donald P. Dictionary Handbook to Hymns for the Living Church. Hope Publishing Company, 1978, p. 32.
⁵ Dowley, Tim. Christian Music, A Global History. Fortress Press, 2011. p. 218.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.