To God Be the Glory

Fanny Crosby · 1875 · tune TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Key of G · public domain

Words

Verse 1To God be the glory, great things He hath done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in

ChorusPraise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done

Verse 2O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

Verse 3Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

The story

Fanny Crosby wrote it, William Doane set it, and America ignored it. It was published in 1875 and quietly vanished from American hymnals for the better part of eighty years. It survived in Britain, and came back across the Atlantic in the 1950s when Cliff Barrows heard it in London during a Billy Graham crusade and brought it home. It has been standard in the United States ever since. Note what the hymn refuses to do: it is a song about salvation that never once makes the singer the subject of the sentence. Every verse hands the credit somewhere else, and the chorus does nothing but repeat the instruction.

Chords in G

Verse 1 G C G To God be the glory, great things He hath done G A7 D So loved He the world that He gave us His Son G C G Who yielded His life an atonement for sin G D G And opened the life gate that all may go in Chorus C G Praise the Lord, praise the Lord D G Let the earth hear His voice C G Praise the Lord, praise the Lord A7 D Let the people rejoice G C G O come to the Father through Jesus the Son G C G D G And give Him the glory, great things He hath done Verse 2 G C G O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood G A7 D To every believer the promise of God G C G The vilest offender who truly believes G D G That moment from Jesus a pardon receives Verse 3 G C G Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done G A7 D And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son G C G But purer and higher and greater will be G D G Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

In the app you can move this to any key and it works out the capo for you.

Common questions

Who wrote To God Be the Glory? Fanny Crosby wrote the words in 1875.

What tune is it sung to? TO GOD BE THE GLORY, set here in the key of G.

What scripture is it built on? John 3:16.

Is To God Be the Glory free to use in church? Yes. The words are public domain, which means any church may sing them, print them in a bulletin, put them on a screen or record them, without asking permission and without paying anyone.

Themes

Praise · Salvation · Gospel

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