All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

This page includes a lyric video, history, sheet music, and other resources for the classic hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Enjoy!

Enjoy this You Tube video, performed by Chris Tomlin, with lyrics for “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”:

History of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”

Words by Edward Perronet (1726-1792), Published in 1779

Edward Perronet was born in Kent, England. He descended from a long line of French Protestants (known as Huguenots) who had fled religious persecution in France. His ancestors had settled in Switzerland before coming to England in 1680 where they connected with the Church of England.¹ Edward’s father became a popular church leader and trained his son for a career in ministry.² As Edward grew, he proved to be a gifted preacher, and he gained the attention of John and Charles Wesley. One hymnologist records:

“Mr. [John] Wesley was preaching in London one evening, and seeing Mr. Perronet in the chapel, published, without asking his consent, that he would preach there the next morning at five o’clock. Mr. Perronet had too much respect for the congregation to disturb their peace by a public remonstrance, and too much regard for Mr. Wesley entirely to resist his bidding. The night passed over. Mr. Perronet ascended the pulpit under the impression that Mr. Wesley would be secreted in some corner of the chapel, if he did not show himself publicly, and, after singing and prayer, informed the congregation that he appeared before them contrary to his own wish; that he had never been once asked, much less his consent gained, to preach; that he had done violence to his feelings to show his respect for Mr. Wesley; and now that he had been compelled to occupy the place in which he stood, weak and inadequate as he was for the work assigned him, he would pledge himself to furnish them with the best sermon that ever had been delivered. Opening the Bible, he proceeded to read our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, which he concluded without a single word of his own by way of note or comment. He closed the service with singing and prayer. No imitator has been able to produce equal effect.”³

Despite this incident, Edward and the Wesley brothers became intimate friends. Edward was a strong evangelical and also befriended the Countess Huntingdon.⁴ However, Edward was becoming increasingly critical of the established church. In 1757, he wrote a satirical poem called The Mitre that attacked various practices in the Church of England. Edward’s poem, along with his continued criticism of the established church, ultimately led to a separation with the Wesleys. In the end, Edward withdrew from the Church of England and spent his last years pastoring a small independent chapel in Canterbury.⁵ He wrote several volumes of poems, as well versified Scripture. His most popular work, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” first appeared in the November 1779 issue of Gospel Magazine (additional stanzas appeared in the April 1780 issue). The words have often been revised, and the most frequent version of the hymn is that by John Rippon (author of “How Firm a Foundation”) in his Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, 1787.⁶

Tune “Coronation” by Oliver Holden (1765-1844), Published in 1793

Oliver Holden was a carpenter by trade, and though he was born in Shirley, Massachusetts, he moved to Charlestown at the age of 21 to help rebuild the city (it had been burned down by the British during the Revolutionary War).⁷ In 1790, Oliver opened a general store and also started doing business in real estate. As he prospered financially, he also served as the pastor of a local Puritan church and was elected to the state legislature for six terms.⁸ Despite his many obligations, Holden also managed to devote considerable time to compiling and editing music books, as well as organizing music schools. When George Washington visited Boston in 1789, Oliver wrote the song and trained the choir that greeted Washington at the Old State House.⁹ By the end of his life, Oliver had written over 200 original hymn tunes. His most popular tune, “Coronation,” was written in 1792 and first published in Union Harmony in 1793. According to Hymn Time, “Oliver’s last words are said to have been, ‘I have some beautiful airs running through my head, if I only had the strength to note them down.’ He must have been hearing the angels sing.”¹⁰

Additional Resources for “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”:

Sheet Music (PDF Compliments of Hymnary.org)

Guitar Chords (Links to Ultimate Guitar)

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

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Sources:

¹ Erickson, J. Irving. Sing It Again! A Handbook on The Covenant Hymnal. Covenant Press, 1985, p. 370.
² Hustad, Donald P. Dictionary Handbook to Hymns for the Living Church. Hope Publishing Company, 1978, p. 301.
³ Duffield, Samuel Willoughby. English Hymns: Their Authors and History. Funk & Wagnalls, 1886., pp. 17-18.
⁴ Hustad, p. 301.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Hustad, p. 41.
⁷ Hustad, p. 259.
⁸ Hustad, p. 260.
⁹ Hymn Time, Oliver Holden.
¹⁰ Ibid.