The Lord of Might from Sinai’s Brow

Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Exodus 19:18

Words: Reginald Heber (1783–1826). Published posthumously in Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Service of the Year (London: J. Murray, 1827), pages 57–58.

Music: Sinai (Perrot) Clement H. Perrot (1842–1910) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

Nun freut euch Martin Luther, in Geistliche Lieder, by Joseph Klug (Wittenberg, Germany: 1535) (🔊 pdf nwc)

If you know when the music was written, or where to get a good photo of Perrot (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),

The Lord of might, from Sinai’s brow,
Gave forth His voice of thunder;
And Israel lay on earth below,
Outstretched in fear and wonder.
Beneath His feet was pitchy night,
And at His left hand and His right,
The rocks were rent asunder!

The Lord of love, on Calvary,
A meek and suffering stranger,
Upraised to Heaven His languid eye,
In nature’s hour of danger.
For us He bore the weight of woe,
For us He gave His blood to flow,
And met His Father’s anger.

The Lord of love, the Lord of might,
The King of all created,
Shall back return to claim His right,
On clouds of glory seated;
With trumpet sound and angel song,
And hallelujahs loud and long,
O’er death and hell defeated!

Scripture Verse

Introduction

Lyrics