English language hymns often have words, terms, place names, idioms and contractions not found in modern speech. This page explains some of them—it is especially recommended for those for whom English is a second language.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| abide, abideth | Wait, remain. |
| abode | Home |
| accord | Bestow, grant; agreement, opinion |
| actuate | Influence, guide. |
| adorn | Make more beautiful or attractive. |
| addrest | Addressed |
| Æthiop | Ethiopian |
| afford | Provide, make available. |
| Alpha | First letter of the Greek alphabet. Often used to refer to God, as in the phrase Alpha and Omega,meaning the beginning and the end [of all things]. |
| alas | Expresses sorrow or regret. |
| anew | Again, once more. |
| anoint | Sanctify or consecrate. |
| apace | Quickly, immediately. |
| apostolic | Relating to the 12 Apostles, their faith or their teaching. |
| apparel | Clothing |
| apple (of eye) | pupil (of eye) |
| archangel | A high ranking angel. |
| art | Are |
| ascendeth | Ascends |
| assail | Attack |
| asunder | Into separate parts. |
| athirst | Thirsty, or strongly desiring. |
| atone | Pay the penalty for (a crime), make amends. |
| attend | Accompany |
| aye | Yes, ever |
| bark | Ship |
| bade | Commanded, invited. |
| bare | Bore |
| beclouded | Darkened by clouds. |
| befall | Happen |
| belfry | Bell tower. |
| benediction | Blessing, praise. |
| Bethel | Site in Israel which was formerly a major worship center |
| betide | Happen |
| Beulah | Israel |
| bid | Utter a greeting or command. |
| bidden | See bid. |
| bidst | Greeted, commanded. |
| blest | Blessed |
| board | Table |
| brethren | Brothers |
| builded | Built |
| bulwark | A defensive wall. |
| Calvary | Hill outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. |
| Canaan | Previous name of the land now occupied by Israel. |
| canst | Can |
| camest | Came |
| cark | To burden or be burdened with trouble; worry. |
| cento | A hymn made up of verses from a longer original. |
| changest | Changes |
| chaplet | A wreath or garland for the head. |
| chastise | Rebuke or reprimand severely. |
| cherub, cherubim | An angel or celestial being. |
| clave | Archaic past tense of cleave. |
| clime | Climate, region. |
| clotheth | Puts clothes on. |
| cloven | Split |
| comest | Come |
| cometh | Comes |
| consecrate | Having been made or declared sacred. |
| contemn | Despise |
| covenant | A contract or binding agreement. |
| crucify | To execute a person by hanging him on a cross until he dies. |
| crucifixion | The act of crucifying. |
| cumbered | Burdened, weighed down. |
| darksome | Dark |
| David | The second king of Israel. |
| daystar | Morning star. |
| deign | Condescend to give or grant. |
| descendeth | Descends |
| descry | To see. |
| didst | Did |
| dieth | Die, dies. |
| divers | Various |
| doeth | Does |
| dost | Do |
| doth | Does |
| draweth | Draws, comes. |
| drear | Dreary, dark. |
| dreary | Sad |
| dwelleth | Lives |
| dwelt | Dwelled |
| Edom | Region in the ancient Mideast, south of the Dead Sea. |
| e’en | Even |
| e’er | Ever |
| employ | Use |
| Emmanuel | A special name for Jesus, meaning God with us. |
| encamp | Set up or live in a camp. |
| enthrone | Put on a throne. |
| entreat | Request |
| ere | Before |
| eve | Evening, the night before. |
| eventide | Evening |
| evermore | Forever |
| faileth | Fails |
| fain | Gladly |
| fane | Temple, church, shrine. |
| fast | One meaning is tightlyor securely. |
| feedeth | Feeds |
| felicitous | Well chosen, or suited to the circumstances. |
| felicity | Happiness |
| fen | Swamp, marsh. |
| fie | Used to express disgust or outrage. |
| fetters | Chains, shackles. |
| floweret | A small flower. |
| floweth | Flows |
| foe | Enemy, opponent. |
| fold | Flock or pen, as in sheep fold. |
| for aye | Forever |
| forbear | Restrain an impulse to do something; refrain. |
| fore’er | Forever |
| forevermore | Forever |
| foretaste | Advance sample, hint. |
| forsaketh | Forsakes, abandons. |
| fraught (with) | Filled with, having. |
| froward | Stubborn, willful. |
| gainst | Against |
| Gethsemane | A garden near Jerusalem where Jesus spent His last night before being arrested. |
| giveth | Gives |
| gladsome | Happy |
| Golgotha | See Calvary |
| goodly | Of pleasing appearance; of large number. |
| grace | The theological sense is special favor, protection or forgiveness given by God. |
| greenwood | Woods, forest |
| guileless | Free of deception and trickery; innocent. |
| halleluia, hallelujah, halleluyah | Praise the Lord. |
| hallow | Sanctify, make holy. |
| hallowed | Holy |
| hast | Have |
| hasten | Make something come or go more quickly. |
| hath | Has |
| hearest | Hear |
| heareth | Hears |
| heedeth | Pays attention to. |
| henceforth, henceforward | From now on. |
| hereafter | Immediately after. The hereaftermeans life after death. |
| hideth | Hides |
| hie | Go quickly. |
| hither | To or toward this place. |
| hitherto | Up to this time; until now. |
| holdeth | Holds |
| hosanna | A shout of praise. |
| host | A large multitude, or army |
| illume, illumine | illuminate, light up |
| Immanuel | See Emmanuel |
| inly | inwardly |
| intercedeth | intercedes |
| Isaiah | The Old Testament prophet. |
| Jesse | Father of King David. |
| justify | In a religious sense, to remove the guilt or punishment due for sin. |
| ken | Know |
| kindred | Related people, such a family or tribe. |
| knoweth | Knows |
| laud | Praise |
| lay | Song |
| leadeth | Leads |
| legion | A large number, thousands. |
| lest | For fear that. |
| list | Listen |
| lo | Expresses surprise or attracts attention. |
| Macedonia | Ancient Greek region. |
| madest | Made |
| main | Ocean, sea (e.g., the main). |
| manifest | Show, demonstrate; be evidence of. |
| manna | Miraculous food God gave the Israelites in the desert. |
| meed | Gift or payment. |
| meet | Sufficient, appropriate. |
| methinks | I think. |
| methought | I thought. |
| mid, midst | In the middle of. |
| millennial | Referring to a 1000-year period, or specifically to the 1000-year reign of Christ described in Revelation 20:4. |
| mine | My |
| minstrelsy | Ballads and lyrics sung by minstrels. |
| mite | A very small amount of money. |
| moil | Toil, drudgery, confusion, turmoil. |
| molder | Slowly decay or disintegrate, especially because of neglect. |
| morn | Morning |
| morrow | Tomorrow |
| myrrh | An expensive incense or perfume made from the resin of a Middle Eastern plant. |
| naught | Nothing |
| Nazarene | Someone from Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. Usually refers to Jesus. |
| ’neath | Beneath |
| needful | Necessary, required |
| ne’er | Never |
| nigh | Near; almost |
| noontide | Noon, noontime |
| obtest | Beg for, beseech, supplicate. |
| o’er | Over |
| o’ershade | Overshadow |
| o’ertake | Overtake |
| o’erwhelm | Overwhelm |
| ordain, ordaineth | Proclaim as a law or command. |
| ordinance | Law, command |
| oft | Often |
| olden | Old |
| omega | Last letter of the Greek alphabet: Ω. |
| ope | Open |
| overborne | Overwhelmed, defeated. |
| own | Acknowledge |
| Paraclete | The Holy Spirit |
| pavilioned | Covered, as if by a tent. |
| peculiar | Appropriate |
| Pentecost | The day, 50 days after Passover, when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles. |
| pine | To grieve or mourn. |
| pinions | Wings |
| Pisgah | The mountain from which Moses viewed the Promised Land which he would not enter. |
| plenitude | Abundance |
| plighted | Promised, pledged. |
| psaltery | An ancient stringed instrument similar to a harp. |
| quick | Alive, living. |
| quicken, quickening | Bring to life, vitalize. |
| quire | Choir |
| receiveth | Receives |
| reck | Pay heed to something. |
| reignest | Reign |
| reigneth | Reigns |
| remaineth | Remains |
| repair | Go to frequently. |
| repine | Complain, be discontented. |
| repose | Rest |
| rood | Crucifix, cross. |
| ’round | Around |
| roundelay | A short, simple song with refrain, or a circle dance. |
| ruleth | Rules |
| sabaoth | In Hebrew, plural form of armyor host. |
| saith | says |
| sanctify | Set apart as or declare holy; consecrate. |
| seemly | Suitable, appropriate |
| seest | See, sees. |
| seraph, seraphim | An angelic or celestial being. |
| shalt | Shall |
| shareth | Shares |
| shineth | Shines |
| shouldst | Should |
| showeth | Shows |
| Sion | See Zion |
| sittest | Sits |
| slay, slain | Kill, killed. |
| slew | Past tense of slay. |
| sore | Full of sorrow or distress |
| soundeth | Sounds |
| spake | Spoke |
| spangled | Covered with small sparkling objects or lights. |
| stablish | Establish |
| stead | Place or position usually occupied by someone else. |
| steadfast | Reliable, trustworthy. |
| strait | Adjective: Narrow, cramped, confined, or restricted. Noun: A narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. |
| strand | Shore, beach. |
| strown | Covered with, scattered. |
| succor | Help in time of distress. |
| sunder | In parts, or break into parts |
| suffer | Undergo pain; permit or allow |
| sup | Eat |
| supernal | Heavenly, blessed. |
| supplication | Prayer, request. |
| sustaineth | Sustain |
| swaddling cloths | Strips of cloth wrapped around a baby to keep it still. |
| sway | Influence, power. |
| taketh | Takes |
| tempter | Usually, Satan, the devil. |
| th’ | The |
| thee | You |
| thine | Yours |
| thither | There |
| tho’ | Though |
| thou | You |
| thro’ | Through |
| thy | Your |
| thyself | Yourself |
| tidings | News |
| till | Until |
| timbrel | Ancient musical instrument similar to a tambourine. |
| ’tis | It is. |
| Trinity | The three-in-one Godhead. |
| Triune | Three-in-one, referring to the Godhead |
| trod | Walked |
| trump | Trumpet |
| ’twas | It was. |
| ’twere | It were. |
| ’twill | It will. |
| ’twixt | Between. |
| unbelief | Lack of belief or faith |
| unction | Anointing, as part of a religious ritual. |
| unto | To, until, by. |
| unwearied | Not tired. |
| vale | Valley |
| vex | Cause distress to. |
| visitant | Visitor, guest. |
| vouchsafe | Condescend to give or bestow. |
| weal | Happiness, prosperity. |
| wert | Were |
| whate’er | Whatever |
| ’whelm | Overwhelm |
| whence | From where |
| whene’er | Whenever |
| where’er | Wherever |
| wherewith | The thing or things with which; by means of which. |
| wherewithal | The money or other means needed for a particular purpose. |
| whither | Where |
| whosoever | Whoever |
| wilt | Will |
| withersoever | Wherever |
| wonted | Customary, usual. |
| worldling | A person preoccupied with worldly pleasures or concerns |
| wouldst | Would |
| ye | You |
| yea | Yes, truly. |
| yon, yonder | Distant, over there. |
| zeal | Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective. |
| zephyr | Breeze |
| Zion | The land or people of Israel. Mount Zion is the hill on which Jerusalem is located. |