Christmas carol · 1857
We Three Kings
The words, with the Bible verse behind each line
We Three Kings comes from Matthew 2: magi from the east follow a star and bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But Matthew never says there were three, and he never calls them kings. The meaning the carol gives each gift is an old Christian tradition, not something Matthew says.
- 19 of 24 lines draw on a verse
- 14 passages
- 4 lines go beyond the Bible
The wordsBeyond the BibleIts story
The words, line by line
Luke 2:14 the verse a line draws on. Tap it to read the verse.Beyond where the line goes past the Bible.
Verse 1
- We three kings of Orient areMatthew 2:1Once Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the time of King Herod, magi from the east made their way to JerusalemBeyond Matthew says magi from the east. He does not say three, or kings.
- Bearing gifts we traverse afarMatthew 2:11They went into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- Field and fountain, moor and mountain
- Following yonder starMatthew 2:2and asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? For we saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
Refrain
- O star of wonder, star of nightMatthew 2:9When they had heard the king out, they set off, and there was the star they had seen as it rose, leading them on until it came and halted over the place where the child was.
- Star with royal beauty brightMatthew 2:10At the sight of the star, they rejoiced with very great joy.
- Westward leading, still proceedingMatthew 2:9Beyond Matthew says the star led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, which is to the south.
- Guide us to thy perfect lightJohn 8:12Again Jesus spoke to them, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Verse 2
- Born a King on Bethlehem’s plainMatthew 2:2Beyond Bethlehem is in the hills, not on a plain.
- Gold I bring to crown him againMatthew 2:11
- King forever, ceasing neverLuke 1:33He will rule as king over the house of Jacob for all ages, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
- Over us all to reign
Verse 3
- Frankincense to offer have IMatthew 2:11
- Incense owns a Deity nighBeyond Matthew does not explain the gifts. This meaning is an early Christian reading.
- Prayer and praising, all men raisingPsalm 141:2May my prayer be set before you like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening grain offering.
- Worship him, God on highMatthew 2:11
Verse 4
- Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfumeJohn 19:39Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
- Breathes a life of gathering gloom
- Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dyingIsaiah 53:3He was despised and shunned by others, a man of many pains, who knew sickness well. Like someone people hide their faces from, he was despised, and we counted him as nothing.
- Sealed in the stone-cold tombMatthew 27:66So they went off and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and setting the guard there.
Verse 5
- Glorious now behold him ariseMatthew 28:6He is not here, because he has been raised, as he said. Come and look at the place where he was lying.
- King and God and sacrificeHebrews 9:26Otherwise he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
- Alleluia, AlleluiaRevelation 19:6Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great crowd, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, has begun to reign.
- Sounds through the earth and skies
Words: John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857. Music: John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857. In the public domain. Verses are from the Lumin Translation.
Where it goes beyond the Bible
- Matthew calls them magi, men who studied the stars. He does not say there were three or that they were kings. Three likely comes from the three gifts.
- Matthew does not explain the gifts. Gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh for his death is how early Christian writers read them.
- Bethlehem sits on a ridge in the hills, not a plain. And the star led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, which is south, not west.
The story of the carol
John Henry Hopkins Jr. taught music at the General Theological Seminary in New York. He wrote the words and the tune around 1857 for a Christmas pageant, and printed it in 1863.
It is one of the few American carols of its time to spread around the world. It is written to be sung by three men, each taking the verse for his gift, with everyone joining for the chorus and the last verse.
- Words
- John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857
- Music
- John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857
Questions
Is We Three Kings in the Bible?
We Three Kings comes from Matthew 2: magi from the east follow a star and bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But Matthew never says there were three, and he never calls them kings. The meaning the carol gives each gift is an old Christian tradition, not something Matthew says.
Who wrote We Three Kings?
Words: John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857. Music: John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857.
What does We Three Kings add to the Bible?
Matthew calls them magi, men who studied the stars. He does not say there were three or that they were kings. Three likely comes from the three gifts. Matthew does not explain the gifts. Gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh for his death is how early Christian writers read them. Bethlehem sits on a ridge in the hills, not a plain. And the star led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, which is south, not west.