The Story Behind 'Crown Him with Many Crowns'

The story behind Crown Him with Many Crowns starts with a single startling image from the book of Revelation: the returning Christ, "on his head... many crowns." Matthew Bridges took that line in 1851 and built from it one of the most majestic hymns in the English language — and a second author, Godfrey Thring, later added to it.

A vision of many crowns

The hymn's foundation is Revelation 19:12, John's vision of Christ riding out in triumph: "his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns." Bridges seized on the plural. If the King wears many crowns, then let the church name them one by one and crown Him under each.

So the hymn moves through title after title. "Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o'er the grave." "Crown Him the Lord of love — behold His hands and side." "Crown Him the Lord of peace, whose power a sceptre sways." "Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time." Each verse is a fresh coronation.

Two authors, one hymn

There is a quiet piece of church history folded into this hymn. Matthew Bridges, who wrote the 1851 original, had become a Roman Catholic — and some Protestant congregations were reluctant to sing verses from his pen. In 1874 the Anglican clergyman Godfrey Thring wrote a set of additional and alternative stanzas.

The happy result is that most hymnals today do not choose between them. They gather the finest verses from both men, so that the version you sing is very likely a collaboration between two authors who never met and did not share a communion table. The hymn is, in a small way, more united than its writers were.

The heart of the hymn

For all its grandeur, the hymn keeps returning to the wounds. "Crown Him the Lord of love — behold His hands and side, rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified." The crowned King is the crucified King; the throne still bears the marks of the cross. That is what keeps the hymn from mere pageantry. The One being crowned with many crowns is the One who was crowned with thorns.

The last verse lifts the eye to eternity: "Crown Him the Lord of years... all hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me; Thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity."

Why the story matters

We do not often stop to think that our hymns can be the meeting-place of Christians who differed sharply. Crown Him with Many Crowns is exactly that. It also trains our eyes to see Christ under many titles at once — not only Saviour, but Lord of life, love, peace and years. Singing it is a way of enlarging our picture of who He is.

Sitting with it at home

If you would like to study this hymn slowly, our Crown Him with Many Crowns Deep-Dive Study sets the full public-domain text beside Revelation 19 and the scriptures behind each title, with the story of its two authors and reflection questions for a week of readings.

You might also enjoy the story behind Amazing Grace or our list of five public-domain hymns every family should know.