Song Study 12: Meekness and Majesty

                                                     

               SONG STUDY (18) GUIDE ME O THOU 

                          GREAT JEHOVAH 

Words by William Williams (1745), translated into English by Peter Williams (1771), tune Cwm Rhondda by John Hughes (1907).

William Williams

John Hughes

The hymn was written over 100 years before the Welsh Revival of the early 1900's. The happy combination of the old words with John Hughes' new melody soon made this hymn one of the best known Welsh hymns ever. It still is. The change in the first line from "Jehovah" to "Redeemer" has not been universally accepted.

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah

Pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but Thou art mighty,

Hold me with Thy powerful hand:

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,

Feed me now and evermore,

Feed me now and evermore. 

Open Thou the crystal fountain

Whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fiery, cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through:

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my strength and shield,

Be Thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan

Bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death, and hell’s destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan’s side:

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee,

I will ever give to Thee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm93QW08yZQ  Guide me O thou Great Jehovah to the tune Cwm  Rhondda with soloist Harry Secombe. This begins with Harry singing overlooking the Rhondda valley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIep17oeV20&list=RDpIep17oeV20&start_radio=1 

Guide me O thou Great Jehovah, sung in Welsh by a male choir. 

The underlying Biblical background is the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, illustrating the journey of a believer through life.
Understanding the words. Jehovah, pilgrim, crystal, pillar, verge, subside.
Verse 1. Why should we think of ourselves as pilgrims? See Hebrews 11:8-13, 1 Peter 1:1, 17 and 2:11. Why “this barren land? See Philippians 3:17-21 and 2 Corinthians 5:1-7.
The bread the writer has in mind is, first of all, the manna God gave the Israelites as food in the desert. However, see Matthew 4:1-4, Luke 22:19 and John 6:30-35.
Verse 2. “Crystal fountain”. See Zechariah 13:1 and Revelation 22:1-2.
The original “fiery, cloudy pillar” guided the Israelites in the desert. What does the songwriter have in mind?
“Strength and shield”. See Psalm 28:7-9. Also consider the armour of God that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 6.
Verse 3. Why does the songwriter think of death as like the Israelites crossing the River Jordan?
The end of death and hell. See Revelation 20:7-15.
Songs of praises. Note that both words are plural. Where in Scripture are we urged to sing such songs? See Psalm 19:11, 47:6 and James 5:13.                            

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