How Great is our God (The Splendour of a King) - Tomlin

This is a soft-rock style worship hymn about God's greatness. The words have been said to be based on several psalms, but are not exactly from any one psalm.

It was written by American contemporary-Christian musicians, songwriters, performers and sometimes worship leaders, Chris Tomlin (b. 1972), Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash. It was first released in 2004, originally featured on Tomlin's album Arriving.   

The song has been translated into Spanish (Cuán grande es Dios).  In 2012, Tomlin introduced  a world-edition recorded with sections in Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Zulu, Africaans, and Mandarin.

Hymn-books which it has been published in include:
  • Baptist Hymnal LifeWay Worship, Nashville, USA 2008
  • Contemporary Songs for Worship, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship/Faith Alive Christian Resources, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, 2008
  • Celebrating Grace Hymnal, Celebrating Grace, Inc., Macon, Georgia, USA, 2010
  • Singing the Faith, Hymns Ancient & Modern for the Methodist Church, London, England, 2011
  • Total Praise, GIA Publications/Sunday School Publication Board, Chicago/Nashville, USA, 2011
  • Worship and Song, Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, 2011
  • Lift Up Your Hearts, Faith Alive Christian Resources, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA 2013
  • Praise y Adoración, Multilingual Church Media, Old Bridge, New Jersey, USA, 2016
  • Santo, Santo, Santo / Holy, Holy Holy, GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago, 2019
  • Voices Together, MennoMedia, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, 2020
  • Our Great Redeemer's Praise, Seedbed Publishing, Franklin, Tennessee, USA, 2022.
Sheet music is also widely available.

It is set to an unnamed tune, also by Tomlin, Reeves and Cash. This has a 4/4 time signature. In the key of Bb, the first few notes of the melody are F B F F_ D F_ with accompanying chords Bb.

It is not similar to the folk-style hymn, author unknown, with the same name


Adapt from The Sun Breaks Forth, © www.GodSongs.net



Downloads

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Examples

Worship leader and congregation with piano-led band - on-screen words, professional recording



Singer with band - official music video by Chris Tomlin



Duet with keyboard, words on-screen



Don Moen with band, professional recording



Singer and band, at a large worship-event



Multi-language "Nations Sunday" version



Singers with band, world-edition



Instrumental - organ



Organ accompaniment to the backing track



Piano instrumental, words on-screen


Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:
1. The splendour of the King,
clothed in majesty;
let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps himself in light
and darkness tries to hide,
and trembles at his voice, and trembles at his voice.

Chorus:
How great is our God,
sing with me: how great is our God.
And all will see how great, how great is our God.

2. And age to age He stands,
and time is in His hands;
beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, Three in One,
Father, Spirit, Son,
the Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb,
How great is our God…

Bridge:
Name above all names, worthy of all praise;
my heart will sing: how great is our God.
How great is our God…

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KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY 1. The splendour of the King,
clothed in majesty;
let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps himself in light
and darkness tries to hide,
and trembles at his voice, and trembles at his voice.

Chorus:
How great is our God,
sing with me: how great is our God.
And all will see how great, how great is our God.

2. And age to age He stands,
and time is in His hands;
beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, Three in One,
Father, Spirit, Son,
the Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb,
How great is our God…

Bridge:
Name above all names, worthy of all praise;
my heart will sing: how great is our God.
How great is our God…

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