Globally speaking, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel's more-or-less traditional lyrics (though there are variations) pretty well summed up pre-Vatican II Catholic understanding of the relationship of the New Testament to the Old Testament, and therefore also of the Church to Israel: The Old Testament was understood to have spiritual validity only when read in reference to Christ and the Church, and Israel was spiritually valid only as the precursor to Christianity. One can look at the question of the theology conveyed by hymn lyrics both atomistically, i.e., is this word or phrase theologically sound or pastorally edifying? and also more globally, i.e., what is the theological orientation of the hymn in its entirety, including what is the progression of thought from verse to verse or what story does the entire lyric tell? Īssessing This Hymn’s Lyrics in Terms of Its Theology of Judaism and the Church The added verses all express christological readings of various Old Testament metaphors. Neale, Mediaeval Hymns, 1851, additional verses and alternative translations have been added over the centuries. Possibly first translated into English by John M. Veni, veni Emanuel! Captivum solve Israel ! The original Latin lyrics appear to have been combined from various antiphons by an unknown author, possibly in the 12th century ( Veni, veni Emanuel): The haunting and evocative melody, which for many epitomizes the spirit of Advent, seems to have originated as “Veni Emmanuel,” from a 15th century processional of French Franciscan nuns (the setting for the funeral hymn Libera me). O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Commentary Commentary on the Revised Lyrics to "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
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