the Fourth Week of Advent
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Bible Encyclopedias
Gloria in Excelsis
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or ("Glory be [to God] on high"), the name of one of the most ancient doxologies of the Church. It is called doxologia major, to distinguish it from the Gloria Patri; and is also called hymnus angelicus (the angelic hymn), because the first part of it was sung by the angels at Bethlehem. The latter portion is ascribed to Telesphorus, about A.D. 139; but this is doubtful. The whole hymn, with very little difference, is to be found in the Apostolical Constitutions, and was established to be used in the church service by the fourth Council of Toledo. It is used by both the Greek and Latin churches. "In the Eastern Church," says Palmer, "this hymn is more than 1500 years old, and the Church of England has used it, either at the beginning or end of the liturgy, for above 1200 years." In the Roman Missal it stands at the beginning of the Office for the Communion, as it does also in the first Common Prayer of king Edward VI, where it immediately follows the Collect for Purity. In the present prayer-book of the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church it stands after the communion, as it does also in the Ritual of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Greek form of the hymn, as restored by Bunsen (Analecta Anteniccena, 3:87), is as follows: Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία . Αἰνοῦμέν σε, εὐλογοῦμεν σε, προσκυνοῦμέν σε· εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι διὰ τὴν μεγάλην σου δόξαν . Κύριε βασιλεῦ ἐπουράνιε, θεὸς πατὴρ παντοκράτωρ· Κύριε ὁ θεός· Κύριε υἱὲ μονογενῆ· Ι᾿ησοῦ Χριστέ· ῾Ο ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ· ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ πατρός· ῾Ο αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου· έλέησον ἡμᾶς· ῾Ο ἄρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου· έλέησον ἡμᾶς, προσδέξαι τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν· ῾Ο καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾶ '/ τοῦ πατρός· ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς . ῞Οτι σὺ εϊ v μὀνος ἃγιος· σὺ εϊ v μόνος κύριος· Ι᾿ησοῦς Χριστός· εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός . ῎Αμήν . "The English form: "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good-will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, 0 Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen." — Hook; Wheatly, Common Prayer, chapter 6, § 27; Palmer, Orig. Liturg. 2:158; Procter, On Common Prayer, page 353; Bingham, Orig. Eccles. book 15, chapter 3; Daniel, Thesaurus Hymnologicus, 2:267; Evangelical Quar. Rev. April 1869, page 250. (See ANGELICAL HYMN); (See DOXOLOGY).
These files are public domain.
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Gloria in Excelsis'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/g/gloria-in-excelsis.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
