The Voice that Breathed Over Eden

The voice that breathed over Eden

Author: John Keble (1857)
Published in 105 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 The voice that breathed o’er Eden,
That earliest wedding day,
The primal marriage blessing,
It hath not passed away.

2 Still in the pure espousal
Of Christian man and maid,
The holy Three are with us,
The threefold grace is said,

3 For dower of blessed children,
For love and faith's sweet sake,
For high mysterious union
Which naught on earth may break.

4 Be present, awful Father,
To give away this bride,
As Eve Thou gav’st to Adam
Out of his own pierced side:

5 Be present, Son of Mary,
To join their loving hands,
As Thou didst bind two natures
In Thine eternal hands!

6 Be present, holiest Spirit,
To bless them as they kneel,
As Thou, for Christ the Bridegroom,
The heavenly Spouse dost seal!

7 O spread Thy pure wing o’er them,
Let no ill power find place,
When onward to Thine altar
Their hallowed path they trace.

8 To cast their crowns before Thee
In perfect sacrifice,
Till to the home of gladness
With Christ’s own Bride they rise.

Amen.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #548

Author: John Keble

Keble, John, M.A., was born at Fairford, in Gloucestershire, on St. Mark's Day, 1792. His father was Vicar of Coln St. Aldwin's, about three miles distant, but lived at Fairford in a house of his own, where he educated entirely his two sons, John and Thomas, up to the time of their entrance at Oxford. In 1806 John Keble won a Scholarship at Corpus Christi College, and in 1810 a Double First Class, a distinction which up to that time had been gained by no one except Sir Robert Peel. In 1811 he was elected a Fellow of Oriel, a very great honour, especially for a boy under 19 years of age; and in 1811 he won the University Prizes both for the English and Latin Essays. It is somewhat remarkable that amid this brilliantly successful career,… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The voice that breathed over Eden
Title: The Voice that Breathed Over Eden
Author: John Keble (1857)
Meter: 7.6.7.6
Language: English
Notes: This hymn was sung at the marriage of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. It's a good choice for weddings, and is still sung in marriage ceremonies at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, in the house where Lucy Montgomery wed. Alternate tunes: MATRIMONY, John Stainer, in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1889; ST. ALPHEGE, Henry J. Gauntlett, 1852; ST. EDITH, Justin H. Knecht, 1799, & Edward Husband, 1871; WEDDING DAY, Edward G. McCollin, 1895
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

The voice that breathed o'er Eden. J. Keble. [Holy Matrimony.] Written for and first published in the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, where it was given as No. 187, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. In the author's posthumous Miscellaneous Poems, 1869, it is headed "Holy Matrimony. To be sung at the Commencement of the Service," and is dated "July 12, 1857." In Biggs's annotated edition of Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1867, it is rendered into Latin by Lord Lyttelton (1866) as "Elle Edenaeas qui Patris Deus." The original is in extensive use, and is one of the most beautiful of modern hymns for Holy Matrimony.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7082
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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 105)
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A Church Hymn Book #212

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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #548

Baptist Hymnal #502

Book of Common Praise #d563

Book of Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States #d253

Cân a Mawl #255b

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Christian Praise #443

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Church Book #505

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Church Book #505

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Church Hymnal #226

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #241

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Church Hymns and Tunes #615

Church Hymns with Tunes #241

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Church Hymns #279

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Church Pastorals, hymns and tunes for public and social worship #843

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Common Praise #686

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d450

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #438

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #442

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Free Methodist Hymnal #712

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Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #248

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #266

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #266

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d738

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Hymnal #248

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Hymnal #248

Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard ed.) #350

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Edition #298

Hymns Ancient and Modern #212

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Hymns for the Reformed Church in the United States #437

Hymns of the Christian Life. Rev. ed. #d458

Hymns of Worship and Remembrance #d287

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Hymns of Worship and Service #475

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #475

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Hymns of Worship and Service #475

Hymns That Every Child Should Know #d92

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In Excelsis #678

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In Excelsis #a678

Inter-Church Hymnal #d370

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #265

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Our New Hymnal #71

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Songs of the Christian Life #525

Songs of the Church #d218

St. Francis Hymnal and Choir Manual #d348

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Sursum Corda #835a

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Sursum Corda #835b

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The Academic Hymnal #33

The American Hymnal #d582

The Book of Common Praise #d582

The Book of Common Praise #261A

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The Book of Common Praise #275

The Book of Praise #d352

The Book of Praise #577

The Book of Praise #704

The Book of Praise for Church, School and Home #114

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The Book of Praise for Sunday Schools #114

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The Church and Sunday-School Hymnal #280

The Church Hymnal #d426

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The Church Hymnal with Canticles #248a

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The Church Hymnal with Canticles #248b

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The Church Hymnal #251

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The Church Hymnal #240b

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The Church Hymnal #240c

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The Church Hymnal #240a

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The Church Hymnal #240a

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The Church Hymnal #240b

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The Church Hymnal #240c

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The Church Hymnary #472

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The Church Praise Book #562

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The Cyber Hymnal #7082

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The English Hymnal #348

The English Hymnal #348

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The Hymnal #674

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The Hymnal and Order of Service #530

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The Hymnal and Order of Service #530

The Hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod. Text ed. #d574

The Hymnal of the Reformed Church in the United States #d629

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The Hymnal #383

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The Hymnal #687

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The Hymnal #674

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The Hymnal #240a

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The Hymnal #240b

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The Hymnal #248

The Hymns for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Congregations #d474

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The Lutheran Hymnal #622

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #775

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The Presbyterian Book of Praise #471

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The Presbyterian Book of Praise #471

The Sarum Hymnal #239

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The Scottish Hymnal #338a

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The Scottish Hymnal #338b

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #d788

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The Song Book of the Salvation Army #949

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The Song Companion to the Scriptures #560

The St. Alban Hymnal #d422

Pages

Exclude 102 pre-1979 instances
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