Gloria in Excelsis

The author and source of this Greek “Christian psalm” are unknown. Since the fourth century it has been associated in the East with morning prayers. In Rome it found its way into the eucharistic liturgy only gradually, at first on special occasions such as Easter and Christmas (to which it is particularly appropriate). By the twelfth century a custom had grown of adding it on other Sundays as well, but not in Advent and Lent. Its purpose was to introduce the Liturgy of the Word. In 1552, for Anglican worship, Archbishop Cranmer transferred it, as an act of thanksgiving for holy communion, to just before the final blessing of the congregation. In recent years it has been generally restored to its earlier place.

It consists of a series of acclamations, a doxological and hymnodic form characteristic of the ancient Greek liturgies. Since it is not a dogmatic text like the creeds, a modern version may adapt its pattern to hymn structures that are more readily understood in English, without any basic modification of its substance and spirit. An analysis of the structure of the hymn shows that it consists of an opening antiphon based on Luke 2:14, followed by three stanzas of acclamation: the first addressed to God the Father, the second and third to God the Son. The above translation of the text, identical, except for one word in line 2, to that proposed by ICET, preserves this structure, but transposes certain lines and phrases and omits others to avoid unnecessary repetition. It has proved widely acceptable in use.

Lines 1-2. The traditional English version “goodwill towards men” derives from a defective text of Luke 2:14 ( eudokia instead of the better attested eudokias , “of good will,” which is followed by the Latin bonae voluntatis ). The Eastern tradition, which refers the “favor” or “goodwill” to God, that is, God’s peace and favor to human beings, is almost certainly faithful to the original meaning. There is also a question whether “people” refers to the human race generally, or to the chosen people of God who are the recipients of God’s special favor. The proposed translation agrees with the consensus of New Testament scholars (evident in the Revised Standard Version, the New English Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible, and the New American Bible) that “favor” refers to God’s favor; but it leaves open, in the phrase “to God’s people,” whether “people” means all people or those who are specifically God’s people of faith and hope.

The “his” of the ICET text, which has no counterpart in the Greek or Latin texts, has been replaced by “God’s” to make the meaning clear and to avoid an unnecessary masculine expression. Other versions were considered but the one proposed was accepted as preserving the rhythm of the ICET text so that existing musical settings would not be disturbed.

The translation of in excelsis is difficult. According to biblical imagery, it would mean “in the highest heavens.” Today we do not have a cosmological theory of a series of heavens, whether three or seven. It would be a simple solution to translate the phrase by “in heaven,” but this lacks the exultant feeling of the acclamation. The phrase “in the highest” has therefore been used. This phrase agrees with familiar English liturgical and hymnodic usage.

Lines 3-6. This stanza is addressed to God the Father. The order of lines 3-4 and 5-6 in the original has been reversed to make it clear at once to whom the acclamations refer. The sense of the Greek phrases traditionally rendered “we bless you” and “we glorify you” is included in the words “worship,” “thanks,” and “praise.” The stanza now consists of two pairs of parallel lines, coming to a climax in the word “glory.”

Lines 7-12. This stanza is addressed to God the Son. The transposition of “only Son of the Father” and “Lamb of God” in lines 7-8 gives to each of these lines an acclamation that praises Christ in both his divine and human natures, and it also places “Lamb of God” in immediate juxtaposition with what follows in lines 9-10. The common Greek version introduces “and the Holy Spirit” after line 7, but this is possibly a later displacement from line 17 which is taken from the Latin. The double reference to Christ as “Son” in lines 7-8, which occurs in the Greek original, has been removed as redundant.

Line 9. The declarative form (“you take”) has been preferred to the relative form in lines 9 and 11, as more suitable to acclamation. The three acclamations of lines 9-12 in the Greek text have been reduced to two so that “have mercy on us” goes with line 9, and “receive our prayer” is related to Christ’s sitting at God’s right hand in line 11.

Some requests were received that “ sin (or sins ) of the world” here and in the Agnus Dei be harmonized with each other. Those who prefer the singular refer to John 1:29. The Consultation agreed, but it also thought that the concepts of cosmic sin and individual sins should both be expressed in the liturgy. There is no effect on the musical settings whichever is chosen.

Lines 13-18. The third stanza continues the acclamations to Christ. In order to express the link, the conjunction “for” is used. The repetition of “alone” is emphatic, to show that the titles here given to Christ are those which also belong to the Father: “Holy One,” “Lord,” and “Most High.” Lines 16-18 are a joyous doxology ascribing glory to the Holy Trinity.