This popular Praise song has a very simple repeating phrase, "How great is our God". The lyrics are smooth and elegant. You can see an interview with Chris Tomlin about how he came to write the song at YouTube.
VERSE(1):
The splendor of a 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(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
VERSE(2):
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
CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
CHORUS(2)
Name above all names
You are Worthy of all praise
and My heart will sing how great
Is our God
(x2)
CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
The order of singing is Verse 1, Chorus 1, Verse 2, Chorus 1, Chorus 2 (2x), Chorus 1 (2x).
Rating of Koine Text: 7 (0=incomplete | 4=rough translation | 8=meter matched | 10=elegant). I feel very good about this song.
Text with Sheet Music (melody only): forthcoming
Parallel Koine Greek / English
Use in Greek Pedagogy
Chreia adaptations
The order of singing is Verse 1, Chorus 1, Verse 2, Chorus 1, Chorus 2 (2x), Chorus 1 (2x). For simplicity, the Greek text below will only give each part once. I have given the Greek parts names: a στροφή is a verse, an ἐπῳδός is a chorυs refrain.
verse 1
1 God (is) so great,
2 Sing with me,
3 God (is) so great,
4 Pay attention everyone!
5 How great, how great
6 (is the) God of us
Chorus 1
7 The glory of a king,
8 in-glory indeed clothed
9 Rejoice all (the) earth
10 Rejoice all (the) earth
11 in light (he) is clothed
12 and darkeness
would hide-away
13 trembling with trembling
indeed
14 it-fears his voice
Verse 2
15 out of the ages indeed he stands
16 (over) times and moments well he controls
17 Beginning and the end
18 Beginning and the end
19 The Godhead three in one
20 Father, Spirit, Son,
21 The lion and lamb
22 The lion and lamb
Chorus 2
23 a name you have
reknowned
24 worthy you-are of all praises
25 I will sing
26 how great (is the) God
of-us
Use in Greek Pedagogy
This song can be used early on in Greek study. This song has many common nouns in the nominative forms: πατὴρ, θεὸς, υἱὸς, πνεῦμα, λέων, ἀμνός, ὄνομα, τέλος, ἀρχή, δόξα, σκοτία, γῆ. Verbs are almost always in the 3rd singular; the participles are like simple adjectives.
Pronouns: μοί, ἡμῶν, αὐτοῦ, αὑτός
The article: ὁ, ἡ, τό, τῶν
To be: ἔστιν, εἶ
Prepositions: ἐκ, εἰς, ἐν
Verbs: Almost all verbs are third person singualr or imperative, ἐνείληται (> ἐνειλέω) to wrap in; απορύψεται (future of ἀποκρύπτω); χαίρετω(3rd person active imperative of χαίρω), ᾄδου (Middle imperative of ἀείδω), ἔχεις, ἔστηκε (perfect 3rd singular of ἵστημι), ἐγκρατεῖ (3rd singular of ἐγκρατέω), φοβεῖ (3rd singular PAI of φοβέω), ὑμνήσομαι (>ὑμνέω)
