Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Chapter I: Advent - The O Antiphones: Adonai

The Second of the Great O Antiphons
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

The original Latin:
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

This O Antiphon finds its inspiration, of course, in the story of Moses on Mount Sinai, but also the following Scriptures.
....but with righteousness he will judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the humble of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
Righteousness will be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his waist.

-Isaiah 11:4-5
For Yahweh is our judge.
    Yahweh is our lawgiver.
    Yahweh is our king.
    He will save us.

 -Isaiah 2233:
So we continue to dream, to long for the coming of our Adonai, our Lord, who will write His law on our hearts and give Himself to us.

The lyrics from O Come, O Come Emmanuel inspired by this O Antiphon:
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel! 
Sufjan Stevens' version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is the only one I could find that included this verse.


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