Category:Hymn

Hymn, n. Etym: [OE. hympne, ympne, F. hymne, OF. also ymne, L. hymnus, Gr. weave.]

Defn: An ode or song of praise or adoration; especially, a religious ode, a sacred lyric; a song of praise or thankgiving intended to be used in religious service; as, the Homeric hymns; Watts' hymns. Admonishing one another in psalms and hymns. Colossians 3:16. Where angels first should practice hymns, and string Their tuneful harps. Dryden. Hymn book, a book containing a collection of hymns, as for use in churches; a hymnal.

hymn Hymn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hymned; p. pr. & vb. n. Hymning.] Etym: [Cf. L. hymnire, Gr.

Defn: To praise in song; to worship or extol by singing hymns; to sing. To hymn the bright of the Lord. Keble. Their praise is hymned by loftier harps than mine. Byron.

hymn Hymn, v. i.

Defn: To sing in praise or adoration. Milton.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Hymn - Occurs only Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. The verb to "sing an hymn" occurs Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26. The same Greek word is rendered to "sing praises" Acts 16:25 (R.V., "sing hymns") and Hebrews 2:12. The "hymn" which our Lord sang with His disciples at the Last Supper is generally supposed to have been the latter part of the Hallel, comprehending Ps. 113-118. It was thus a name given to a number of psalms taken together and forming a devotional exercise. The noun hymn is used only with reference to the services of the Greeks, and was distinguished from the psalm. The Greek tunes required Greek hymns. Our information regarding the hymnology of the early Christians is very limited.