Doxology

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

A hymn used in praise of the Almighty, distinguished by the titles of the Greater and the Less. Both the doxologies are used in the church of England; the former being repeated after every psalm, and the latter used in the communion service. Doxology the Greater, or the angelic hymn, was of great note in the ancient church. It began with the words the angels sung at the birth of Christ, "Glory to God, " &c. Doxology the Less, was anciently only a single sentence without a response, running in these words: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, world without end, amen." Part of the latter clause, "as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, " &c. was inserted some time after the first composition.

Holman Bible Dictionary

Biblical doxologies are found in many contexts, but one of their chief functions seems to have been as a conclusion to songs (Exodus 15:18 ), psalms (Psalm 146:10 ), and prayers (Matthew 6:13 ), where they possibly served as group responses to solo singing or recitation. Doxologies conclude four of the five divisions of the Psalter (Psalm 41:13; Psalm 72:19; Psalm 89:52; Psalm 106:48 ), with Psalm 150:1 serving as a sort of doxology to the entire collection. Doxologies also occur at or near the end of several New Testament books ( Romans 16:27; Philippians 4:20; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 5:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 1:25 ) and figure prominently in the Revelation (Revelation 1:6; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12 ).

Doxologies continued to be written and sung in the Christian church after the close of the New Testament period. Post-biblical doxologies, in reaction against the Arians and other heretical groups, tended to emphasize the doctrine of the Trinity. The doxologies which have been and still are used most commonly in the Christian church are the Gloria in excelsis Deo (“Glory to God in the highest,” an expansion of Luke 2:14 which is often called the “Greater Doxology”), the Gloria Patri (“Glory be to the Father,” the “Lesser Doxology”), and Thomas Ken's “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” (familiarly known simply as “The Doxology”).

David W. Music

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

DOXOLOGY. —An ascription of praise to God in forms of words more or less fixed by usage. Though the term does not occur in the NT, it contains many doxologies, and they were an important element in the devotional life of the primitive Christians. This indeed was inevitable, because they carried with them what was best in the practice of Judaism, and were especially influenced in the expression of their worship by the language of the OT.

1. The OT and Jewish usage .—Doxologies are common in the OT, being found in germ even in its oldest portions. In the Song of Deborah praise is given to Jehovah for national deliverance (Judges 5:2; Judges 5:9; cf. Exodus 18:10). In 1 Kings 1:48; 1 Kings 8:15 there is thankful recognition of Jehovah’s power and control in national events. The Psalms are especially rich (Psalms 28:6; Psalms 34:2-3; Psalms 135, 146), though one form, ‘give thanks unto Jehovah, for His lovingkindness endureth for ever,’ seems to be the most common both in the Psalms and all post-exilic literature (Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 118:1-3, 1 Chronicles 16:34, 2 Chronicles 5:13; 2 Chronicles 7:3; 2 Chronicles 7:6, Ezra 3:11). The regular liturgical conclusion of the services of the Temple, and afterwards of the Synagogue, came to be a doxology beginning ‘blessed be (or ‘is’) God.’ By the time of our Lord the employment of doxological expressions had increased so largely, that they were in the mouth of the people for any event which stirred their gratitude or wonder, in fact as thanksgiving for almost everything in life. Though the fundamental religious idea of the doxology, that Jehovah is the Holy One whose sovereign power must be acknowledged at all times, was a noble one, its use had too often degenerated into the veriest formalism.

2. NT usage .—Traces of Jewish custom may be seen in the Gospels (Matthew 15:31, Mark 2:12, Luke 1:46; Luke 1:68; Luke 2:20; Luke 5:25-26; Luke 7:18). The words and attendant conditions of the life of Jesus so impressed the people that a new hope was born in them, and they praised God for signs of His returning favour to Israel through this prophet. Jesus does not yet receive Divine homage. No doxology is offered to Him anywhere in the Gospels, for the Messianic acclaim (Mark 11:9-10) is not to be so interpreted (see Dalman, Words of Jesus , 220ff., and Swete, in loc .). God alone has the right to such ascription, for He is ‘holy’; He is ὁ εὐλογητός, the One to whom blessing is due (Mark 14:61), הַקרושׁבָּרוּךְהיִא being a well-known Jewish formula. See artt. Benediction and Blessing.

Immediately after the Resurrection, Jesus is associated with the Father in glory, and receives worship as Messiah and Son of God. This is the universal Apostolic view (Acts 2:33-36; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:15; Acts 5:31, Romans 1:4, Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 2:9, James 2:1; 1 Peter 1:21). So the ascription of doxologies to the risen Christ naturally followed. But the doxology continued to be addressed most frequently to God the Father (Romans 11:36, Galatians 1:5, Ephesians 3:20-21, Philippians 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 Peter 5:11, Revelation 7:12). In several Jesus Christ is associated more or less directly with God the Father (Romans 16:27; 1 Peter 4:11, Judges 1:25, Revelation 5:13). Romans 9:5 and Hebrews 13:21 present battling evidence as to the recipient; but in 2 Timothy 4:18; 2 Peter 3:18, Revelation 1:6 glory is ascribed to Jesus Christ. Thus in conformity with Christian belief the OT usage was expanded, so that at a very early date there arose a Christian formula, which in the public adoration of the worship of the Church would serve in a secondary sense as a creed, expressing the doctrine that the risen Christ shared in Divine honour with the Father.

3. Structure .—The doxologies of the NT consist of three main parts.

( a ) The Person to whom praise is given. This is, as we have seen, most frequently God the Father, though Jesus Christ is associated with Him. Attributes are often added, usually to emphasize the Divine blessing which has occasioned the praise. In Ephesians 3:20-21, e.g. a clause descriptive of the power of the Almighty serves to justify the Apostle’s prayer for strength on behalf of his readers. See Romans 16:27, 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Peter 3:18, Judges 1:24-25, Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:13.

( b ) The second term is almost invariably δόξα (‘glory’), either alone or with some significant addition (Ephesians 3:21), the chief exceptions being 1 Timothy 6:16 (‘honour and power’), 1 Peter 5:11 (‘the dominion’). The amplitude of the doxologies in the Apocalypse deserves attention, the praise being threefold (Revelation 4:11; Revelation 19:1), fourfold (Revelation 5:13), or sevenfold in its perfection (Revelation 7:12). This full-voiced glory offered to the Lamb (Revelation 5:13) in this book of Hebrew cast, shows how thoroughly it was the belief of the circle from which it issued that Jesus transcended every created being.

Except in 1 Peter 4:11 the copula is omitted, so that it must be determined from the context whether the doxology is affirmative or precatory (see Lightfoot on Galatians 1:5; Chase, Lord’s Prayer , p. 169; Didache , viii. 2; Clement of Rome, 58).

( c ) The third integral part of the doxology in its simplest form is εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας (‘unto the ages’), which denotes the eternity of the sovereign rule of the Lord. Before the mind of the Apostolic writers, however, the future rolls out in a series of aeons, so that the normal form is expanded very frequently into εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, in order to cover all possible periods of time (Galatians 1:5, Philippians 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11, Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12. See also Ephesians 3:21; 2 Peter 3:18, Judges 1:25).

The conclusion of all doxologies except 2 Peter 3:18 is ἀμήν.

4. The Doxology in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:13).—It can no longer be doubted that this was not a part of the prayer as it stood originally in Matthew. The uncial evidence is very weak (LΔΣ), and the variations in the early versions are numerous (Syrcur omits ‘and the power’; the Sinaitic is defective, and the old Latin (k) and the Sahidic differ from each other and from the Syriac). The form found in the Didache (viii. 2, x. 5) ultimately developed into the full expression (‘the kingdom and the power and the glory’), which probably passed into the Syrian text from the liturgical usage of the Syrian Church. (See Hort’s Notes on Select Readings , p. 9). Of this final doxology the original source may have been 1 Chronicles 29:11, which shaped the Synagogue usage and thereby that of the Christian Church. No Jewish benediction was complete without reference to ‘the kingdom’ of Jehovah. ‘It calls attention to this that He to whom the kingdom belongs, also has the power to hear the prayer which primarily has in view the establishing of that kingdom, and that He is therefore to be praised for ever’ (Weiss). See, further, art. Lord’s Prayer.

5. The Angelic Hymn (Luke 2:14), in its longer and less correct text, gave rise to the Gloria in Excelsis ( Apost. Const. vii. 47). The Doxologia Minor (‘Glory be to the Father,’ etc.) may possibly be traced back to Matthew 28:19, but there is no other sign of it in the NT. However, to follow the fortunes of these doxologies would carry us beyond our limits. (See Smith’s Dictionary of Christian Antiquities ).

Literature.— Jewish Ency . vol. viii. art. ‘Liturgy’; Herzog-Hauck’s PR E [Note: RE Real-Encyklopädie fur protest. Theologic und Kirche.] 3 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] vol. xi. art. ‘Liturgische Formeln’; Chase, The Lord’s Prayer in the Early Church  ; Westcott, Epistle to the Hebrews , Add. Note ‘Apostolic Doxologies.’

R. A. Falconer.

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) In Christian worship: A hymn expressing praise and honor to God; a form of praise to God designed to be sung or chanted by the choir or the congregation.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dok -sol´ō̇ -ji ( δοξολογία , doxologı́a , "a praising," "giving glory"): A hymn or liturgical formula expressive of praise to God, as the Gloria in Excelsis (an expansion of Luke 2:14 ), sometimes called the Greater Doxology, and the Gloria Patri ("Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, world without end, Amen") also known as the Lesser Doxology.

The clause, "as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be," was probably added to the original simple formula to emphasize the church's dissent from the Arian conception of Christ.

The term is applied in particular to the concluding paragraph of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:13 margin, "For thine is the kingdom," etc.; compare 1 Chronicles 29:11 , and see Lord 'S Prayer ).

To the same general class belong Psalm 41:13; Psalm 72:18 f; Psalm 89:52; Romans 16:27; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Judges 1:25; Revelation 5:13 f; Revelation 19:1-3 , and the modern stanza beginning "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(δοξολογία, a praising, giving glory), an ascription of glory or praise to God.

1. Doxologies in N.T. — Short ascriptions, which may be called doxologies, abound in the Psalms (e.g. Psalms 96:6; Psalms 112:1; Psalms 113:1), and were used in the synagogue. We naturally, therefore, find the apostles using them; e.g. Romans 11:36; Ephesians 3:21; 1 Timothy 1:17. The Apocalypse (Revelation 19:1) gives, as a celestial doxology, "Alleluia! Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God;" and another (Revelation 5:13), "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever." The song of the angels, Luke 2:14, is a doxology (see below, No. 2). The doxology at the close of the Lord's Prayer — "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" — is thought by most critics to be an interpolation. It is not used in the Roman liturgy in repeating the Lord's Prayer, but is used in the worship of the Greek Church, and in all Protestant churches. (See Lords Prayer).

2. Liturgical Doxologies. — There are three doxologies of special note, which have been in use in Church worship from a very early period, viz.:

(1.) The Lesser Doxology, or Gloria Patti, originally in the form, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;" to which was added later, "world without end;" and later still the form became what it is now: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The use of this noble doxology has been a constant testimony to the Church's faith in the Holy Trinity. In the Church of England it must be said or sung at the end of the reading of every psalm; in the Protestant Episcopal Church it may be said or sung at the end of every psalm, but either it or the greater doxology must be said or sung at the end of the whole portion of Psalms for the day. For further details, (See Gloria Patri).

(2.) The Greater Doxology, or Gloria in Excelsis, called also the Angelical Hymn (q.v.), a doxology of praise and thanksgiving founded on the song of the angels, Luke 11:14 ("Glory be to God on high," etc.). For its form and history; (See Gloria In Excelsis). It is used in the eucharistic services of the Church of England, the Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Episcopal churches, and, in fact in most Protestant churches.

(3.) The Trisagion (Latin Tersanctus), a doxology as old as the second century, beginning with the words, "Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name." It is used in the communion service of the Church of England, the Methodist Episcopal, Protestant Episcopal, and some other Protestant churches. For its form and history, (See Trisagion).

3. Metrical Doxologies. — It is usual in Protestant churches, at the end of the singing of a hymn, or at least at the end of the last hymn in the service, to sing the doxology in the same meter. The hymn-books of the churches, therefore, contain a collection of versions of the Gloria Patri in various metres, adapted to all the metres of the hymns. See Bingham, Biog. Ecclesiastes book 14, chapter 2; Siegel, christl. Alterhü mer, 1:515 sq.; Procter, On Common Prayer, page 212; Palmer, Orig. Liturg. 4, § 23.