Aardvark Alley

Confessional Lutheran theology, hagiography, philosophy, music, culture, sports, education,
and whatever else is on the fevered mind of Orycteropus Afer
O Emmanuel
O God with Us
23 December

We now arrive at the seventh and final
O Antiphon, including related Scriptures, Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Emmanuel, Rex et legisfer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator erum:
℟
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.
℣ O Emmanuel, our King and our Lord, the Anointed for the nations and their | Savior:*
℟
Come and save us, O | Lord our God.
"Therefore the
Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (
Isaiah 7:14)" See also
Isaiah 8:6-8;
Matthew 1:23;
Haggai 2:7 (KJV).
Veni Veni, Emmanuel Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio, Privatus Dei Filio.
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read the final daily meditation from the O Antiphons by
Pastor Weedon.
Ero Cras!
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, god with us, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, ransom, vespers, worship
O Rex Gentium
O King of the Nations (King of the Gentiles)
22 December

This brings us to the sixth
O Antiphon. Again, we have the Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel are included. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem:
℟
veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
℣ O King of the Nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all | people:*
℟
Come and save us all, whom You formed | out of clay.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (
Isaiah 9:6)" Also, "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (
Isaiah 2:4)." See also
Revelation 15:3;
Psalm 118:22;
Isaiah 28:16;
Matthew 21:42;
Mark 12:10;
Luke 20:17;
Acts 4:11;
Ephesians 2:19-21;
1 Peter 2:6.
Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium, Veni, Redemptor omnium,
Ut salvas tuos famulos Peccati sibi conscios.
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read today's comments on
O Rex Gentium from
William Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, desire, emmanuel, gentiles, hymnody, immanuel, king, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, rex gentium, vespers, worship
O Oriens
O Dayspring (alternately, Dawn of the East, Rising Dawn, etc.)
21 December

Here follows the fifth of the seven
O Antiphons, with Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
℟
veni, et illumina sedentis in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
℣ O Dayspring, splendor of light ever- | lasting:*
℟
Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the sha- | dow of death.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (
Isaiah 9:2)" See also
Luke 1:78-79;
Malachi 4:2.
Veni, Veni O Oriens, Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas, Dirasque mortis tenebras.
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Continue by reading
this from Pr. William Weedon
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, dayspring, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, oriens, vespers, worship
O Clavis David
O Key of David
20 December

This is the fourth of the seven
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit:
℟
veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
℣ O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can | open:*
℟
Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.
"I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (
Isaiah 22:22)" "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will do this. (
Isaiah 9:7)" See also
Revelation 3:7.
Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica,
fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum.
O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Here's more from
Pastor Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, clavis david, david, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, key of david, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship
O Radix Jesse
O Root of Jesse
19 December

Here follows the third of the
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur;
℟
veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.
℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom they will do | homage:*
℟
Come quickly to de- | liver us.
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (
Isaiah 11:1)" "In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (
Isaiah 11:10)" Jesse was the father of King David; Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David's city, Bethlehem (
Micah 5:2). See also
Romans 15:12;
Revelation 5:5.
Veni, O Jesse Virgula, Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De spectu tuos tartari Educ et antro barathri.
O come, Thou Branch of Jesse's tree, Free them from Satan's tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow'r to save, And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Please see also what
Pastor Weedon wrote.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, jesse, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, radix, root, vespers, worship
O Adonai
O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel
18 December

This is the second of the
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
"With righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (
Isaiah 11:4-5)" "For the
Lord is our judge; the
Lord is our lawgiver; the
Lord is our king; he will save us. (
Isaiah 33:22)" See also
Exodus 3;
Micah 5:2;
Matthew 2:6.
℣
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.
℣ O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on | Sinai:*
℟
come with an outstretched arm and re- | deem us.
Veni, Veni, Adonai, Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice In maiestate gloriae.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read some more from
William Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: adonai, advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, lord, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship
O Sapientia
O Wisdom from on High
17 December

This is the first of the
O Antiphons with relevant Scriptures, Latin and English texts, the corresponding Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia:
℟
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
℣ O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, permeating all creation, mightily ordering | all things:*
℟
Come and teach us the way of | prudence.
"And the Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the
Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the
Lord. (
Isaiah 11:2-3)" "This also comes from the
Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. (
Isaiah 28:29)" See also
Proverbs 1:20;
Proverbs 8-9 and
1 Corinthians 1:30.
Veni, O Sapientia, Quae hic disponis omnia,
Veni, viam prudentiae Ut doceas et gloriae.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord'rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
You are invited to read more from
Pastor Weedon. Also, I'm hoping to gain access to the audio of these antiphons as chanted by Kantor Nathan Beede.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, sapientia, vespers, wisdom, worship
Come, Lord Jesus: The O Antiphons
Our Final Christmas Countdown

We count down the final days of Advent using the traditional monastic
antiphons to the
Magnificat. Most of English speaking Christendom knows these antiphons through their versification,
Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel. Beginning in eternity, the antiphons follow a rough chronology through history until the coming of
Immanuel, Hebrew for "God [is] with Us" (see
Isaiah 7:14;
Matthew 1:23)
Thus, the first stanza that we normally sing of the hymn is actually the last of the antiphons, sung on 23 December. By Vespers on the 24th, it's time to remove the final vestiges of Advent and enter into Christmas.

The order itself, whether by design or coincidence, forms a Latin reverse acrostic. The initial address for the coming Savior in each antiphon is as follows:
Sapientia,
Adonai,
Radix,
Clavis,
Oriens,
Rex, and
Emmanuel. Taking each title's first letter and writing the result backwards yields
"ero cras"; normally this is rendered, "I shall be [with you] tomorrow." Thus our Lord promises to return for us and so He leads us to pledge to join together in His worship while still on earth.
Through the next week, I'll post each day's antiphon in Latin, its translation from
Lutheran Service Book, the Latin hymn verse, and the corresponding hymn stanza of
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel from LSB. If you don't want to wait for each day's antiphon, I've linked to each individually from December 2007.
Posts in the Series:
†
O Sapientia — O Wisdom
†
O Adonai — O Lord and Ruler
†
O Radix Jesse — O Root of Jesse
†
O Clavis David — O Key of David
†
O Oriens — O Dayspring
†
O Rex Gentium — O King of the Nations
†
O Emmanuel — O God with UsLabels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship
O Emmanuel
O God with Us
23 December

We now arrive at the seventh and final
O Antiphon, including related Scriptures, Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Emmanuel, Rex et legisfer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator erum:
℟
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.
℣ O Emmanuel, our King and our Lord, the Anointed for the nations and their | Savior:*
℟
Come and save us, O | Lord our God.
"Therefore the
Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (
Isaiah 7:14)" See also
Isaiah 8:6-8;
Matthew 1:23;
Haggai 2:7 (KJV).
Veni Veni, Emmanuel Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio, Privatus Dei Filio.
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read the final daily meditation from the O Antiphons by
Pastor Weedon.
Ero Cras!
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, god with us, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, ransom, vespers, worship
O Rex Gentium
O King of the Nations (King of the Gentiles)
22 December

This brings us to the sixth
O Antiphon. Again, we have the Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel are included. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem:
℟
veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
℣ O King of the Nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all | people:*
℟
Come and save us all, whom You formed | out of clay.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (
Isaiah 9:6)" Also, "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (
Isaiah 2:4)." See also
Revelation 15:3;
Psalm 118:22;
Isaiah 28:16;
Matthew 21:42;
Mark 12:10;
Luke 20:17;
Acts 4:11;
Ephesians 2:19-21;
1 Peter 2:6.
Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium, Veni, Redemptor omnium,
Ut salvas tuos famulos Peccati sibi conscios.
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read today's comments on
O Rex Gentium from
William Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, desire, emmanuel, gentiles, hymnody, immanuel, king, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, rex gentium, vespers, worship
O Oriens
O Dayspring (alternately, Dawn of the East, Rising Dawn, etc.)
21 December

Here follows the fifth of the seven
O Antiphons, with Latin text and English translation, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn known as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
℟
veni, et illumina sedentis in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
℣ O Dayspring, splendor of light ever- | lasting:*
℟
Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the sha- | dow of death.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (
Isaiah 9:2)" See also
Luke 1:78-79;
Malachi 4:2.
Veni, Veni O Oriens, Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas, Dirasque mortis tenebras.
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Continue by reading
this from Pr. William Weedon
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, dayspring, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, oriens, vespers, worship
O Clavis David
O Key of David
20 December

This is the fourth of the seven
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit:
℟
veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
℣ O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can | open:*
℟
Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.
"I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (
Isaiah 22:22)" "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will do this. (
Isaiah 9:7)" See also
Revelation 3:7.
Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica,
fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum.
O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Here's more from
Pastor Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, clavis david, david, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, key of david, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship
O Radix Jesse
O Root of Jesse
19 December

Here follows the third of the
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur;
℟
veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.
℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom they will do | homage:*
℟
Come quickly to de- | liver us.
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (
Isaiah 11:1)" "In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (
Isaiah 11:10)" Jesse was the father of King David; Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David's city, Bethlehem (
Micah 5:2). See also
Romans 15:12;
Revelation 5:5.
Veni, O Jesse Virgula, Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De spectu tuos tartari Educ et antro barathri.
O come, Thou Branch of Jesse's tree, Free them from Satan's tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow'r to save, And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Please see also what
Pastor Weedon wrote.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, jesse, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, radix, root, vespers, worship
O Adonai
O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel
18 December

This is the second of the
O Antiphons with Scriptures, Latin and English texts of the antiphon, a Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn we know as
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
"With righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (
Isaiah 11:4-5)" "For the
Lord is our judge; the
Lord is our lawgiver; the
Lord is our king; he will save us. (
Isaiah 33:22)" See also
Exodus 3;
Micah 5:2;
Matthew 2:6.
℣
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.
℣ O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on | Sinai:*
℟
come with an outstretched arm and re- | deem us.
Veni, Veni, Adonai, Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice In maiestate gloriae.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Read some more from
William Weedon.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: adonai, advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, lord, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship
O Sapientia
O Wisdom from on High
17 December

This is the first of the
O Antiphons with relevant Scriptures, Latin and English texts, the corresponding Latin hymn stanza, and the English versification from the hymn
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (The English language renditions are from the
Lutheran Service Book.)
℣
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia:
℟
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
℣ O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, permeating all creation, mightily ordering | all things:*
℟
Come and teach us the way of | prudence.
"And the Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the
Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the
Lord. (
Isaiah 11:2-3)" "This also comes from the
Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. (
Isaiah 28:29)" See also
Proverbs 1:20;
Proverbs 8-9 and
1 Corinthians 1:30.
Veni, O Sapientia, Quae hic disponis omnia,
Veni, viam prudentiae Ut doceas et gloriae.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord'rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
You are invited to read more from
Pastor Weedon. Also, I'm hoping to gain access to the audio of these antiphons as chanted by Kantor Nathan Beede.
Scripture quoted from the ESV®
Labels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, sapientia, vespers, wisdom, worship
Come, Lord Jesus: The O Antiphons
Our Final Christmas Countdown

We count down the final days of Advent using the traditional monastic
antiphons to the
Magnificat. Most of English speaking Christendom knows these antiphons through their versification,
Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel. Beginning in eternity, the antiphons follow a rough chronology through history until the coming of
Immanuel, Hebrew for "God [is] with Us" (see
Isaiah 7:14;
Matthew 1:23)
Thus, the first stanza that we normally sing of the hymn is actually the last of the antiphons, sung on 23 December. By Vespers on the 24th, it's time to remove the final vestiges of Advent and enter into Christmas.

The order itself, whether by design or coincidence, forms a Latin reverse acrostic. The initial address for the coming Savior in each antiphon is as follows:
Sapientia,
Adonai,
Radix,
Clavis,
Oriens,
Rex, and
Emmanuel. Taking each title's first letter and writing the result backwards yields
"ero cras"; normally this is rendered, "I shall be [with you] tomorrow." Thus our Lord promises to return for us and so He leads us to pledge to join together in His worship while still on earth.
Through the next week, I'll post each day's antiphon in Latin, its translation from
Lutheran Service Book, the Latin hymn verse, and the corresponding hymn stanza of
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel from LSB. If you don't want to wait for each day's antiphon, I've linked to each individually from December 2007.
Posts in the Series:
†
O Sapientia — O Wisdom
†
O Adonai — O Lord and Ruler
†
O Radix Jesse — O Root of Jesse
†
O Clavis David — O Key of David
†
O Oriens — O Dayspring
†
O Rex Gentium — O King of the Nations
†
O Emmanuel — O God with UsLabels: advent, christmas, emmanuel, hymnody, immanuel, liturgics, magnificat, o antiphons, vespers, worship