Joy to the World

It is usually sung to the American composer Lowell Mason's 1848 arrangement of a tune attributed to George Frideric Handel.

[1] "Joy to the World" was written by English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts, based on a Christian interpretation of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3.

The song was first published in 1719 in Watts's collection The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian State and Worship.

Watts did not write this hymn as a Christmas carol, as the lyrics do not reflect the Virgin birth of Jesus, but rather Christ's Second Coming.

Stanza three, an interlude that alludes to Genesis 3:17–19 rather than to the psalm text, speaks of Christ's blessings extending victoriously over the realm of sin.

In the late 18th century, "Joy to the World" was printed with music several times, but the tunes were unrelated to the one commonly used today.

[11] However, the possibility of a common source antedating Antioch, Händel, and Mason alike may suggest that resemblances are more than coincidental.

[15][16] A 1986 article by John Wilson also showed "Antioch"'s close resemblance to an 1833 publication of "Comfort" and its associated Wesley hymn "O Joyful Sound".

[17] In any case, there is no evidence to suggest that the tune is older than Martin Luther's "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her", a Christmas chorale of which Antioch appears to be an expanded paraphrase.

This resemblance suggests Vom Himmel hoch as a common source and also may explain the widespread use of "Joy to the World" as a Christmas hymn.