Congregational songs taken directly from Scripture
I was recently introduced to Scripture Hymnal, a project where every song come directly from God’s Word, and was VERY impressed with this resource for congregational singing.
With their hymnal, sheet music, and chord charts of 106 songs, the Scripture Hymnal team equip worship leaders, families, and churches around the world to engage with scripture through worship.
You might be familiar with the Sing the Bible albums in which Randall Goodgame has set scripture to music for thousands of families, and now, with a handful of talented songwriters such as Ellie Holcomb, Dwan Hill, Andrew Osenga, Ginny Owens, and more, has brought word-for-word scripture songs into churches and homes.
I have to admit I was skeptical before experiencing the great songs. There is not the usual poetic meter of songs since it comes directly from the Bible. Yet, the songs were powerful and captivating.
I strongly encourage you to give a good look at these resources that might fit well into your congregation’s worship song selections. No lyrics are as powerful as the Word of God.
Realize that you do not need to buy a copy of the hymnal for everyone in your church–you can treat the songs like other songs not in your hymnal by downloading the songs you want, displaying lyrics, and fitting the songs into your church’s worship. The hymnal would be a great reference for the worship pastor in planning and utilizing the songs with all of the worship resources provided in the book. The book is a wonderful resource and so beautifully created.
Kenny
Scripture Hymnal
Ideal for group worship and thoughtful gifting, the Scripture Hymnal gift book includes:
- a QR code with direct access to our Song Library to sing along to the hymns,
- a curated collection of over 100 word-for-word scripture songs with piano accompaniment music,
- full-text scripture verses,
- additional Bible references for call-and-response singing or personal devotion,
- a detailed index for worship planning,
- cover and interior illustrations to bring the passages to life,
- quotes from modern and ancient church figures for spiritual reflection.
Song Library
Check out their song library where you can listen to each song and find the links to order the sheet music and chord charts.
Quality Arrangements
I was impressed with the variety of arrangements presented in the hymns. Here is one example that seemed so singable with a modern worship band.
Great Search Engine on Site
You can search by topic, book of the Bible, church calendar, musical style and more.
Additional Resources and Information
- You can also find instrumental tracks for a few of the songs and places to order the hymnal here.
- An SATB version is in the works.
- Bulk pricing of individual songs is available.
What Bible translations does the Scripture Hymnal use?
The Scripture Hymnal uses mostly the NIV, ESV, and CSB. When choosing between translations, we look for lyrical language and natural rhythms in the text that might help with song construction. Other translations used include the KJV, NKJV, NLT, ERV, NASB, and NIRV.
Philosophy/Rules that the Scripture Hymnal team publishes:
We believe the Bible was inspired by God to teach us and lead us to himself. While acknowledging the throughline of mystery running from initial inspiration to English translation, we hold the teachings of scripture as sacred. As such, we created a set of rules to govern the songwriting process in order to ensure the hymnal can be trusted as a legitimate tool for scripture memorization and to maintain an assurance of its orthodoxy. Those guiding principles are:
- No adding words to the text
- No paraphrasing
- No mixing translations mid-sentence
- Yes to repeating phrases for song construction
- Yes to using partial verses that contain a complete thought, as long as the meaning of the language remains intact
- Yes to using thematically similar verses from other parts of the Bible in the same song
While the Scripture Hymnal as a whole draws from multiple translations, the texts of individual songs are (with only a few exceptions) lifted from a single source. In the few instances of combining translations, the transition happens between the verse and the chorus.
