The hymn “How Great Thou Art” began as a Swedish poem by Carl Gustav Boberg in 1885, later adapted and expanded into the well‑known English version by the British missionary Stuart K. Hine.

Quick Scoop

  • Original writer: Carl Gustav Boberg, a Swedish poet and lay minister, wrote the poem “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”) in 1885 in Sweden.
  • English version: Stuart K. Hine translated, adapted, and added verses in English in the mid‑1900s; his version is the text most people sing as “How Great Thou Art” today.
  • Tune: The melody is based on a traditional Swedish folk tune that was paired with Boberg’s poem and later arranged by Hine.

A Little Backstory

Carl Boberg was reportedly inspired after walking home from church, witnessing a sudden thunderstorm over Mönsterås Bay in Sweden that shifted into a calm, sunlit scene, prompting him to write “O Store Gud.”

The poem circulated in Swedish publications and hymnbooks and was eventually set to a folk melody that helped it spread among Scandinavian churches.

How It Became “How Great Thou Art”

Stuart K. Hine encountered a translated version of Boberg’s hymn while serving as a missionary in Eastern Europe and began crafting his own English rendition.

Hine not only translated but also reshaped and expanded the text, adding the well‑known verses about Christ’s sacrifice and the hope of Christ’s return, forming the standard English lyrics used in most hymnals today.

Popularity and Legacy

The hymn gained major popularity through performances in Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusades, especially by soloist George Beverly Shea and song leader Cliff Barrows.

It has frequently ranked among the most beloved Christian hymns of all time, often coming just behind “Amazing Grace” in modern polls and broadcasts.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.