The Doxology Thomas Ken, 1695
1 verse, sung to Old 100th (L.M.), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Words copied from The Otterbein Hymnal (1892). They were published in 1695, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind Doxology
Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, wrote the doxology as the last stanza of three hymns for the boys of Winchester College. The hymns were for morning, evening and midnight. Hymnary dates the writing to about 1674. The Hymnology Archive adds that the 1674 edition of his Manual of Prayers held no hymns. An unauthorized pamphlet printed the morning and evening hymns in 1692. Ken's own Three Hymns came out in 1694, and his Manual carried them in 1695.
People soon sang the last stanza alone. The Hymnology Archive finds it printed separately with music around 1769, set to a tune called LEBANON, and printed with OLD 100TH in Boston in 1790. Congregations now sing it to close a service and add it to the end of other hymns, such as All Creatures of Our God and King.
The tune is OLD HUNDREDTH, first printed in the Genevan Psalter of 1551. Hymnary credits Louis Bourgeois as the likely composer and says others have been named. The tune takes its name from William Kethe's version of Psalm 100 in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1560. Many congregations sing a version with even note lengths, and the original rhythm is also in print. Hymnary lists G major as the tune's key.
Hymnary's 1674 date for the writing and the archive's finding that the 1674 Manual held no hymns do not match. The printed dates of 1694 and 1695 are firm.
Thomas Ken
1637 to 1711
Thomas Ken (1637 to 1711) was Bishop of Bath and Wells. Around 1674 he wrote morning, evening and midnight hymns for the scholars of Winchester College, and he ended each with the stanza now known as the Doxology. An unauthorized pamphlet printed the morning and evening hymns in 1692. Ken published his own Three Hymns in 1694, and his Manual of Prayers carried them in 1695. Hymnary lists translations of the Doxology into French, German, Hawaiian, Polish, Spanish and Tahitian. The Hymnology Archive notes that the 1692 pamphlet was anonymous, so later evidence settles his authorship.
Louis Bourgeois
c. 1510 to 1561
Louis Bourgeois was born in Paris around 1510. He wrote French songs before turning to church music, and he moved to Geneva around 1541, the year John Calvin returned there. As cantor and choirmaster at St. Pierre and St. Gervais he trained choristers to teach new psalm tunes to the congregation. He supplied most of the melodies for the 1551 French psalter. He was jailed for a night over some of his musical arrangements and freed after Calvin intervened. He left Geneva in 1552 and spent his last years in Lyons and Paris. Scholars debate how much of the tune OLD HUNDREDTH is his own work.
- Hymnary.org: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnology Archive: Three Hymns and a Doxology by Thomas Ken , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org: OLD HUNDREDTH , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Doxology
The Bible passages behind the words.
- Psalm 100
- Romans 11:36
- Ephesians 1:3
- Revelation 5:9-14
Doxology videos
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Wilmette - Trinity United Methodist Choir - Doxology & Congregational Hymn choralcathedral1, Congregation
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500 Men Singing The Doxology Acapella | Men Sing Grand Rapids Men Sing Grand Rapids, Congregation
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Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow London Philharmonic Choir - Topic, Choir
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Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow (Doxology) - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Doxology: Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow | Piano Jomar Gabia, Piano
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 81 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 75 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 34 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 1 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in G.
Questions people ask
Who wrote the Doxology?
Thomas Ken wrote it as the final stanza of three hymns for the boys of Winchester College. He published the hymns in 1694 and again in his Manual in 1695.
What tune goes with the Doxology?
Most congregations sing OLD HUNDREDTH, which first appeared in the Genevan Psalter of 1551. The Hymnology Archive finds the first printing with this tune in Boston in 1790.
What are the words to the Doxology hymn?
The text is four short lines of praise to God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The full words are on this page.
Is the Doxology in the public domain?
Yes. The words are public domain in the United States, first published in 1695 in Ken's Manual. The tune OLD HUNDREDTH dates to 1551 and is public domain as well.
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