Eleanor Hull – Be Thou My Vision

English/Irish writer and journalist Eleanor Hull is an old Irish scholar.  She is best known as the president of the Irish Literary Society, a co-founder of the Irish Texts Society, and the English translator of 6th-century Irish poet St. Dallán Forgaill’s Be Thou My Vision.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Hull offers several points in a singular song about God:

God is:

• Hull’s most cherished relationship; more important than worldly wealth or approval of humans
• Light
• Source of wisdom
• The genuine Word
• Hull’s adoptive Father
• Spiritual weapon and defense
• Ruler
• Hull’s victory
• Source of Hull’s joy

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song is public domain.

[Verse 1]

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Hull makes two major points:

1. God is more important to her than anything else in her life (Philippians 3:8-10).
2. God is light (Psalm 27:1, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130, Matthew 4:16, John 1:1-8, John 8:12, Ephesians 5:14, James 1:17, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 1:5-7, and Revelation 21:23).

[Verse 2]

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

By making God her priority, she shows that she fears God and will attain Wisdom (Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 15:33, Isaiah 33:6, and James 1:5).  It also references Jesus, who is the Word who became flesh (John 1:1 and John 1:14).

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

This is best summarized in the words of Jesus in John 15:1-11, where Hull and God abide in one another.

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Hull is an adopted son of the Most High (John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3).  How is she a “son” and not a daughter?  The same way that we men are the “bride” of Christ.  This isn’t about gender.  It’s about the legal right of inheritance.  In those days, sons generally inherited their Father’s possessions, not daughters.  This is a foreign concept to Westerners who commonly see females inherit their parent’s estate.  However, it’s important to understand this line from the cultural context of Jesus’ day.  Hull is an adopted son based on 1st-Century reckoning.

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

See line 2.

[Verse 3]

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

God is both sword and shield.  His Word is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12).  He is also Hull’s spiritual Protector (Ruth 2:12, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 34:22, Psalm 41:2, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 59:1, Psalm 61:3, Psalm 91:1-16, Psalm 118:8, Psalm 121:7-8, Psalm 138:7, Proverbs 18:10, Proverbs 30:5, Nahum 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and 1 John 5:18).

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Hull humbles herself.  In response, God exalts her (Psalm 138:6, Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:12, Luke 1:52, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5).

God is the source of Hull’s joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Acts 5:41, Romans 5:2-3, Philippians 3:1, Philippians 4:4, and 1 Peter 4:13).

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:

See line 1.

Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Hull will be part of the final resurrection (Luke 20:34-38, Acts 24:15-16, Romans 6:1-5, Romans 8:11-13, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, 2 Corinthians 4:13-14, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), with God as the source of her strength (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 22:19, Psalm 28:7-8, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 118:14, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 33:2, Isaiah 40:29-31, Habakkuk 3:19, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 6:10, and Philippians 4:13).

[Verse 4]

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Contrasts worldly riches, where moth and rust destroy (Matthew 6:19) with God as Hull’s most important treasure (Psalm 16:5).

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

See commentary on Verse 1.  Also, God is King (Exodus 15:6, Exodus 15:11, 1 Chronicles 29:11, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 24:10, Psalm 93:1, Psalm 110:2-3, Psalm 104:1, Psalm 145:5, Psalm 145:12, Job 37:22, Isaiah 24:14, Isaiah 26:10, Hebrews 1:3-4, Hebrews 8:1, Revelation 4:1-11, and Revelation 19:7-16).

[Verse 5]

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

See Verse 4, line 4.  Also, He is Hull’s victory, making her more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!

See Verse 3, line 3, and Verse 1, line 4.

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

See Verse 1 and Verse 4, line 4.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Part of the issue for today’s unbelieving audience is interpreting Ye Olde English in modern English.  Another part is that it’s thick with Christianese language, great for Christian worship but not so good for unstudied outsiders to Christianity.  They should easily conclude that it’s Christian, based on the words “Lord,”, “King of Heaven”, and “Father”.

While I can’t speak for all unbelievers, the following could probably be ascertained, that Christians believe:

• Their best thoughts occur when they think God-like
• God is light
• God is their source of wisdom
• They have a spiritual connection with God
• They have a father/son relationship, though perhaps confused about how “Hull” could be a “son”
• They put God first
• God is King
• God is somehow victorious.  Possibly a “Word of Faith” misunderstanding from an unbelieving perspective.

They will probably miss:

• God is Hull’s spiritual protector
• Jesus is the Word made flesh, who is God
• God is Hull’s victory
• God is Hulls’ source of joy

Considering what I said in the first paragraph. this list is not too shabby!

Score: 6/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God by placing Him as Hull’s primary focus, coupled with attributes and acts that compels us to worship.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Eleanor Hull’s Be Thou My Vision is an excellent song.  It exclaims God as Hull’s top priority over riches and glory, that God is her adoptive Father, delight, and spiritual stronghold, bringing Him glory.  Despite its Ye Olde English and thick Christianese, they will comprehend some of her major points and many of her minor ones.

I recommend this song for congregations that can handle Ye Olde English.  Seeker-sensitive churches might want to sit this one out.

Final Score: 9/10

Artist Info

Track: Be Thou My Vision (listen to Noel Richard’s version of this song)

Artist: Eleanor Hull

Album: N/A

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 1912

Duration: N/A

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