This is always a "me against the world" debate every Christmas season since everybody looks at the obvious -- "her" refers to the earth as the subject which is considered female (mother earth). But if one looks at the all the lyrics and the sentences or phrases, you will see a different type of english, e.g., "...the Lord IS come", "let every heart prepare HIM room". I am no language expert so I need somebody to back me up and say "let earth receive HIM king". On the other hand I tried to look at all the music books, etc., even pay special attention to projection screens in churches when the carol is sung, and always see "her". Any english or language teacher out there?
2007-01-12 09:34:40 · 15 answers · asked by Mario A 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
My answer is HIM KING. The line would mean "Let earth receive Him as its king". The quick and simple answer would be "... her king" as most people would say. But if you really analyse the song (or carol) and the message it wants to convey, the correct answer would be "...him king". The subject of the whole song is Jesus, who is born and coming to earth. The world is rejoicing because Jesus is coming. And we let the whole world receive HIM as its king. And we let everyone prepare a place for HIM in their hearts. Therefore the more appropriate lyrics, or the lyrics with a better message, would be sung this way: "Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive Him king; let every heart prepare Him room...etc". Good question! It required some deep thinking.
2007-01-19 16:45:31 · answer #1 · answered by Zoegirl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "let earth receive HER king", it is referring to the earth as her, not the king. I don't know that any language or English teacher is going to be able to help since they would know language as it is today, I don't think they study how it was way back when. if you look at the lyrics that you even quoted in your question you will note that the lyric "let every heart prepare HIM room" it is referring to the heart preparing the room and not HIM preparing room. Taking that principal and applying it in the verse "let earth receive HER king" makes sense that they are speaking of the earth receiving and not the king, it wouldn't even say what the king would be receiving and then it makes no sense to even mention the earth at all. I think that you want it to be referring to the earth receiving him AS king. I see what you mean but it is definately talking about earth receiving (I'll say it's for the sake of explaning) it's king and not the earth receiving him as king.
2007-01-18 06:34:45 · answer #2 · answered by Dale d 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to an online version of Watts' original hymnal (see reference, hymn #173, it's "her." I was unable to find a scan of an original.
I don't think it's so much a "mother earth" kind of thing as it is a general tendency to call any specific object "she" - guys who call their cars "she", a captain his boat, etc.
Grammatically, the sentence is a wish using the subjunctive mood - he is wishing that the earth would receive something. It seems the most logical thing to receive is her king. On the other hand "Prepare HIM room" is an indirect object (or dative) usage of him rather than a possessive, i.e. "prepare room (direct object) for him (indirect object)." Here "HIM" would have to be a direct object, with "King" as a modifying adverb: "Let the earth receive Him"; how? as "King." So I don't think they're parallel at all.
Sorry, I think on this occasion at least, the world wins. :-)
2007-01-12 09:50:18 · answer #3 · answered by Gary B 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Her refers to the earth. Him refers to the King who is coming. Therefore, The earth is to make room for Him(the King.)
2007-01-17 08:16:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let Earth recieve HER King,
as in Mother Earth
2007-01-19 12:40:38 · answer #5 · answered by kevferg64 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "her king". Plus a king is a male and I don't think a king would be received by another male when we're talking about a Christmas carol.
2007-01-16 04:24:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is her king referring to mother earth.
2007-01-18 13:33:57 · answer #7 · answered by babyfacedassasin1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Let Earth receive her king" is correct. "Her" refers to the earth. Like ships, places always take the feminine pronoun.
2007-01-12 13:18:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
her king refers to the earth, that is correct. but the lord is jesus, so they say him- him and her are just different by masculine and feminine. her king, him room.. doesn't make too much since but it is correct i guess
2007-01-12 10:01:55 · answer #9 · answered by skateKad47 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It should be her. They lyrics are describing the "world", not the King.
2007-01-12 09:46:53 · answer #10 · answered by Cheyenne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋