Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow

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1. Blow ye the trumpet, blow! The gladly solemn sound let all the nations know, to earth's remotest bound:

Refrain: The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come! Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.

2. Jesus, our great high priest, hath full atonement made; ye weary spirits, rest; ye mournful souls, be glad: (Refrain)

3. Extol the Lamb of God, the all atoning Lamb; redemption in his blood througout the world proclaim. (Refrain)

4. Ye slaves of sin and hell, your liberty receive, and safe in Jesus dwell, and blest in Jesus live: (Refrain)

5. Ye who have sold for nought your heritage above shall have it back unbought, the gift of Jesus' love: (Refrain)

6. The gospel trumpet hear, the news of heavenly grace; and saved from earth, appear before your Savior's face: The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come! Return to your eternal home.

Words by: Charles Wesley
Music by: Lewis Edson

The Story of the Hymn "Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow" by Charles Wesley

The hymn was written by Charles Wesley in 1750.
It was published as the third of seven hymns in a small collection called Hymns for New-Year’s-Day (sometimes dated to late 1749 for use on January 1, 1750).

Biblical Inspiration and Theme

The hymn draws directly from the Old Testament concept of the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25:8–10. Every 50 years, on the Day of Atonement, trumpets were sounded throughout Israel to proclaim liberty: slaves were freed, debts forgiven, and inherited lands returned to their original owners.
Wesley brilliantly applied this as a spiritual metaphor for the gospel of Jesus Christ—proclaiming freedom from sin, full atonement through Christ's sacrifice, and an invitation for sinners to return to God.
Wesley saw the start of a new year as symbolic of this "jubilee," a time of renewal, forgiveness, and glad tidings. The repeated refrain emphasizes:
"The year of jubilee is come! Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!"
This ties into New Testament fulfillment, where Jesus references Isaiah 61:1–2 (which echoes Jubilee themes) in Luke 4:18–19, announcing He has come to "proclaim liberty to the captives."

Historical Context

Charles Wesley (1707–1788), younger brother of John Wesley and co-founder of Methodism, wrote over 6,000 hymns. This one appeared during a prolific period, including hymns responding to events like the 1750 London earthquake.
It quickly became popular in Methodist circles and was included in John Wesley's influential A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780).
The tune most associated with it today is LENOX, composed by American musician Lewis Edson around 1782, giving it a vigorous, triumphant feel that matches the "trumpet" imagery.

Later Significance

In the 19th century, the hymn's themes of liberty and release from bondage resonated powerfully in the American abolitionist movement.
Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass reportedly loved it and led crowds in singing it after public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, seeing parallels between biblical Jubilee and the end of slavery.

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