Watchman, Tell us of the Night
Lyrics by John Bowring
When I first heard “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night” by John Bowring, I instantly liked it for one simple reason: it reminded me of the song “All Along the Watchtower” by one of my favorite songwriters, Bob Dylan. The Dylan song is dark, mysterious, and full of interesting imagery.
As I researched both of the watchman songs, I learned that Bowring’s hymn is clearly inspired by Isaiah 21. And then I was surprised to learn that some people have connected Dylan’s song to the same Bible passage! I then found myself overwhelmed, trying to interpret the Bowring hymn, the Dylan song, and the passage from Isaiah 21, all at once. In many ways, Dylan’s version is more true to the Isaiah passage with its pervasive feeling of dread and its enigmatic nature.
Thankfully, the Bowring hymn is the easiest to understand of the three. It begins with a sense of watching and waiting, the lonely job of a watchman. He sees a star in the distance, bringing “the promised day of Israel.” With the coming of Jesus, dread, anxiety, and uncertainty yield to joy. We experience that joy now, and we will experience it more fully in the age to come.
I especially like the images in Bowring’s hymn of light bursting through the darkness. It is reminiscent not only of the star that appeared to the wise men in Matthew but also of John’s Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Listen
Traditional
Praise/Worship
