The O Antiphons of Advent

The O Antiphons are seven short prayers the Church sings in the last week of Advent, one each evening from December 17 to 23. Each one calls on Christ by a title from the prophets and ends with the same plea: come. Today’s antiphon is above; all seven are below, in English and Latin.

All seven O Antiphons

December 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)

O Wisdom, that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and dost mightily and sweetly order all things: come to teach us the way of prudence!

Latin: O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

Scripture: Wisdom says “I came out of the mouth of the most High” (Sirach 24:5) and “reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly” (Wisdom 8:1). St. John would later call Christ the Word.

December 18: O Adonai (O Lord and Ruler)

O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai: come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Latin: O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

Scripture: the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and God’s promise to “redeem you with a high arm” (Exodus 6:6). Adonai, “my Lord,” is the word Jews said in place of God’s holy name.

December 19: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at whom the kings shall shut their mouths, whom the Gentiles shall seek: come to deliver us, make no tarrying.

Latin: O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum; super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

Scripture: “the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people” (Isaiah 11:10) and “kings shall shut their mouth at him” (Isaiah 52:15). Jesse was King David’s father; the Messiah would grow from his family tree, which is where the Jesse Tree custom comes from.

December 20: O Clavis David (O Key of David)

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel; that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth: come to bring out the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Latin: O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis et nemo claudit, claudis et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Scripture: “he shall open, and none shall shut” (Isaiah 22:22) and “bring forth the prisoner out of prison” (Isaiah 42:7).

December 21: O Oriens (O Dayspring)

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Sun of Justice: come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

Latin: O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

Scripture: “the brightness of eternal light” (Wisdom 7:26), “the Sun of justice shall arise” (Malachi 4:2), and Zechariah’s song, “to enlighten them that sit in darkness” (Luke 1:79). It falls on or near the shortest day of the year, the longest night.

December 22: O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof; O Corner-stone, that makest of two one: come to save man, whom thou hast made of the dust of the earth!

Latin: O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

Scripture: “the desired of all nations shall come” (Haggai 2:8), “a corner stone” (Isaiah 28:16), and Christ “who hath made both one” (Ephesians 2:14).

December 23: O Emmanuel (O God with Us)

O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof: come to save us, O Lord our God!

Latin: O Emmanuel, rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

Scripture: “his name shall be called Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) and “the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us” (Isaiah 33:22). The titles have climbed all week, and the last one is the plainest: God with us.

The English here is from an 1889 Catholic prayer book. The Liturgy of the Hours uses a modern translation that reads a little differently.

ERO CRAS: the hidden message

Take the first letter of each Latin title after the “O” (Sapientia, Adonai, Radix, Clavis, Oriens, Rex, Emmanuel) and read them backwards, from the last night to the first. They spell ERO CRAS: “Tomorrow I will be there.” The night after O Emmanuel is Christmas Eve.

Whether the composers meant it or it’s a happy accident, no one knows for certain. Either way, it’s a good thing to point out to children on December 23.

Where the O Antiphons are prayed

At Evening Prayer (Vespers) the Church sings Mary’s song, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46). From December 17 to 23, each night’s O Antiphon is sung before and after it. They’re old: the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia traces them to manuscripts from at least the eleventh century and probably earlier.

Since the liturgical reform after the Second Vatican Council, they also appear as the Alleluia verse at weekday Mass from December 17 to 24, in a slightly different order. So if you go to daily Mass that week, you’ll hear them.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

The best-known Advent hymn is the O Antiphons set to verse. A Latin hymn, Veni, veni, Emmanuel, reworked five of them; it’s first found in print in Cologne in 1710. The Anglican priest John Mason Neale translated it into English in 1851 and revised it into “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Each verse is an antiphon: “O come, thou Rod of Jesse” is O Radix Jesse; “O come, thou Dayspring” is O Oriens; “O come, thou Key of David” is O Clavis David.

How to pray the O Antiphons at home

Say one each evening from December 17 to 23. The easiest way is to add it to your Advent wreath prayers: light the candles, say the antiphon, then the Magnificat or simply an Our Father. Children like taking turns reading them, and the shrinking row of days is a better countdown than a calendar.

For the rest of the season, see Advent 2026: Dates and Prayers and the St. Andrew Christmas Novena, which runs right up to Christmas Eve.

Download the printable O Antiphons (PDF): all seven in English and Latin, one page, ready to cut into seven cards.