We Have Not Known Thee

“We Have Not Known Thee As We Ought” is a devotional hymn by Thomas Benson Pollock, originally published in Supplemental Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern in 1889. The hymn expresses heartfelt self-examination and prayer, confessing the believer’s frequent failure to know, love, and serve God as fully as Scripture calls. Pollock was an Anglican minister and hymn writer noted for his reflective and spiritually disciplined texts.

The hymn’s opening stanza acknowledges that earthly concerns often crowd the believer’s thoughts and distract from the pursuit of God’s wisdom, grace, and power. It teaches that true spiritual wisdom comes from God alone and petitions the Lord to illumine the soul with divine truth.

Subsequent stanzas follow a pattern of confession and request. Each recognizes a specific shortcoming, failing to revere God with holy awe, failing to love Him with faithful devotion, and failing to serve Him with zeal, and then petitions for grace to grow in these virtues. This structure mirrors biblical calls to self-examination and spiritual renewal.

The final stanza turns toward hope. It asks that believers may, day by day, be prepared to see God face to face and serve Him with greater faithfulness in the life to come, echoing Scripture’s teaching that present understanding is partial and that one day the redeemed will see God fully.

Set frequently to the tune St. Chrysostom by Sir Joseph Barnby, the hymn combines austere self-reflection with humble trust in God’s transforming grace. It remains a meaningful hymn for services of confession, commitment, and spiritual renewal.