Robert Davis

Robert Davis was an American Presbyterian minister, author, and hymnwriter. Though his catalog of surviving hymns is concise, his contributions left a lasting mark on 20th-century hymnody—most notably through his widely sung stewardship text and his beloved English adaptation of a 12th-century animal carol for a nativity play.

Life and Ministry

Born in 1881, Davis pursued pastoral ministry and was ordained as a Presbyterian clergyman (frequently credited in older hymnals as the Rev. Robert Davis). His early ministry in the 1900s and 1910s centered around parish work and religious education. He was deeply invested in stewardship, Christian charity, and the creation of dramatic religious works for choirs and schools.

In the late 1910s and early 1920s, Davis collaborated with prominent religious musicians and educators in New York City, working alongside figures like William Sloane Coffin and Clarence Dickinson to modernize historical carols and folk traditions for contemporary church use. He passed away in 1950.

Notable Works & Hymn Texts

Davis is recognized for three distinct lyrical works in hymnological registries:

1. "I Thank Thee, Lord, for Strength of Arm" (1908)

• Thematic Focus: Stewardship, Gratitude, and Almsgiving

• Meter: $8.4.8.4.8.8$

• Common Tunes: MINISTRY (by John Gower) or O JESU (from the Hirschberg Gesangbuch, 1741)

• Significance: Written in 1908, this text is Davis's most widely published traditional hymn, appearing in at least 30 major hymnals (including The Hymnal, 1950). It frames physical health and domestic shelter not as personal achievements, but as gifts meant to be shared with the vulnerable.

• Representative Verse:

  I thank Thee, Lord, for strength of arm

  To win my bread,

  And that, beyond my need, is meat

  For friend unfed:

  I thank Thee much for bread to live;

  I thank Thee more for bread to give.

2. "Jesus Our Brother, Strong and Good" / "The Friendly Beasts" (1920)

• Thematic Focus: Nativity, Christ's Birth, and Creation

• Meter: Irregular / $8.9.9.8$

• Common Tune: ORIENTIS PARTIBUS (12th-century French melody)

• Significance: Davis wrote these English verses for a 1920 nativity play titled The Coming of the Prince of Peace, arranged alongside William Sloane Coffin and Clarence Dickinson. While set to an ancient Latin melody ("The Song of the Ass"), Davis's narrative lyrics personalized the animals at the manger (the donkey, cow, sheep, dove, and camel). This text became an absolute classic of children's Christmas literature and folk music, later popularized globally by artists like Burl Ives, Johnny Cash, and Peter, Paul and Mary.

3. "Iesu he Pokii nou al no'u" (Hawaiian Translation)

• Significance: This is the documented Hawaiian translation of Davis’s The Friendly Beasts ("Jesus our brother, strong and good"), utilized in localized mission hymnals and Pacific regional church resources to adapt the popular Christmas carol into indigenous worship settings.

Summary of Hymnary Registry