Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

This line is the angels’ proclamation in the Nativity narrative of the Gospel of Luke, traditionally heard in Christian worship at Christmas. In Luke 2, shepherds near Bethlehem are told of Jesus’ birth; a “multitude of the heavenly host” then praises God with these words. The phrase entered Western culture through biblical translation and liturgy, especially the Latin “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” a hymn used in the Mass and other services. In English-speaking contexts it is most familiar from the King James Version and from Christmas carols and readings that quote Luke’s account of the birth of Christ.

The proclamation links divine glory with the promise of peace on earth, presenting Jesus’ birth as an event with cosmic and human consequences. “Glory to God in the highest” frames the scene as worship: the proper response to the incarnation is praise directed upward. The second clause turns outward, announcing “peace” as a gift associated with God’s favor toward humanity. In Christian interpretation, this peace is both spiritual reconciliation (between God and humankind) and an ethical ideal that challenges violence and division. The line’s enduring power comes from its compressed vision of heaven and earth joined in a single message of praise and hope.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (KJV); “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (ESV); “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.” (a common liturgical rendering influenced by the Latin tradition)