While icons are typically based on Biblical texts, the In Thee Rejoiceth icon is derived from a hymn written by St. John of Damascus. The hymn is dedicated to the Mother of God: “All of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace: the angels in heaven and the race of men, O sanctified temple and poetic paradise, the glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate and became a child, our God before the ages. He made thy body into a throne, and thy womb more spacious than the heavens. All of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace: Glory be to thee.”

The Mother of God and the infant Christ appear enthroned in the center, surrounded by archangels. Just below the throne stands a winged John the Baptist (holding his severed head); to his right (our left) is St. John of Damascus, holding a scroll that represents the hymn. Christ also appears at the top of the icon, in front of a domed complex representing the Church and a garden representing Paradise. The sun and moon appear in the top corners of the icon. “Mankind,” also mentioned in the hymn, is represented by the groups of figures at the bottom of the icon. These include, prophets, apostles, saints, monks, and other figures, with the more important located closer to the throne.

While the Mother of God and Christ sit serenely, the figures at bottom are animated as they sing the hymn, creating a sense of movement while the rest of the icon seems still. This type of dynamic composition is often seen in icons from Yaroslavl, where this icon originated.