Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed

"Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed" is a hymn by Isaac Watts, first published in 1707. The words describe the crucifixion of Jesus and reflect on an appropriate personal response to this event. The hymn is commonly sung with a refrain added in 1885 by Ralph E. Hudson; when this refrain is used, the hymn is sometimes known as "At the Cross". The final line of the first stanza has attracted some criticism, as it leads the singer to call themselves a "worm". Hymnals often change the line from "for such a worm as I" to "for such a one as I" or "for sinners such as I".

History

Original composition

"Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed" was originally published in 1707, in ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs'', which was the first collection of hymns by the prolific English hymnwriter Isaac Watts. This anthology was published in three volumes; "Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed" was included in volume 2. This volume comprised songs "Composed on Divine Subjects", and the hymn was given the heading "Godly sorrow arising from the Sufferings of Christ".

The traditional words have commonly been paired with the hymn tune "Martyrdom", which is an adaptation of a traditional Scottish melody, attributed to Hugh Wilson. The hymn has been more popular in the US and Canada than in the UK; in North America, it is one of the most-sung hymns by Isaac Watts.

"At the Cross"

In the context of late 19th-century revivalism, this became one of a number of traditional hymns that were turned into gospel songs with the addition of a chorus. In 1885, songwriter Ralph E. Hudson added a repeated refrain in his hymnbook ''Songs of Peace, Love, and Joy''. This refrain has been included in many hymnals:

The words and music of this refrain probably originated in camp meetings of the time. When this chorus is included, the hymn is often known as "At the Cross". Hudson also wrote a new tune in a gospel style for the verses; this tune is known as Hudson. The refrain has sometimes been added to other hymns as well, or included in hymnbooks as a standalone chorus.

Text

Original words

The original hymn had six four-line stanzas.

Analysis

The hymn words centre on the Crucifixion of Jesus, and the opening verses offer a concise summary of the doctrine of penal substitution. This doctrine is approached from a personal and emotional perspective, leading to a reflection on the appropriate response to Jesus' death. In the ''Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology'', Alan Gaunt describes it as "one of Watts's most intense lyric poems," which "emphasises the emotional effect on the writer and the reader/singer". According to Leland Ryken, the hymn contains the "speaker's thought process as he comes to grips with the crucifixion and what it means for him", and invites the singer to "enact the same thought process". Comparing this hymn with another well-known Isaac Watts hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", Carl P. Daw Jr. notes that where the latter is "objective and sweeping; this one is subjective and tightly focused".

Alterations

Hymn books commonly omit the second stanza, which is described as an optional verse in the originally published version. In Salvation Army hymn books, the line "God the mighty Maker" in stanza four is changed to "Christ the mighty maker".

As well as the refrain included by Ralph E. Hudson, other hymn books have added a chorus to the hymn. Charles Price Jones, founder of the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A., added the following refrain:

In the 1986 ''Song Book of the Salvation Army'', the added refrain was:

"For such a worm as I"

The final line of the first stanza ("for such a worm as I") is amended in many hymnals. Sometimes, the word "worm" is changed to "one" or more commonly, the line is altered to "sinners such as I".

The original line has been criticised by some modern commentators as an example of " worm theology", which suggests to people that "low self-worth means God is more likely to show mercy and compassion upon them". Writing for ''Christianity Today'', Mark Galli found the line problematic for promoting the idea that "only by abasing ourselves are we able to grasp and receive God's mercy". Theologian Anthony A. Hoekema has described the lyrics as an example of a hymn that has made a "contribution to the negative self-image often found among Christians".

In response to this criticism, David W. Music has claimed that the word "worm" is both lyrically and biblically appropriate:

Theologian Marva Dawn argued that the hymn's "worm" imagery is an important way of highlighting the "incredible freedom and immense joy of forgiveness". Hymnologist Madeleine Forell Marshall suggested Watts was not intending to make a general comment on humanity, but to describe how, when faced with the death of Jesus, we are "initially filled with powerful disgust and graphic self-loathing".

References

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18th-century hymns
Hymns by Isaac Watts
English Christian hymns