he hymn Man of Sorrows is atypical of the majority of hymns coming out of that period in American history defined as “revivalism,” that period making up the last half of the 19th century, and confined roughly to the northeastern part of the country. Man of Sorrows is so Christ centered. The Reformers and the Puritans put together couldn’t do much better. The hymn, tune and all, was written by Philip Bliss around 1875. It was one of the last hymns he wrote before he and his wife were tragically killed in a train accident caused by a bridge collapse in December of 1876. He was only 38 years old at the time of his death. I am not typically a huge fan of hymnody from this period, but Man of Sorrows is a bright exception.
In a discussion we were having the other day, my wife mentioned one of the lines of Man of Sorrows. Later that night I woke up and was unable to get back to sleep for a while, and the one line of verse was there in my thoughts. Soon I was singing in my head the whole hymn, which started me marveling at the fact that every line was quite scriptural. This is despite the fact that each line is simple and short and the rhyme pattern is uncomplicated. A few days later I copied the whole hymn and began to write down the Scripture references you see linked beside each line below, which only took me about fifteen minutes. There may be better references to some of these lines, but these were simply the first ones that came to mind. Click on the reference links below and the passage will pop up in a small window. You don’t even have to leave this post to view the Bible passages.
…psallam spiritu, psallam et mente. (1 Cor. 14:15)
Man of Sorrows! what a name (Isaiah 53:3)
For the Son of God, who came (Matthew 16:16)
Ruined sinners to reclaim: (Ephesians 2:12)
Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Revelation 19:1)Bearing shame and scoffing rude, (Matthew 27:39-44)
In my place condemned he stood, (1 Peter 3:18)
Sealed my pardon with his blood: (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Revelation 19:1)Guilty, vile, and helpless, we; (Romans 3:10-20; James 3:6; Matthew 9:36)
Spotless Lamb of God was he; (Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
Full atonement! can it be? (Hebrews 9:26)
Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Revelation 19:1)Lifted up was he to die, (John 3:14)
“It is finished!” was his cry: (John 19:30)
Now in heav’n exalted high: (Ephesians 1:20-22)
Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Revelation 19:1)When he comes, our glorious King, (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 10)
All his ransomed home to bring, (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Then anew this song we’ll sing: (Revelation 5:9)
Hallelujah! what a Saviour! (Revelation 19:1)
