"It is Well With My Soul" - the origin story and an analysis

“It is Well With My Soul” is one of the best-loved hymns of the Christian faith. “It is Well With My Soul” is in many hymnals, and many Christian artists have covered it. But do you know the story behind the hymn? 

The lyrics of “It is Well With My Soul” were written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford, a lawyer/ businessman from Chicago.  Mr. Spafford experienced great tragedies in the two years preceding the writing of the hymn.  His 2-year-old son died in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which also ruined him financially because of the many buildings he owned that burned down in the fire.  In the economic downturn of 1873, his business interests also took a downturn. The family was ready to take a cruise to Europe, but Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead so he could take care of zoning problems that arose after the Great Chicago Fire.  He planned on meeting them in Europe after he had taken care of the zoning problems.

During the voyage to Europe, the ship on which Mrs. Spafford and her four daughters were sailing sank after colliding with another sea vessel.  Mrs. Spafford was the only family member who survived the crash, and she sent a telegraph to Mr. Spafford that read, “Saved alone.”  Mr. Spafford traveled to meet his wife and as the ship on which he was traveling passed the spot where his daughters drowned, he was inspired to write the words to “It is Well With My Soul.” The hymn tune was written by well-known composer Philip Bliss, who named the tune Ville du Havre, the name of the boat that sank. 

The lyrics of “It is Well With My Soul” are posted below. I will add the refrain after each verse and not post it separately. I’ll post my comments about each verse after the verse. 

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, if we trust in and know Jesus as our Savior, it will always be well with our souls.  He is sovereign over all; nothing happens without His consent.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that it is well with our souls during trials we may be encountering.  We may not understand why things happen the way they do when they occur. 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

No matter what trials and tribulations we may be going through, we are assured that Jesus loves us. He loves us so much that He died for us on the Cross so that our sins are forgiven.  We are to keep our eyes on and our confidence in Christ no matter what is happening around us or to us. 

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,

My sin, not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  When we trust in and believe in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and are nailed to the Cross with Christ. Christ’s death on the Cross was a selfless act deserving of all of our glory and praise.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

The hymn writer was looking forward to the Rapture in this verse.  We believe in Jesus although we have never seen Him in the flesh.  We will, however, see Him in person for the first time at the Rapture.  The description in lines 2 and 3 match the description of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. (1 Colossians?)  When we are finally at home with the Lord, it will be well with our soul for all eternity!  That will be one incredible day and I can’t wait for that, can you? 

There are two verses in the original hymn that are not sung in churches today.  They were probably removed so that the hymn wouldn’t take so long to sing, especially since there is a refrain at the end of each verse.

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live,

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal,

Oh, trump of the angel!  Oh, voice of the Lord,

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

It is well (it is well) with my soul (with my soul),

It is well, it is well with my soul.

The second verse ties into the last verse of the hymn, I think, and in my opinion, should probably be sung too.  The “blessed hope” referred to is the Rapture, and lines 2 and 3 also match the description of the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

If you would like to see the handwritten manuscript of "It is Well With My Soul," you can go to the link here:  https://www.loc.gov/item/mamcol.016/

I hope that “It is Well With My Soul” is one of your favorite hymns as well.  Thanks for reading!

Diane

Bibliography:  "It is Well With My Soul," Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul

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