When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts looks at the cross of Jesus and gives up all pride in return for the love shown there.
The words are public domain. We print a hymn only after checking it word for word against a dated old printing, and this one hasn’t been checked yet. Hymnary has it now.
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” at HymnaryAbout this hymn
The singer looks at Jesus dying on the cross and counts every personal gain as loss. Pride and riches lose their worth next to the love shown there, and the hymn ends by giving the whole self to Christ.
It draws on Galatians 6:14, where Paul says he will boast only in the cross of Christ, and on the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Churches sing it in Lent, especially in Holy Week and on Good Friday.
Isaac Watts published it in 1707.
For musicians and planners
| Words | Isaac Watts, 1707 | Public domain |
|---|---|---|
| Tune | BRESLAU · Melody in As Hymnodus Sacer, Leipzig, 1625 | Public domain |
Checked 2026-09-27 against hymnary.org text, tune and person pages (attribution and rights only). The words are not transcribed here yet.
Hymn numbers checked against Hymnary.org’s index of Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Full record: Hymnary.