When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is a hymn by Isaac Watts, published in 1707 in Hymns and Spiritual Songs. It is sung especially in Lent, on Good Friday and at communion. Its second verse is a paraphrase of Paul's words, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14), and its first verse echoes "what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3:7). In the United States it is usually sung to Hamburg by Lowell Mason. The words and tunes are in the public domain.
Many people consider When I Survey the Wondrous Cross the greatest hymn in the English language. The Victorian poet and critic Matthew Arnold is often quoted as calling it the finest hymn ever written, and Charles Wesley is said to have remarked that he would give up all his own hymns to have written it. It was also an early departure from the English custom of singing only paraphrases of Bible texts: Watts wrote in the first person about what the cross meant to him. To survey means to look carefully at the whole of something. The hymn asks us to stand still at the cross and look, until the sight changes what we value. Below are all five verses, their history, and 12 KJV verses behind them. For the Good Friday account, see the seven last words of Jesus; for another cross hymn, see The Old Rugged Cross.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross: the words
Verse 1
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Verse 2
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Verse 3
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Verse 4
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o'er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Verse 5
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707), with Watts's own 1709 change to line 2 (it first read Where the young Prince of Glory died); spelling and capitals modernized here. Usual tunes: Hamburg (Lowell Mason, 1824) in the United States and Rockingham (Edward Miller, 1790) in Britain. Public domain. Many hymnals leave out verse 4, and some print That were an offering far too small in verse 5.
My richest gain I count but loss (verse 1)
1. Galatians 6:14
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
Watts gave the hymn a title when he first published it: Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ, with this verse as its text: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Glory here means boast. Paul had once boasted of his family, his learning and his religious record. Now he boasted only in a Roman execution, because on that cross the Son of God died for him. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God is this verse set to music.
2. 1 Corinthians 2:8
"Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
On which the Prince of glory died. The title Watts chose for Jesus is a paradox: princes do not die on crosses. Paul says the rulers who crucified Jesus did not understand who He was: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The princes of this world executed the Prince of glory. Watts first wrote the young Prince of Glory, then changed it in 1709 so readers would not think of the young English prince, the Duke of Gloucester, who had died at eleven. See Bible verses about the cross.
3. Philippians 3:7
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
My richest gain I count but loss. Paul listed everything that once made him proud, his birth, his zeal, his strict obedience to the law, and then wrote: But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. He goes on to call them dung, garbage, compared with knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). When we look long enough at the cross, our achievements lose their shine. Not because they are worthless in themselves, but because nothing we have earned compares with what Christ has given.
4. James 4:6
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
And pour contempt on all my pride. The cross is the end of pride, because no one who needs a Savior to die for them can boast. James quotes Proverbs 3:34: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Pride keeps us at a distance from God; humility opens our hands to receive grace. Watts does not say he became humble by trying hard. He says the sight of the cross made pride look contemptible. See Bible verses about humility.
Sorrow and love flow mingled down (verses 2-3)
5. Mark 8:34
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. Watts is not inventing a hard rule; he is answering Jesus' own call: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. To deny yourself is to stop making yourself the center. To take up a cross is to accept loss for His sake. Jesus spoke these words right after telling His disciples He would suffer and die (Mark 8:31). The One who asks us to carry a cross carried His own first, and the hymn's surrender is a response to His.
6. 1 John 2:16
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
What are the vain things that charm us most? John names them: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Appetites, possessions and status: these are the charms of the world that the cross exposes as empty. John goes on to say that the world passes away, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (1 John 2:17). Vain means empty. The hymn invites us to trade empty things for a full life.
7. John 19:5
"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!"
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? The soldiers mocked Jesus as a king by twisting thorns into a crown and putting a purple robe on Him. Then Pilate brought Him out to the crowd: Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! Pilate meant it as a pitiful sight. Watts sees it differently. The crown of thorns is the richest crown ever worn, because it was worn in love. His dying crimson, like a robe, in verse 4, echoes the purple robe. See Bible verses about Good Friday.
8. Isaiah 53:4
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."
See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Isaiah saw the suffering servant seven hundred years before the cross: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The sorrow was ours, and He carried it. The love was His, and it was why He carried it. On the cross, the two flowed together. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet? Never before, and never since. See Isaiah 53 meaning.
Love so amazing, so divine (verses 4-5)
9. Colossians 3:3
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
Then I am dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me. Verse 4, often left out of hymnals, echoes Galatians 6:14 and Paul's teaching that believers have died with Christ: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Dead to the world does not mean cold or careless toward people. It means the world no longer has the final claim on us. Our real life is hidden with Christ, safe and waiting to be revealed (Colossians 3:4). That is why the things that once charmed us lose their hold.
10. Romans 5:8
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Love so amazing. Why is the love of the cross amazing? Because of who it was for: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Commendeth means proves or shows. People sometimes die for a good friend. Christ died for His enemies, people who had not changed and did not deserve it. The cross is not God waiting for us to become lovable. It is God loving us first. See Bible verses about God's love.
For kids: color the cross with Romans 5:8 in the free Christian Easter coloring pages (KJV).
11. 1 John 4:10
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
So divine. The love of the cross is not human love at its best; it is God's own love. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means the sacrifice that turns away God's righteous anger against sin. God did not ask us to provide that sacrifice. He provided it Himself, in His Son. That is love so divine that we would never have imagined it. All our love for God starts here, in His love for us (1 John 4:19).
12. 2 Corinthians 5:15
"And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
Demands my soul, my life, my all. The last line is the most quoted in the hymn. If Christ gave everything, a small offering will not do: were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Paul says the same: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. The cross does not demand our all by force. It wins it by love. Many churches sing this hymn as they come to communion. See Bible verses about Lent.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, Prince of glory, I stand at Your cross and look. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast in anything but Your death for me. I count my richest gain as loss compared with You, and I lay down the vain things that charm me most. Thank You for the sorrow and love that flowed together on the cross, and for loving me while I was still a sinner. I can give You nothing equal to that love, so I give You what it demands: my soul, my life, my all. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
Who wrote When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
Isaac Watts (1674-1748), the English Congregational minister often called the father of English hymnody, wrote it. It was published in 1707 in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, under the title Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ, with Galatians 6:14 as its text. Watts placed it in the third book of the collection, hymns prepared for the Lord's Supper, which is why it is still often sung at communion.
What does survey mean in When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
To survey is to look carefully at something from every side, the way a surveyor studies land. Watts invites us to look at the cross slowly and thoughtfully, from His head, His hands, His feet, until we see what it means for us. The hymn is a meditation: it moves from looking at the cross to giving our whole life in response.
Is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross in the public domain?
Yes. Watts's words date from 1707 and 1709, Lowell Mason's tune Hamburg from 1824, and Edward Miller's tune Rockingham from 1790. All are in the public domain. Modern arrangements and recordings, including newer songs that quote the hymn, may be under copyright, but the traditional words and tunes are free to use.
When is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross sung?
It is sung most often during Lent, on Good Friday and during Holy Week, and at communion services all year. In 2027, Ash Wednesday falls on February 10, Good Friday on March 26 and Easter on March 28. Many churches also sing it at Maundy Thursday services, remembering the Last Supper on the night before the cross.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Good Friday · Lent · The cross · The Old Rugged Cross · Were You There · Seven last words of Jesus · Holy Week timeline · Crown Him with Many Crowns
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