“Joy to the World” is one of the most beloved carols. But, a review of the history of the song proves that it is actually not a carol. In fact, it isn’t even about Christmas—at least not as its author intended.
Isaac Watts, the author of this hymn, is considered to be the “father of English hymns,” having penned more than 750 hymns.
Isaac Watts was born in 1674, in South Hampton, England. He was raised in a deeply religious family. In fact, Watts earliest memories were of his father’s convictions about religious liberty. His father was jailed twice rather than conform to the Church of England (he was a Nonconformist, typically Baptists or Presbyterians, who wanted to worship in a church unaffiliated with the government).
As a child, Isaac Watts had a remarkable ability to rhyme. Once his father confronted him and asked why he had opened his eyes during the family prayer. Isaac said that he had been distracted, adding, “A little mouse for want of stairs, ran up a rope to say its prayers.”
His father was not impressed with his son’s rhyme and to discourage his juvenile behavior, he spanked Isaac. After his spanking, Isaac cried out, “O father, father, pity take, and I will no more verses make.”
However, the love of verse, rhyme, poetry, and music remained. He became a pastor and eventually served a large, independent church in London. He developed a wide reputation for his preaching and became a private tutor, helping train other preachers in the city. He was consumed with communicating his Christian affections and convictions in heartfelt worship and song.
This was not always well received. Up to this point, songs in Protestant churches consisted primarily of singing the Psalms. Watts could be considered the forefather of “Praise and Worship” songs, introducing religious poetry into his songs. Some thought this heretical, others considered it a breath of fresh air. His songs were a blend of personal reflection and emotional reaction—yet based on theological convictions. His songs gave new life to church worship.
However, Isaac Watts’ physical appearance did not have the beauty of his songs. Hymnologist A.E. Bailey, in The Gospel in Hymns, wrote, “Imagine a little man, five feet high; a large head made bigger with a huge wig; a hooked nose; small piercing eyes; a frail, sickly body, the whole combination looking more like an embryo than a fully developed organism: that was the illustrious Reverend Isaac Watts.
Bailey goes on to tell this story: “A beautiful and accomplished young lady once fell in love with Watts through his poetry, having never seen him. When the two met, her disillusionment was instantaneous, while he fell deeply in love with her. He shortly asked her to marry him, whereupon she declined him in her most gracious manner and added, no doubt with the best of intentions, ‘Mr. Watts, I only wish I could say that I admire the casket as much as I admire the jewel.’ Pretty plain talk, but young Watts took it sweetly, and the two remained good friends for more than thirty years.”
But, returning back to this hymn, “Joy to the World,” the opening line is often sung incorrectly as “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.” That is not what Watts wrote. He wrote, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.” Watts was not writing about the past—the birth of Jesus. No, he was writing about the future return of Jesus. The Scripture passage he based the song on is Psalm 98 which speaks of the second coming of Christ. This is not about the newborn King—it is about the coming King.
Watts, who died in 1748, wrote “Joy to the World,” in 1719 as one of several poems on the Psalms. A century later, a Boston music teacher, Lowell Mason, discovered the poem and set it to music. Because it was released at Christmastime, it quickly became a holiday favorite. Over time, it has become the most published Christmas Carol in America. Although not intended as a Christmas song, it is a hymn filled with great hope, joy, and anticipation. And, in that sense, it is a perfect Christmas hymn!
(Sources – The first seven paragraphs are derived from Forestbaptistchurch.org “The Story Behind the Carol: “Joy to the World!” 12/15/13); the remainder from a sermon by Harold Schnedler)
Lyrics: “Joy to the World”
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Psalm 98
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.