By Faith Macomber
George Frideric Handel is the composer of this hymn. He was born February 23, 1685 and died April 1759. Handel was born at Halle the same year that Johann Sebastian Bach was born. By the age seven Handel was a skilful performer on the harpsichord and organ, and at the age nine he began composing music. His father wanted Handel to study law like him, but Handel was finally permitted to take musical composition and keyboard techniques.
In 1702 he began studying law at the University of Halle as his father wished him to do, then a year after his father’s death he abandoned law for music.
In April 1737, at the age of 52, he suffered a stroke or other injury that caused his right arm to be temporarily paralyzed, so he couldn’t perform.
In August 1750, on a journey from Germany to London, Handel got in a carriage accident, and was seriously injured.
In 1751, he started to become blind, and at the age 65 he became totally blind in one eye. They don’t know what the cause was, but it progressed to his other eye.
For more on George Handel see his story in our On This Day series.
Isaac Watts is the author if this hymn. Watts was born July 17, 1674 in England, and died November 25, 1748. Isaac learned Greek, Latin, and Hebrew under Mr. Pinhorn, headmaster of the Grammar School in Southampton.
In 1690, he entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stroke Newington. Watts left the academy at the age 20, and spent two years at home, and during this time is when he wrote the bulk of his “Hymns and Spiritual Songs”. At the age 24 Watts preached his first sermon, he preached frequently for the next three years, and in 1702 he was ordained as pastor of the Independent congregation in Mark Lane, and the next year his health began to fail.
In his hymnal that was published in 1719, it was Watts intention to give the Psalms a New Testament meaning and style. He did this by paraphrasing in Christian verse all one hundred and fifty Psalms, with the exception of twelve. “Joy to the World” is a paraphrase of these verses that were taken from:
Psalm 98:4-9—Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. 7. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 8. Let the floods clap their hand: let the hills be joyful together, 9. Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and he people with equity.
Some of the songs Watt wrote are:
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
- Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
- Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
Sources:
Pictures and information on Isaac Watts can be found at: Dave Hoist. The Cyber Hymnal (1996) Isaac Watts. www.cyberhymnal.com
Information on Joy to the World, and Isaac Watts: Osbeck, K. W. Amazing Grace (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990), p. 166.
Information on George F. Handel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frideric_Handel
Reynolds, William J, Companion to Baptist Hymnal. (Nashville, Tennessee. Broadman Press, 1976), p. 454-455, 324-325.
