Fanny Crosby is a well-known name
in the field of hymn writers. She is considered the hymn queen. She wrote over
9,000 hymns. She didn’t start writing until she was 40 years old.
Members in her audience the day Fanny spoke to Congress included John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, and Jefferson Davis, a senator and the future president of the Confederate States of America. In this role, Fanny became the first woman to ever formally address the Senate and Congress.”
Regarding her marriage she wrote: "Some people seem to forget that blind girls have just as great a faculty for loving and do love just as much and just as truly as those who have their sight. When I was about 20, a gifted young man by the name of Alexander Van Alstyne came to our institute. He was also blind and a musician. We soon became very much concerned for each other. . . I placed my right hand on his left and called him 'Van.' From that hour, two lives looked on a new universe, for love met love, and all the world was changed. On March 5 in the year 1858, we were united in marriage. I became a mother and knew a mother's love, but the angels came down and took our infant up to God."
Her love for writing followed her throughout her life and
she never seemed to be bothered by her lack of sight. She is quoted as saying, “It
seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my
life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were
offered to me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have ever sung hymns
to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting
things about me." She also once said, “When I get to heaven,
the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” She
had an ability to craft words, phrases and thoughts so vividly that would allow
us to see the Savior so clearly in her songs.”
Crosby was once asked if there was a special hymn written
for her conversion experience. She replied: “I would write many hymns to
describe the joy of my salvation. The one that stands out the most to me right
now is this one, “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It.”
Fanny had an agreement with publishers to write three hymns
a week for use in their Sunday school publications; her hymns were aimed at
bringing the message of the Gospel to people who would not listen to preaching.
She prayed God over each hymn asking that He would use it to lead many souls to
Him.
“He Hideth My Soul” is a hymn that wraps the believer in
peace. It’s a song of safety — not because life is easy, but because God is
faithful. It reminds us that no matter the storm, no matter the burden, there
is a quiet place of refuge in Christ. A place where grace flows freely, and
where fear gives way to rest.
This hymn was set to music by William J. Kirkpatrick, a composer and music leader who frequently partnered with Crosby. Together, they created a melody that flows gently and confidently, matching the hymn’s message of assurance.
Verse
One
“A
wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He's hiding my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.”
“My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”
Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The church is Christ's dove . . . Christ is the Rock, in whom alone she can think herself safe, and find herself easy, as a dove in the hole of a rock . . . Christ calls her to come boldly to the throne of grace, having a great High Priest there, to tell what her request is. Speak freely, fear not a slight or a repulse. The voice of prayer is sweet and acceptable to God; those who are sanctified have the best comeliness.
Godsbless.ing: This verse speaks to the tender and intimate
nature of love, where the beloved is invited into a space of safety and
comfort. When we think about the concept of hiding, it may evoke feelings of
secrecy or even concealment, but here it represents something far more
profound. It signifies a desire to create a sanctuary—an emotional refuge where
love can be nurtured and flourished away from the chaos of the outside world.
Verse
Two
“A wonderful
Savior is Jesus my Lord;
He carries my burdens away,
He's holding me up, and I shall not be moved;
He's giving me strength day by day.”
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”
Verse
Three
“With
numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And fills with His fullness divine;
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God,
For such a Redeemer is mine.”
Isaiah 47:4
“Our Redeemer—the Lord Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.”
Verse
Four
“When clothed in His
brightness, transported I rise,
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
I'll shout with the millions on high.”
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Biblerepository.com: In essence, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 encapsulates the heart of Christian eschatology. It talks about the rapture as an event that brings believers together—those who have died and those who remain, culminating in a glorious meeting with Jesus. The significance of clouds highlights the divine nature of this moment. Clouds often symbolize God’s presence, showing that this encounter is not just a mundane gathering but a holy and celestial event. Imagine standing in a group of loved ones, all sharing the awe of witnessing the Lord’s return!
Refrain
“He's hiding my soul in the cleft of the rock,
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He's hiding my life in the depths of his love,
And cov'ring me there with his hand,
And cov'ring me there with his hand.”
Biblerepository.com: Being placed in the cleft of the rock
symbolizes safety and shelter. Just as God offered physical protection to Moses
in a literal cleft of a rock, He also extends that protection to our spiritual
lives. Throughout Scripture, we find God serving as a refuge for those who seek
Him. Psalms like Psalm 46:1 say, “God is our refuge and strength, an
ever-present help in trouble.” God’s gracious act of covering Moses with
His hand displays the idea that He cares about our frailties. It reminds us
that in His greatness, He still looks after our well-being.
“He Hideth My Soul” is a hymn that wraps the believer in
peace. It’s a song of safety — not because life is easy, but because God is
faithful. It reminds us that no matter the storm, no matter the burden, there
is a quiet place of refuge in Christ. A place where grace flows freely, and
where fear gives way to rest.
The strength of this hymn is in its calm certainty. It
doesn’t cry out in desperation — it sings from a place of quiet confidence. The
title comes from Exodus 33:22, when God tells Moses, “I will put you in a cleft
in the rock and cover you with my hand.” That’s the image: God Himself
sheltering us.
Psalm
32:7
“You
are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
DianaleaghMatthews.com
Hishymnhistory.blogspot.com
Scripturetruth.org
Violinhymns.com
