I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Medley had been a sailor in the Royal Navy who had been injured with his leg almost needing amputation.{{cite web|url=https://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/medley.html |title=Biography of Samuel Medley, 1738–1799. (Spiritual Songsters) |publisher=Stem Publishing |date= |accessdate=2020-04-05}} He wrote "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" in 1775 while he was a minister at a Baptist church in Liverpool.{{cite web |url=https://gabaptist.org/i-know-that-my-redeemer-lives/ |title=I Know That My Redeemer Lives |publisher=Georgia Baptist Mission Board |date= |accessdate=2020-04-05 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} It was first published in George Whitefield's Psalms and Hymns hymnal in the same year with seven verses though without attribution. He later self-published it in 1800 in the London edition of his Hymns hymnal. It was usually set to the "Duke Street" hymn tune.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the hymn was in common use in both Great Britain and America, easily known by the oft-repeated "He lives!". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also started to use the hymn after it was published in Emma Smith's Collection of Sacred Hymns.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/i-know-that-my-redeemer-lives.html |title=I Know That My Redeemer Lives |publisher=LDS Church |date=2014-02-12 |accessdate=2020-04-05}} The Latter-day Saints version involved the merging of several verses.

The hymn is most commonly set to the tune "Duke Street", composed by John Hatton, about whom little is known except his place of residence, on Duke Street in St. Helen's. The following setting appears in the modern hymnal "Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New".{{cite web |title=Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New page 251 |url=https://hymnary.org/hymn/CAH2000/page/251 |website=hymnary.org |accessdate=10 May 2020 |language=en}}

<< <<

\new Staff { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key d \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ"

\omit Staff.TimeSignature \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t

\relative c'

<< { d4 fis8 g a4 b8( cis) | d4 cis8( b) a2 |

a4 a8 a b4. a8 | g4 fis e2 |

fis4 fis8 e d([ fis]) a( d) | b([ a]) g( fis) e2 |

a4 b8 cis d4. g,8 | fis4 e d2 \bar"|." } \\

{ a4 d8 d e4 g | a g fis2 |

d4 cis8 d d4. d8 | cis4 d cis2 |

d4 d8 cis d4 fis8( d) | d4 e8( d) cis2 |

d4 d8 g fis4. e8 | d4 cis d2 } >>

}

\new Lyrics \lyricmode {

}

\new Staff { \clef bass \key d \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "church organ" \omit Staff.TimeSignature

\relative c

<< { fis4 b8 b cis4 d8( e) | d4 d d2 |

fis,4 g8 a d4. d8 | g,4 a a2 |

a4 a8 g a4 a | b b cis2 |

a4 g8 g a4. b8 | a4 g fis2 } \\

{ d4 b8 b a4 g' | fis g d2 |

d4 e8 fis g4. fis8 | e4 d a2 |

d4 d8 e fis4 d8( fis) | g4 e a( g) |

fis g8 e d8.( e16) fis8 g | a4 a, d2 } >>

}

>> >>

\layout { indent = #0 }

\midi { \tempo 4 = 90 }

Though the hymn is originally based on the Old Testament verse from the Book of Job, where Job proclaims "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" ({{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Job|chapter=19|verse=25}}), it is mostly used as a hymn for Easter Sunday commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus.{{cite web|url=https://www.hopepublishing.com/W1320_I_KNOW_THAT_MY_REDEEMER_LIVES/ |title=I Know That My Redeemer Lives |publisher=Hope Publishing |date= |accessdate=2020-04-05}} Medley was also inspired by Thomas the Apostle coming to believe after having seen Jesus after the Resurrection.{{cite book |first=Ruth |last=Buenting |title=Gloria!: Letters from the Hymn Writers |page=44 |publisher=CSS Publishing |year=1999 |isbn=0788015265}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Hymns and songs for Easter}}

Category:Easter hymns

Category:1775 in England

Category:English Christian hymns

Category:Resurrection of Jesus

Category:Songs about Jesus