Not All the Blood of Beasts
Not all the blood of beasts
Not All the Blood of Beasts is a hymn text by Isaac Watts (1709) in L.M. meter. Found in CW21 398, CW93 128, ELH 305, elw 339. Sung to SALZBURG.
The hymn expounds the Christological fulfillment of Old Testament shadows, emphasizing Christ's once-for-all sacrifice as the antitype to repeated Levitical offerings. It exemplifies Lutheran soteriological teaching on justification through Christ's substitutionary atonement.
History & Background
Isaac Watts composed this hymn as part of his Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament (1709), drawing theological content from Hebrews 10. The hymn contrasts Old Testament sacrificial laws with Christ's perfect sacrifice, becoming a staple of Protestant hymnody.
Hymnal Appearances
- Christian Worship: Hymnal — 398
- Christian Worship — 128
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 305
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 339
- Lutheran Service Book — 431
- Lutheran Worship — 99
- Trinity Hymnal — 433
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 156
Bulletin Note
Written by Isaac Watts in 1709, this hymn of Reformation pedigree expounds the Christological fulfillment of Levitical sacrifice, teaching that Christ's blood alone justifies and sanctifies what temple offerings could never perfect.
Preaching Connection
This hymn powerfully illustrates the Law-Gospel dialectic: the inadequacy of human striving and ceremonial works gives way to the sufficiency of Christ's once-for-all substitutionary atonement—the heart of Lutheran soteriology.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From personal awakening to joyful praise, through recognition of God's redemptive love despite human ruin and opposition, to confident assurance of justification at the final judgment
Background Research
Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, enlarged 2nd edition (1709), Book II, no. 142, headed 'Faith in Christ our Sacrifice': five 4-line stanzas. It is Hebrews 9–10 in miniature, 'it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins' (10:4), set against the 'heavenly Lamb'. St 4 has the striking 'My faith would lay her hand on that dear head of thine', the worshipper's hand-laying on the sacrifice (Lev 1:4; 16:21), applied to faith in Christ. It entered Anglican use via Madan (1760) and Toplady (1776), both of whom altered it. Julian says the alterations reflected 'religious convictions and controversy'. Some American books soften the opening to 'No blood of bird or beast', and TLH keeps 'Jewish altars' (index note). Tunes: SOUTHWELL (most common), BOYLSTON, DENNIS.
Sources: hymnary.org 'Not all the blood of beasts' (citing Julian).
In the Church Year
Suggested in the one-year series
- Lent 5 (6×)
- Holy Monday (1×)
- Lent 2 (1×)
Suggested in the three-year series
- Maundy Thursday (1×)
From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.
Overview
Isaac Watts' hymn from Hymns and Spiritual Songs (2nd ed., 1709) is a compact exposition of the Letter to the Hebrews. Old Testament sacrifices could not cleanse the conscience (st. 1); Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all sin away by a nobler sacrifice (st. 2). The singer then enacts the Day of Atonement ritual by faith, laying a hand on the Lamb's head to confess sin (st. 3); looks back to the cross and sees his own guilt there (st. 4); and rejoices as the curse is removed (st. 5). Few hymns state the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice so plainly in so few words.
Central theme: Christ's once-for-all sacrifice fulfills and surpasses the Old Testament sacrifices, cleansing the conscience
Structure
Five short-meter stanzas. Inadequacy of the old sacrifices (1); Christ's superior sacrifice (2); faith laying its hand on him (3); guilt seen on the cross (4); joy in the curse removed (5).
Law & Gospel Shape
Law: the 'guilty conscience,' the 'stain,' the confession of sin, 'her guilt was there,' the curse (1, 3-5). Gospel: the heavenly Lamb takes all sins away; the curse removed; 'bleeding love' (2, 5).
Confessional Connections
The Old Testament sacrifices as types fulfilled in Christ (Ap XXIV, on the one propitiatory sacrifice). Faith as the hand that receives (Ap IV). Christ's death removing the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13; FC V). The Apology rejects any repeated propitiatory sacrifice — Christ's is once for all.
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Lent; Holy Week; Good Friday; also apt before Communion.
Historical Notes
Watts (1674-1748), English Congregationalist, 'father of English hymnody.' TLH keeps his 'Jewish altars.'
About the Tune
SOUTHWELL (William Damon's Psalter, 1579).
Scripture References
Heb 10:1-4 Heb 9:9-14 John 1:29 1 Pet 1:18-19 Heb 9:23 Lev 1:4 Lev 16:21-22 Isa 53:6 Gal 3:13 Deut 21:23 1 Pet 2:24 Rom 5:11 Rev 5:9-12
Stanza by Stanza
Not all the blood of animals slain on Jewish altars could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain.
Heb 10:4: 'it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.' Heb 9:9: the sacrifices 'cannot perfect the conscience.' The Old Testament sacrifices were God-given and real, but they were types and shadows (Heb 10:1) pointing forward; their repetition showed that sin was not yet removed. The 'guilty conscience' is the heart of the matter: the Reformation was, at bottom, a search for a conscience at peace with God (Ap IV).
- Scripture
- Heb 10:1-4, Heb 9:9-14, Ps 51:16-17, Mic 6:6-7
- Imagery & language
- Blood of beasts; stain.
- Law / Gospel
- Law — the inadequacy of all human/ritual remedies.
- Connection to previous
- Opening negation.
But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they.
'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). 'Heavenly' — he is from heaven and offers himself in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 9:24). His sacrifice is 'of nobler name' — the Son of God himself — and 'richer blood' — 'the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish' (1 Pet 1:19). Because the victim is God incarnate, his blood has infinite worth (Acts 20:28). 'All our sins' — the sacrifice is complete, once for all (Heb 10:10-14).
- Scripture
- John 1:29, Heb 9:24-26, 1 Pet 1:18-19, Acts 20:28, Heb 10:10-14
- Imagery & language
- Lamb; nobler name; richer blood.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — Christ takes away all sin.
- Connection to previous
- The positive answer to st. 1.
My faith would lay its hand on that dear head of yours, as I stand like a penitent and confess my sin there.
A profound use of Old Testament ritual. The offerer laid a hand on the sacrifice's head (Lev 1:4), and on the Day of Atonement the high priest laid his hands on the scapegoat's head, confessing Israel's sins over it (Lev 16:21). Watts makes this the act of faith: faith 'lays her hand' on Christ, transferring sin to him. Confession and faith together make up repentance (AC XII). It is faith — not the hand of a priest, not a ritual — that joins the sinner to the sacrifice.
- Scripture
- Lev 1:4, Lev 16:21-22, Isa 53:6, 1 John 1:9, Ps 32:5
- Imagery & language
- Laying on of hands; penitent posture.
- Law / Gospel
- Law — confession; Gospel — sin transferred to Christ by faith.
- Connection to previous
- Personal application of the sacrifice.
My soul looks back to see the burden you carried while hanging on the cursed tree, and knows its guilt was there.
Faith 'looks back' — the Old Testament believer looked forward; the New Testament believer looks back to the completed work. The 'cursed tree' is Deut 21:23 as applied in Gal 3:13: 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.' The final line is the crux of personal faith: 'knows her guilt was there' — my sin, not only the world's in general, was laid on him (1 Pet 2:24). This is the 'for me' that Luther called the heart of faith.
- Scripture
- Deut 21:23, Gal 3:13, 1 Pet 2:24, Isa 53:4-6, 2 Cor 5:21
- Imagery & language
- Looking back; burden; cursed tree.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — my guilt borne by Christ.
- Connection to previous
- From laying on hands (3) to seeing the burden on the cross.
Believing, we rejoice to see the curse removed; we bless the Lamb with cheerful voices and sing of his bleeding love.
The response of faith is joy: 'we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation' (Rom 5:11). 'The curse remove' — the curse of Gal 3:13 and ultimately of Gen 3 is lifted (Rev 22:3, 'no longer will there be anything accursed'). The Church 'blesses the Lamb' as in Rev 5:9-12. 'Bleeding love' — the atonement is not a cold transaction but the self-giving love of Christ (Gal 2:20). Note the shift from 'my' to 'we': personal faith joins the congregation's song.
- Scripture
- Rom 5:11, Gal 3:13, Rev 22:3, Rev 5:9-12, Gal 2:20, 1 Pet 1:8
- Imagery & language
- Joyful blessing; bleeding love.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — joy in reconciliation.
- Connection to previous
- Concludes with communal praise.
Themes
Atonement Christ's sacrifice Redemption through Christ Insufficiency of old covenant Blood of Christ