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When All the World was Cursed

When all the world was cursed by sin

When All the World was Cursed is a hymn text by Josiah Conder (1824) in L.M. (8.8.8.8) meter. Found in CW21 317, CW93 20, ELH 107, elw 656. Sung to WAREHAM.

The hymn celebrates the Incarnation as God's redemptive response to human sin, emphasizing Christ as the Light of the world who brings salvation and hope. It reflects Lutheran understanding of justification by faith, wherein Christ's coming fulfills the Law's condemnation and brings the Gospel's saving grace.

History & Background

Written by Josiah Conder, an English Congregational minister and hymnodist, in the early 19th century. The hymn was first published in Conder's hymnal and has become a staple of Lutheran hymnody, particularly in English-language Lutheran worship.

Hymnal Appearances

  • Christian Worship: Hymnal — 317
  • Christian Worship — 20
  • Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 107
  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 656
  • Lutheran Service Book — 346
  • Lutheran Worship — 187
  • The Lutheran Hymnal — 272

Bulletin Note

Written by Josiah Conder in 1824, this hymn weaves the Incarnation into the themes of sin's curse and redemptive light, reflecting nineteenth-century evangelical piety rooted in the cross and Christ's saving work.

Preaching Connection

This hymn crystallizes the Law-Gospel contrast: use it to deepen a sermon on how Christ's coming fulfills the Law's condemnation while proclaiming the Gospel's liberating light to all humanity.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Stanza Arc

The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christ's compassionate presence amid human suffering and social chaos, calling the Church to incarnational witness and mercy

Background Research

AI-assisted draft This background note was researched with AI from published hymnal sources and has not yet been checked line by line. Please verify details such as dates before relying on them.

LSB 346 (Hymn of the Day for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24). German 'Es war die ganze Welt' by Johann Gottfried Olearius (1635–1711), written for that feast while he was pastor of St. Mary's, Halle; the Lutheran Chorale Book dates it 1697 and cites Walther's Kirchen-Gesangbuch, no. 151. Later he held leadership posts in the regional church and taught theology, and was completely blind in his last years (LSB study). English by Paul E. Kretzmann, 1940, for TLH (no. 272); LSB omits stanza 4. Tune WAS FRAG ICH NACH DER WELT. The hymn sets John between Moses' law and Christ (Gal 3:10; Luke 1:13–17; John 1:29–36) and puts the singer into the story.

Sources: Lutheran Chorale Book; LCMS Worship, The Word in Song: Hymn of the Day Studies (Steven P. Mueller).

In the Church Year

Hymn of the Day (Lutheran Service Book) for: Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Suggested in the one-year series

  • Nativity of St. John the Baptist (2×)
  • Advent 3 (3×)
  • Advent 4 (3×)
  • Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (2×)

Suggested in the three-year series

  • Nativity of St. John the Baptist (1×)
  • Advent 2 (7×)
  • Advent 3 (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.

Themes

Incarnation of Christ Light overcoming darkness Redemption through Christ Divine grace Gospel proclamation

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