The song He Brought Me Out was written by Henry J. Zelley in 1898.
He Brought Me Out
Watch another video of He Brought Me Out by The Inspirations.
He Brought Me Out – Lyrics
Chorus
He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!
My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.
He gave me a song, ’twas a new song of praise;
By day and by night its sweet notes I will raise;
My heart’s overflowing, I’m happy and free;
I’ll praise my Redeemer, Who has rescued me.
I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.
I’ll sing of His wonderful mercy to me,
I’ll praise Him till all men His goodness shall see;
I’ll sing of salvation at home and abroad,
Till many shall hear the truth and trust in God.
I’ll tell of the pit, with its gloom and despair,
I’ll praise the dear Father, who answered my prayer;
I’ll sing my new song, the glad story of love,
Then join in the chorus with the saints above.
The original story of the hymn “He Brought Me Out” is rooted in the biblical passage Psalm 40:2, which describes being lifted from a “horrible pit” and “miry clay” to stand on solid ground. The song was written in 1898 by Henry J. Zelley, who penned the lyrics, with the refrain and melody composed by Henry L. Gilmour. It was likely first published in Pentecostal Praises and tells the story of redemption from sin and despair to a foundation of faith.
- Biblical inspiration: The hymn’s lyrics are directly inspired by Psalm 40:2, which describes being lifted from a pit of despair and set on a rock.
- Lyricist: Henry J. Zelley (1859–1942) wrote the stanzas for the hymn, which begins with the line “My heart was distressed ‘neath Jehovah’s dread frown”.
- Refrain and composer: Henry L. Gilmour (1836–1920) provided the famous refrain, “He brought me out of the miry clay; He set my feet on the Rock to stay,” and composed the melody.
- Publication: The hymn was published in 1898, likely in the hymnal Pentecostal Praises which was edited by Gilmour and William Kirkpatrick.
- Meaning: The song uses the metaphor of a pit and clay to represent sin and despair, and being placed on a rock to represent salvation and a firm foundation in faith.