THE SOLID ROCK [223]

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 1834

“The Solid Rock” is one of those hymns that feels timeless, but it actually has a very specific and pretty moving origin story.

Who wrote it
The words were written by Edward Mote (1797–1874), an English pastor. What makes this especially interesting is that Mote didn’t grow up religious at all—he was raised in a non-Christian home in London. He came to faith as a young adult, and that sense of finding firm ground after instability shows up strongly in the hymn’s imagery.

When and why it was written
Mote wrote the hymn around 1834. According to his own account, the opening lines (“My hope is built on nothing less / Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”) came to him while he was on his way to work. Later, he expanded those lines into a full hymn.

The hymn was first used pastorally, not publicly. Mote visited a dying woman from his congregation and shared the verses with her to bring comfort and assurance. She found them so meaningful that she asked for a copy, which helped lead to the hymn being shared more widely.

Biblical foundation
The central image comes from Matthew 7:24–27, where Jesus speaks of building a house on the rock rather than on sand. Mote uses that metaphor to emphasize trust in Christ alone, especially when life feels uncertain:

  • “The Solid Rock” = Christ’s faithfulness

  • “Sinking sand” = human effort, circumstances, or moral confidence

The tune
The words are most commonly sung to the tune “Melita,” composed in 1863 by William B. Bradbury, an American hymn writer known for pairing memorable melodies with strong theological texts. (“Melita” is also the tune used for Eternal Father, Strong to Save.) Bradbury’s music helped make the hymn widely popular in churches on both sides of the Atlantic.

How it spread
The hymn first appeared in print in 1837 and steadily gained popularity throughout the 19th century. It became especially beloved in evangelical and revival traditions because of its clear message of assurance and salvation by grace.

Why it still matters
“The Solid Rock” has endured because it speaks to a universal experience: moments when everything feels unstable. Its calm, confident refrain—

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand—
has made it a favorite for funerals, baptisms, revivals, and ordinary Sundays alike.

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