First Performance: May 21, 1874

On May 21, 1874, during D. L. Moody’s British evangelistic campaign, Ira D. Sankey was urged in a gospel meeting to sing something new. With little notice, he set Elizabeth Clephane’s poem “The Ninety and Nine” to music on the spot and sang it to the assembled congregation. The moment was marked by holy stillness—then deep emotion, with many openly weeping as the words pressed home the tenderness and urgency of the gospel.

The hymn draws directly from Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15), portraying the Shepherd who does not merely number the flock but goes out into the dark to rescue the one. “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). In that meeting, hearers were reminded that Christ seeks sinners personally and brings them home, not as statistics, but as beloved souls.

Ira D. Sankey and D. L. Moody

Sankey (1840–1908) served as Moody’s chief musical partner, using congregational singing not as entertainment but as proclamation—truth carried into the heart through melody. Moody (1837–1899), an American evangelist, emphasized direct appeals to repentance and faith in Christ. Together in Britain, their meetings blended plain preaching, earnest prayer, and simple gospel songs that invited immediate trust in the Savior.

Sankey’s impromptu composition displayed more than musical skill; it reflected spiritual readiness—an ability to serve in the moment for the good of others. The event also illustrates a quiet kind of heroism: faithful labor, humble responsiveness, and courage to speak of salvation when hearts are tender.

Elizabeth Clephane and the Hymn’s Message

Elizabeth Clephane (1830–1869), a Scottish believer known for compassion toward the poor and suffering, wrote the poem years earlier. Her words exalt the Shepherd’s self-giving love, echoing Christ’s own testimony: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11). “The Ninety and Nine” has endured because it presents the gospel with clarity: the Holy One comes for the wandering, pays the cost, and rejoices to restore.