Another tail: Even So

What exactly is a tail? The most obvious, most used literal answer is the hindermost of a subject. In animals, the tail is useful for balance, for release of emotion and for swatting. It can be useful in combat, as well as for drawing other objects closer. Some use their tails for locomotion. Manmade objects include tails that act to achieve lift and direction or channel exhaust. There are also tails that simply bring a tidy end to something, like a pony tail or a shirt tail. Therefore a tail is not just the butt-end of something, but is highly useful and in some cases, enables the rest of the object to exist in its current form and manner.

Horatio Spafford’s 1873 hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” was penned following two major traumas in his life. While his wealth was literally reduced to ashes as a result of the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, all four of his daughters died during a ship collision while crossing the Atlantic Ocean on their way to England. Only his wife survived. Shortly afterwards, as Horation himself crossed the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired the words of the hymn. These speak of the eternal hope that all believers in Christ have, no matter what pain and grief they have encountered in this life.

The last stanza of “It is Well With My Soul” is as follows:

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

What a blessed picture of the final day Scripture portrays as the Lord returns!

Recently, after singing this beloved hymn on a Sunday evening, our Pastor noted how uplifting the words are .... that is until the final line: “Even so, it is well with my soul.” He pointed out how the “Even so” should have been “Hallelujah!,” an emphatic joyful praise of praises. “Even so” seems to indicate “ho-hummm,” almost boredom or a defeatist attitude ... a "whatever!"... an "it is what it is" and yet, the scene portrayed is the ultimate Christian Hope unfolded and come to pass with Glory. 

I agreed. To us, in this modern era, the linguistics and etymologies of what common English words once meant and what they mean in our language today vary greatly and as such, those definitions often escape us. “Even so” surely deserved investigation.

The grouping of the words “even so” appear in only two scriptural references: Revelation 1:7 and 22:20. In searching several English Bible translations, I found that some translated the Greek into “even so” while others translate it as a simple affirmative “Yea” or “Yes.” Still others, translate as “so it shall be.” 

The Greek word at question is “nai” (Rev 22:20) or “vai” (Rev 1:7). According to Strong’s Concordance, (3484) is a primary particle of strong affirmation; yes: –even so, surely, truth, verily, yea, yes.

This clears up the problem of word choice in Spafford’s usage of 1873 English. “Even so” was indeed a joyful expression of our Hope to be revealed! It is indeed a well-deserved tail. :D