Amazing Grace
Joachim Neander, 1650–1680
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829–1878
Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. (Psalm 67:3)
Great expressions of praise to God have come from many different traditions and backgrounds. Throughout the centuries God has used the talents of people from various cultures to provide His church with hymns of praise so His people might be known as people of praise and thanksgiving.
The author of this inspiring hymn text, Joachim Neander, has often been called the greatest of all German-Calvinist Reformed hymn writers. He wrote approximately 60 hymns and composed many tunes. Nearly all of his hymns are triumphant expressions of praise.
This hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103:1–6, which begins, “Bless [praise] the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” The translator of this text, Catherine Winkworth, is regarded as one of the finest translators of the German language. Her translations helped to make German hymns popular in England and America during the 19th century. The tune, “Lobe Den Herren” (“Praise to the Lord”), first appeared in a German hymnal in 1665. It is said that Neander personally chose this tune for his text, and the words have never been used with any other melody.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee, decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee; How oft in grief hath not He brought thee relief, spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen sound from His people again: Gladly for aye we adore Him!
It has been said that “he who sincerely praises God will soon discover within his soul an inclination to praise goodness in his fellow men.” Make this your day’s goal. Sing as you go—
For Today: Psalm 100; 103:1–6; 104; 150; Colossians 1:15–20
Osbeck, K. W.
- Sing ye loud unto the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyfulness. Know ye that even the Lord is God: he hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with praise, and into his courts with rejoicing: praise him and bless his Name. For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting, and his truth is from generation to generation. Psalm 100
- My soul, praise thou the Lord, and all that is within me, praise his holy Name. My soul, praise thou the Lord, and forget not all his benefits. Which forgiveth all thine iniquity, and healeth all thine infirmities. Which redeemeth thy life from the grave; and crowneth thee with mercy and compassions. Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment to all that are oppressed. Psalm 103:1–6
- My soul, praise thou the Lord: O Lord my God, thou art exceeding great, thou art clothed with glory and honor. Which covereth himself with light: as with a garment, and spreadeth the heavens like a curtain. Which layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind. Which maketh the spirits his messengers, and a flaming fire his ministers. He set the earth upon her foundations so that it shall never move. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment: the waters would stand above the mountains. But at thy rebuke they flee: at the voice of thy thunder they haste away. And the mountains ascend, and the valleys descend to the place which thou hast established for them. But thou hast set them a bound which they shall not pass: they shall not return to cover the earth. He sendeth the spring into the valleys, which run between the mountains. They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field, and the wild asses shall quench their thirst. By these springs shall the fowls of the heaven dwell, and sing among the branches. He watereth the mountians from his chambers, and the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works. He causeth grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the use of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth, And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengtheneth man’s heart. The high trees are satisfied, even the cedar of Lebanon, which he hath planted, That the birds may make their nests there: the stork dwelleth in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the goats: the rocks are a refuge for the conies. He appointed the moon for certain seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth. The lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat at God. When the sun riseth, they retire, and couch in their dens. Then goeth man forth to his work, and to his labor until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is the sea great and wide: for therein are things creeping innumerable, both small beasts and great. There go the ships, yea that Leviathan: whom thou hast made to play therein. All these wait upon thee, that thou mayest give them food in due season. Thou givest it to them, and they gather it, thou openest thy hand, and they are filled with good things. But if thou hide thy face, they are troubled: if thou take away their breath, they die and return to their dust: Again if thou send forth thy spirit: they are created, and thou renewest the face of the earth. Glory be to the Lord forever: let the Lord rejoice in his works. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord all my life: I will praise my God, while I live. Let my words be acceptable unto him: I will rejoice in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked till there be no more: O my soul, praise thou the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 104
- Praise ye God in his Sanctuary: praise ye him in the firmament of his power. Praise ye him in his mighty Acts: praise ye him according to his excellent greatness. Praise ye him in the sound of the trumpet: praise ye him upoon the viol and the harp. Praise ye him with timbrel and flute: praise ye him with virginals and organs. Praise ye him with sounding cymbals: praise ye him with high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150
- Who is the image of the invisble God, the first begotten of every creature.. For by him were all things created which are in heaven, and which are in earth, things visible and invisible: whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell. And through peace made by that blood of that his cross, to reconcile to himself through him, through him, I say, all things, both which are in earth, and which are in heaven. Colossians 1:15–20
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