LSB #752 "Be Still, My Soul"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 42:4-11; 46:10; John 11:1-44; Revelation 7:13-17

Psalm 42:4-11:  "4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:  how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

"5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God.

"My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.  7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.  8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.  9 I say to God, my rock:  'Why have you forgotten me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'  10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?'

"11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

Psalm 46:10:  "'Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!'"

John 11:1-44:  "1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.  3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.' 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'

"5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.  7 Then after this he said to the disciples, 'Let us go to Judea again.'  8 The disciples said to him, 'Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?'  9 Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.'  11 After saying these things, he said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.'  12 The disciples said to him, 'Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.'  13 Now Jesus has spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.  14 Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.  But let us go to him.'  16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'

"17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.  20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.  21 Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.'  23 Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.'  24 Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.'  25 Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?'  27 She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'

"28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, 'The Teacher is here and is calling for you.'  29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.  30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.  31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.  32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'  33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.  34 And he said, 'Where have you laid him?'  They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.'  35 Jesus wept.  36 So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!'  37 But some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?'

"38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  39 Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.'  Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.'  40 Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?'  41 So they took away the stone.  And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.'  43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'  44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'"

Revelation 7:13-17:  "13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?'  14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"15 'Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

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The text is public domain:

1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to your God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change His faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; your best, your heav'nly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart

And all is darkened in this vale of tears;

Then you will better know His love, his heart,

Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.

Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay

From His own fullness all He takes away.

4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

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The two passages from the Psalms appear twice in each verse; "Be still" is from Psalm 46:10, and the addresses to "my soul" are patterned on the passage from Psalm 42.  In a way, Psalm 42 is the main source for the hymn, but only in the general sense that the hymn is also someone addressing his own soul.

The long passage from John seems to be merely referred to in the third verse ("though dearest friends depart...").  Similarly, the passage from Revelation is just alluded to in the last lines of the fourth verse:  "when change and tears are past, / All safe and blessed we shall meet at last."

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The lines "the waves and winds still know / His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below" in the second verse refer to Jesus's calming the storm in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25.

The line "When we shall be forever with the Lord" in the fourth verse may come from part of 1 Thessalonians 4:17:  "we will always be with the Lord."

"Ich dank' dir, lieber Herre" (TLH #372)

I played the Amen cadence an octave higher in the tenor part because I didn't want to have to put my guitar in drop D tuning for just one note.

"I Know My Faith Is Founded"

Last month, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 19th.  The hymn was "I Know My Faith Is Founded," and I noticed a small feature in it.  It's sung to the tune "Nun lob, mein' Seel'."  About halfway through the tune, there are these musical phrases:

In the first verse, the text here is "Our reason cannot fathom / The truth of God profound."  "Profound" is sung to the lowest pitch in this phrase (D, which is also the lowest pitch in the entire tune), so there's a connection with the word's literal meaning.

LSB #751 "O God of Love, O King of Peace"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 46:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Isaiah 43:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Psalm 46:9:  "He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire."

2 Thessalonians 3:16:  "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.  The Lord be with you all."

Isaiah 43:25:  "'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.'"

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:  "23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

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The text is public domain:

1 O God of love, O King of peace,

Make wars throughout the world to cease;

The rage of nations now restrain:

Give peace, O God, give peace again!

2 Remember, Lord, Thy works of old,

The wonders that Thy people told;

Remember not our sins' dark stain:

Give peace, O God, give peace again!

3 Whom shall we trust but Thee, O Lord?

Where rest but on Thy faithful Word?

None ever called on Thee in vain:

Give peace, O God, give peace again!

4 Where saints and angels dwell above,

All hearts are knit in holy love;

O bind us in that heav'nly chain:

Give peace, O God, give peace again!

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Psalm 46:9 appears in the line "Make wars throughout the world to cease" in the first verse.

The titles "Lord of peace" and "God of peace" from the two passages from Thessalonians seem to be combined in the first line of the hymn:  "O God of love, O King of peace."  Individually, 2 Thessalonians 3:16 appears in the line "Give peace, O God, give peace again!" at the end of each verse, and 1 Thessalonians 5:24 appears (in a sort of inverted way) in the line "None ever called on Thee in vain" in the third verse.

There's some similarity between Isaiah 43:25 and the hymn's second verse, but the actual source seems to be Psalm 25:6-7:  "6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.  7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!"

"St. Crispin" (TLH #371)

Transposed from E major to F major

"When in the Hour of Deepest Need"

I've written about small musical features in "When in the Hour of Deepest Need" twice before, but when it was part of the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service on 9 September last month, I found a few more.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "And all our woes before You lay."  The phrase "all our woes" is sung to notes of all different pitches (Bb A G), giving something of a sense of the entirety of "all."

The same sort of feature is present in the line "Free us at last from ev'ry ill" at the end of the fifth verse, sung to this phrase:

Here, the phrase "ev'ry ill" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A G F), providing a sense of breadth.  Because the note values in this phrase are longer than the preceding ones (two half notes and a whole note rather than just quarter notes), there's even an added bit of emphasis.

The sixth verse begins with the line "So we with all our hearts each day," sung to this phrase:

"Hearts" is sung with a melisma (Bb A), giving a sense of the entirety of "all."

LSB #750 "If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 55:22, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 9:22

Psalm 55:22:  "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."

Proverbs 3:5-6:  "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Isaiah 41:10:  "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Matthew 9:22:  "Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, 'Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.'  And instantly the woman was made well."

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The text is public domain:

1 If thou but trust in God to guide thee

And hope in Him through all thy ways,

He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,

And bear thee through the evil days.

Who trusts in God's unchanging love

Builds on the rock that naught can move.

2 What can these anxious cares avail thee,

These never-ceasing moans and sighs?

What can it help if thou bewail thee

O'er each dark moment as it flies?

Our cross and trials do but press

The heavier for our bitterness.

3 Be patient and await His leisure

In cheerful hope, with heart content

To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure

And His discerning love hath sent,

Nor doubt our inmost wants are known

To Him who chose us for His own.

4 God knows full well when times of gladness

Shall be the needful thing for thee.

When He has tried thy soul with sadness

And from all guile has found thee free,

He comes to thee all unaware

And makes thee own His loving care.

5 Nor think amid the fiery trial

That God hath cast thee off unheard,

That he whose hopes meet no denial

Must surely be of God preferred.

Time passes and much change doth bring

And sets a bound to ev'rything.

6 All are alike before the Highest;

'Tis easy for our God, we know,

To raise thee up, though low thou liest,

To make the rich man poor and low.

True wonders still by Him are wrought

Who setteth up and brings to naught.

7 Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,

Perform thy duties faithfully,

And trust His Word; though undeserving,

Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.

God never yet forsook in need

The soul that trusted Him indeed.

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Psalm 55:22 and Isaiah 41:10 appear in the lines "He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee, / And bear thee through the evil days" in the first verse.  Psalm 55:22 (specifically "he will never permit the righteous to be moved") could also be cited for the lines "Who trusts in God's unchanging love / Builds on the rock that naught can move," although the imagery there seems to be taken from Matthew 7:24-25.

Proverbs 3:5-6 appears in the first verse, in the lines "If thou but trust in God to guide thee / And hope in Him through all thy ways," and it's also the foundation for the entire hymn.

Matthew 9:22 seems to be the basis for the seventh verse.

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The line "What can these anxious cares avail thee" at the beginning of the second verse is similar to Jesus' rhetorical question "'And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?'" in Matthew 6:27 and Luke 12:25.

"Magdalen" (TLH #370)

I had to put my guitar and bass in drop D tuning to accommodate notes out of the standard tuning range.  Had I seen these sooner, I would have just transposed the tune.

"Stars of the Morning, So Gloriously Bright"

A couple years ago, I found some features in "Stars of the Morning, So Gloriously Bright."  I had to wait a while until it was seasonally appropriate to write about, though; the hymn is for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, which is 29 September.

The hymn is sung to the tune "O quanta qualia."  Here's the second musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "Lord God of Sabaoth, nearest Your throne," continuing the sense from the previous line:  "These are Your ministers, these are Your own" ("Lord God of Sabaoth" is a vocative).  "Nearest" is sung with a melisma (A G A), giving a sense of the superlative nature of the adjective (more notes for a higher degree).

The third musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text here is "Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour."  "Pour" is sung with a descending melisma (A G), giving something of a sense of its meaning, although it's used metaphorically.

The fourth musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "Praise the Thrice Holy One, serving but Him."  "Holy" is sung to three notes (A G G), matching the modifying adverb "Thrice."

In the third verse, the text is "Then all the sons of God shouted for joy" (from Job 38:7).  "Sons" is sung with a melisma (A G), providing a sense of the entirety of "all," and "joy" is sung with a melisma (G F), giving a sense of ebullience.

LSB #749 "There Is a Balm in Gilead"

Biblical citation in the hymnal:  Jeremiah 8:18-9:2

Jeremiah 8:18-9:2:  "18 My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me.  19 Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from the length and breadth of the land:  'Is the LORD not in Zion?  Is her King not in her?'  'Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with their foreign idols?'  20 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'  21 For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me.

"22 Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?  Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

"9:1 Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!  2 Oh that I had in the desert a travelers' lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them!  For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men."

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The text is public domain:

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul.

1 Sometimes I feel discouraged

And think my work's in vain,

But then the Holy Spirit

Revives my soul again.

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul.

2 If you cannot preach like Peter,

If you cannot pray like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus

And say He died for all.

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul.

3 Don't ever feel discouraged,

For Jesus is your friend;

And if you lack for knowledge,

He'll ne'er refuse to lend.

There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul.

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The text from Jeremiah seems to appear only in the refrains.  The line "There is a balm in Gilead" comes from verse 22; "the wounded" in the second line refers to verse 21; and the phrase "the sin-sick soul" in the last line seems to come from "my heart is sick within me" in verse 18.

"Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten" (TLH #369)

"O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace"

A couple weeks ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from the 5th.  The hymn was "O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace," and I noticed a small feature in it.  It's sung to the tune "Es ist gewisslich."  Here's the fifth musical phrase:

In the second verse, the text here is "O make us die to ev'ry sin."  The phrase "ev'ry sin" is sung to notes of all different pitches (G E D), giving a sense of the breadth of "ev'ry."