"Jesus, Jesus, nichts als Jesus" (TLH #348)

"Now Rest beneath Night's Shadow"

Last year, I noticed a couple small features in "Now Rest beneath Night's Shadow," sung to the tune "O Welt, ich muss dich lassen."  Here's the second musical phrase, which is also repeated as the fifth musical phrase:

In the fourth verse, the text sung to the second phrase is "Now spread Your wings above me," and the text sung to the fifth phrase is "Let angel guards sing o'er me."  In both of these, the musical pitches mirror the positions:  "wings" and "guards" (both sung to Gs) are above "me" (sung to an E both times).

LSB #727 "On Eagles' Wings"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 91:1-12; 103:5

Psalm 91:1-12:  "1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  2 I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'  3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

"7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

"9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place - the Most High, who is my refuge - 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.  11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

"14 'Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.  15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"

Psalm 103:5:  "who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"

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The hymn's verses paraphrase Psalm 91.  The first verse is from Psalm 91:1-2; the second from 3-4; the third from 5-7 (and possibly also verse 10); and the fourth from 11-12.

Psalm 103:5 seems to appear in the refrain, although Isaiah 40:31 is also similar:  "but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."  The line "Make you to shine like the sun" in the refrain seems to refer to part of Matthew 13:43:  "'Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.'"

"Jesu, meine Freude" (TLH #347)

Transposed from C minor to D minor

"Rex gloriae"

A couple months ago, I was looking through some of the hymn tunes that I'd transposed to different keys, and I had a realization about "Rex gloriae."  The title seems to come from Psalm 24:7-10:

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!  And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  8 Who is the King of glory?  The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!  9 Lift up your heads, O gates!  And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  10 Who is this King of glory?  The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!

In the Latin Vulgate, these verses are:

7 levate portae capita vestra et elevamini ianuae sempiternae et ingrediatur rex gloriae 8 quis est iste rex gloriae Dominus fortis et potens Dominus fortis in proelio 9 levate portae capita vestra et erigite ianuae sempiternae et ingrediatur rex gloriae 10 quis est iste rex gloriae Dominus exercituum ipse est rex gloriae

The phrase "King of glory" ("rex gloriae") occurs multiple times in this passage.

LSB #726 "Evening and Morning"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 145, Psalm 33, Psalm 40:5, 1 Peter 5:7

Psalm 145:  "1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.  2 every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.  3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

"4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your might acts.  5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.  6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.  7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

"8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

"10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!  11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.  13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.  The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.

"[The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]  14 The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.  15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.  16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.  17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.  18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.  20 The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

"21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."

Psalm 33:  "1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!  Praise befits the upright.  2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!  3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

"4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.  5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

"6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.  7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

"8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!  9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

"10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.  11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.  12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

"13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.  16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.  17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

"18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

"20 Our soul waits for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.  21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.  22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you."

Psalm 40:5:  "You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!  I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told."

1 Peter 5:7:  "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

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Only the first two stanzas are public domain:

1 Evening and morning,

Sunset and dawning,

Wealth, peace, and gladness,

Comfort in sadness:

These are Thy works; all the glory be Thine!

Times without number,

Awake or in slumber,

Thine eye observes us,

From danger preserves us,

Causing Thy mercy upon us to shine.

2 Father, O hear me,

Pardon and spare me;

Calm all my terrors,

Blot out my errors

That by Thine eyes they may no more be scanned.

Order my goings,

Direct all my doings;

As it may please Thee,

Retain or release me;

All I commit to Thy fatherly hand.

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The passages from the Psalms seem to inform the hymn only generally.  Like sections of the cited Psalm passages, the hymn's first verse lists some of "Thy works," and the first and fourth verses give "all the glory" and "all praise" to God.

1 Peter 5:7 appears at the end of the second verse:  "All I commit to Thy fatherly hand."

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The line "Blot out my errors" in the second verse uses the same sort of language as parts of Psalm 51 ("blot out my transgressions" in verse 1 and "blot out all my iniquities" in verse 9), and the line "When in His mansions God grants me a place" at the end of the third verse refers to John 14:2-3:  "2 'In my Father's house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.'"

"Federal Street" (TLH #346)

"Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing"

A couple months ago, I was flipping through the hymnal, and I happened to notice a small feature in "Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing."  It's sung to the tune "Gelobt sei Gott."  Here's the third musical phrase:

In the first verse, the text here is "To all the world glad news we bring," and in the second verse, the text is "Let all the world rejoice and say."  In both, the words "all the world" are all sung to different pitches (E A G), providing a sense of the breadth or entirety of that "all."

LSB #725 "Children of the Heavenly Father"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 8:14-17, 35-39; Matthew 6:26-27; Ephesians 5:25-27

Romans 8:14-17:  "14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba!  Father!'  16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Romans 8:35-39:  "35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  36 As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Matthew 6:26-27:  "26 'Look at the birds of the air:  they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?'"

Ephesians 5:25-27:  "25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

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The first passage from Romans 8 (verses 14-17) is the main source for the hymn and is referred to throughout.

The passage from Matthew 6 is cited apparently for the bird imagery at the end of the hymn's first verse ("Nestling bird nor star in heaven / Such a refuge e'er was given"), but these lines in the hymn also resemble part of Luke 13:34 ("... 'How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings...'") and Psalm 91:4 ("He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.").  Descriptions of God's protection continue in the hymn's second verse.

The second passage from Romans 8 (verses 35-39) appears at the beginning of the hymn's third verse ("Neither life nor death shall ever / From the Lord His children sever"), and the passage from Ephesians 5 is referred to at the end of the fourth verse, which says that God's "loving purpose" is "To preserve them pure and holy."

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The beginning of the fourth verse ("Though He giveth or He taketh") is patterned on part of Job 1:21:  "And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.  The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'"

"Martyn" (TLH #345)

"Christ Is Arisen"

Lutheran Worship and The Lutheran Service Book have different translations of "Christ Is Arisen" (LW #124 is by F. Samuel Janzow, and LSB #459 is by Martin L. Seltz).  While referencing the hymn last year, I noticed a small feature specific to the Lutheran Worship version.

The hymn is sung to the tune "Christ ist erstanden."  Here's the third musical phrase:

In the Lutheran Worship version, the text here is "So let our song exulting rise," and the "ris[ing]" corresponds to the melody's ascent at the end.  In The Lutheran Service Book version, the text is "So let our joy rise full and free," and since "rise" comes earlier in the line, this effect is lacking.

LSB #724 "If God Himself Be for Me"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Romans 8:31-39, Isaiah 50:7-9, Psalm 118:6, 1 Peter 1:3-9

Romans 8:31-39:  "31 What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?  It is God who justifies.  34 Who is to condemn?  Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  36 As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Isaiah 50:7-9:  "7 But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.  8 He who vindicates me is near.  Who will contend with me?  Let us stand up together.  Who is my adversary?  Let him come near to me.  9 Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty?  Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up."

Psalm 118:6:  "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"

1 Peter 1:3-9:  "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  8 Though you have not seen him, you love him.  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

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The text is public domain:

1 If God Himself be for me,

I may a host defy;

For when I pray, before me

My foes, confounded, fly.

If Christ, my head and master,

Befriend me from above,

What foe or what disaster

Can drive me from His love?

2 I build on this foundation,

That Jesus and his blood

Alone are my salvation,

My true, eternal good.

Without Him all that pleases

Is valueless on earth;

The gifts I have from Jesus

Alone have priceless worth.

3 Christ Jesus is my splendor,

My sun, my light, alone;

Were He not my defender

Before God's judgement throne,

I never should find favor

And mercy in His sight,

But be destroyed forever

As darkness by the light.

4 He canceled my offenses,

Delivered me from death;

He is the Lord who cleanses

My soul from sin through faith.

In Him I can be cheerful,

Courageous on my way;

In Him I am not fearful

Of God's great Judgement Day.

5 For no one can condemn me

Or set my hope aside;

Now hell no more can claim me:

Its fury I deride.

No sentence now reproves me,

No guilt destroys my peace;

For Christ, my Savior, loves me

And shields me with His grace.

6 Who clings with resolution

To Him whom Satan hates

Must look for persecution;

For him the burden waits

Of mock'ry, shame, and losses

Heaped on his blameless head;

A thousand plagues and crosses

Will be his daily bread.

7 From me this is not hidden,

Yet I am not afraid;

I leave my cares, as bidden,

To whom my vows were paid.

Though life from me be taken

And ev'rything I own,

I trust in You unshaken

And cleave to You alone.

8 No danger, thirst, or hunger,

No pain or poverty,

No earthly tyrant's anger

Shall ever vanquish me.

Though earth should break asunder,

My fortress You shall be;

No fire or sword or thunder

Shall sever You from me.

9 No angel and no gladness,

No throne, no pomp, no show,

No love, no hate, no sadness,

No pain, no depth of woe,

No scheming, no contrivance,

No subtle thing or great

Shall draw me from Your guidance

Nor from You separate.

10 My heart with joy is springing;

I am no longer sad.

My soul is filled with singing;

Your sunshine makes me glad.

The sun that cheers my spirit

Is Jesus Christ, my King;

The heav'n I shall inherit

Makes me rejoice and sing.

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Romans 8:31-39, Isaiah 50:7-9, and Psalm 118:6 all seem to be combined in the first verse, especially in the first two lines:  "If God Himself be for me, / I may a host defy."  The passage from Romans 8 seems to be the main source for the hymn, though; the intercession mentioned in verse 34 appears in the third verse ("Were He not my defender / Before God's judgement throne..."), and verses 35 and 38-39 are paraphrased and expanded upon in the hymn's eighth and ninth verses, respectively.

The passage from 1 Peter 1, especially verse 4, appears primarily in the hymn's second verse, although the following verses build upon it.  The "various trials" in 1 Peter 1:6 are rendered in the hymn's sixth verse as "mock'ry, shame, and losses" and "a thousand plagues and crosses," and the "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" in 1 Peter 1:4 shows up again in the last lines of the hymn:  "The heav'n I shall inherit / Makes me rejoice and sing."