Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

LSB #785 "We Praise You, O God"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Psalm 107:31-32; Psalm 44:1-8; 95:1-7

Psalm 107:31-32:  "31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders."

Psalm 44:1-8:  "1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:  2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

"4 You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob!  5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.  6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.  7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.  8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever."

Psalm 95:1-7:  "1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.  5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

"6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!  7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.  Today, if you hear his voice,"

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The text is public domain:
1 We praise You, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before You, we kneel and adore You;
We bless Your holy name, glad praises we sing.

2 We worship You, God of our fathers, we bless You;
Through trial and tempest our guide You have been.
When perils o'ertake us, You will not forsake us,
And with Your help, O Lord, our struggles we win.

3 With voices united our praises we offer
And gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With You, Lord, beside us, Your strong arm will guide us.
To You, our great Redeemer, forever be praise!
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The passages from the Psalms have similar themes (thanksgiving and praise), but there are some elements in the hymn that can be traced to a specific passage.

The title "Creator" in the first verse alludes to Psalm 95:5 ("The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."), and the kneeling ("we kneel and adore You") comes from Psalm 95:6 ("let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!").  The title "God of our fathers" in the second verse seems to allude to Psalm 44:1 ("O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old."), and the "trial and tempest" and "perils" in the second verse and God's "strong arm" in the third also come from the passage from Psalm 44, especially verses 2-3.  The "voices united" in "songs of thanksgiving" at the beginning of the third verse come from Psalm 95:1-2 ("let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise... with thanksgiving").

The passage from Psalm 107 seems to appear only generally.