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

Friday, June 26, 2026

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"

I've been slowly reading Proverbs in German.  A couple weeks ago, I noticed a familiar phrase in Proverbs 18:10:  "Der Name des HERRN ist eine feste Burg; der Gerechte läuft dorthin und wird beschirmt."  In the ESV, this is:  "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe."

"Eine feste Burg" ("a strong tower") also appears in the German title line of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" - "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott."  The translation of Proverbs I'm reading is by Luther, so there seems to be some connection here, although I don't know which text is older.