Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

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Praise to the Lord! the Almighty, the King of creation!

Author: Joachim Neander (1680); Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Tune: LOBE DEN HERREN
Opening Hymns
Published in 381 hymnals

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	Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

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	Then Sings My Soul (Hymns of Faith and P…

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	Concertato on Praise to the Lord, the Al…

Representative Text

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.

Worship and Rejoice, 2003

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Author: Joachim Neander

Neander, Joachim, was born at Bremen, in 1650, as the eldest child of the marriage of Johann Joachim Neander and Catharina Knipping, which took place on Sept. 18, 1649, the father being then master of the Third Form in the Paedagogium at Bremen. The family name was originally Neumann (Newman) or Niemann, but the grandfather of the poet had assumed the Greek form of the name, i.e. Neander. After passing through the Paedagogium he entered himself as a student at the Gymnasium illustre (Academic Gymnasium) of Bremen in Oct. 1666. German student life in the 17th century was anything but refined, and Neander seems to have been as riotous and as fond of questionable pleasures as most of his fellows. In July 1670, Theodore Under-Eyck came to Breme… Go to person page >

Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >

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Related Texts

First Line:	Praise to the Lord! the Almighty, the King of creation!
Title:	Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
German Title:	Lobe den Herren den mächtigen König
Author:	Joachim Neander (1680)
Translator:	Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Meter:	14.14.4.7.8
Place of Origin:	Germany
Language:	English
Notes:	French translation: "Loué soit Dieu le Seigneur, le puissant Roi de glorie" by J. M. Nicole; Spanish translation: "Alma bendice al Señor, Rey potente de gloria" by Federico Fliedner
Copyright:	Public Domain
Liturgical Use:	Opening Hymns

English

10 shown out of 252

French

German

Notes

Scripture References:
st.1 = Ps. 103:1
st.2 = Ps. 17:8
st.3 = Ps. 23:6
st.4 = Ps. 106:48, Ps. 150:6

Loosely based on Psalm 103:1-6 and Psalm 150, with echoes from other psalms, this is a strong hymn of praise to our covenant God, who heals, provides for, and defends us. Let "all that has life and breath" sing praise to the Lord! According to the American hymnologist and composer Austin Lovelace, the exuberance of the text is matched by its "galloping dactylic rhythm."

Joachim Neander (PHH 244) wrote this German chorale of five stanzas and published it in his Glaub und Liebesubung (1680). Stanzas 1 through 3 in the Psalter Hymnal are a translation by Catherine Winkworth (PHH 194) of the original stanzas 1, 2, and 4; these are taken from her Chorale Book for England (1863). Stanza 4 in the Psalter Hymnal is an anonymous translation. Various modern-language alterations from other hymnals and editors are included in the text published in the Psalter Hymnal.

Liturgical Use:
Many occasions in Christian worship, for praise to God is our “duty and delight” in all circumstances of life.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Tune

LOBE DEN HERREN

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For Leaders

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Worship Notes
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The last psalm in the Bible, Psalm 150, ends with this invitation: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” German composer Joachim Neander gave us words to do just that when he wrote his most well-known hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.” Hymnologist John Julian declares this to be “a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest production of its author, and of the first rank in its class” (Dictionary of Hymnology). And indeed, this is a hymn that has stood the test of time (over 300 years) to remain one of the most beloved praise hymns in the Church. As we sing these words, we join with the voices, in many languages, of millions who have gone before us, and those across the globe, to sing these great words of thanksgiving and honor to the God who created us, protects us, and befriends us.

Text:

The text of this great hymn of praise is loosely based on Psalm 103: 1-6 and Psalm 150, but it pulls on imagery of praise from throughout the psalms. First written in five stanzas in German and published in 1680 by Joachim Neander, the first three verses of the original text were translated in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth. The fourth and fifth verses were translated anonymously. Modern hymnals contain anywhere from 3-5 verses, usually choosing to omit the original 3rd stanza: “Praise to the Lord, who has fearfully, wondrously, made you.”

Each stanza addresses a different aspect of the nature of God: creator, sovereign, defender and befriender, refuge, and protector.

Tune:

The tune LOBE DEN HERREN was first published in the Ander Theil des Emeurten Gesangbunch, Part II (1665). Neander altered the tune in 1680 to fit his text, and this is the tune associated with his text ever since. A widely used descant was composed by Craig S. Lang.

A tune much loved by many, Bach used it as the foundation of his cantata 137, where it is especially dominant in the trumpet and choir towards the end.

Many worship artists have arranged and recorded their own adaptations of the hymn. Watch for the different syncopations and rhythms in all these different versions - the length that you hold the last word in each line varies significantly. Here are a few examples of these arrangements:

Travis Cottrell adds a simple refrain to the original text that simply repeats the phrase, "Praise the Lord," helping us lift our voices in simple praise. The key changes also add more power to the hymn as a whole.
Greg Scheer also adds his own chorus (based on Psalm 103:1), the lead sheet of which can be found on his website.

When/Why/How:

This is one of the most familiar hymns of praise, and is a wonderful way to begin a worship service or time of praise throughout the year. When singing with a congregation, this becomes a communal song of praise, but it is also possible to incorporate a time of personal praise. Certain traditions in the church around the globe practice singing in the spirit or singing spontaneously: singing a tune that you haven’t borrowed from anyone, and words that you have come up with on the spot. This time of spontaneous singing can be framed by a familiar tune and text, such as “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.” Especially when using the Cottrell refrain, while the band keeps playing through the chorus, invite the congregation to sing their own words of praise to God, using any words, and any tune. This might be something very new to your congregation, and if so, don’t be surprised when you can’t hear anyone the first few times. But lead confidently with your vocalists and don’t do it for too long the first couple times; if you continue this practice, over time people will begin to feel more comfortable, and it can be a powerful and moving way of joining our individual songs with those that we sing as one people.

Here are some good resources for organ and piano:

Hobby, Robert. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty. (SATB with organ, timpani and congregation)
Burkhardt, Michael. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty. (Congregation, Brass Quartet, Timpani, Organ)
Callahan, Charles. Partita on Lobe den Herren
Rejoice! (Inspiring Music of Praise)
Behnke, John. The Creative Organist II
Hopson, Hal H. The Creative Use of the Piano in Worship.
Postludes of Praise for Piano.

Other Congregation and Choral arrangements:

McDonald, Mary. All Ye Who Hear (A Hymn Concerto on "Praise to the Lord, the Almigty")
Raney, Joel. Praise to the Lord,the Almighty
Hopson, Hal. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Laura de Jong,
Hymnary.org

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Timeline

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Arrangements

Store

Piano/Organ Then Sings My Soul (Hymns of Faith and Praise for the Piano) Worship the King - Selections from King of Instruments Praise to the Lord, the Almighty More Piano/Organ...
Choral Concertato on Praise to the Lord, the Almighty PRAISE TO THE LORD Raise the Praise for about 10 Singers More Choral...
Instrumental Praise...With Stringed Instruments Oboe Solos for Worship (Arranged with Keyboard Accompaniment) Oboe Solos for Worship (Arranged with Keyboard Accompaniment) More Instrumental...
Handbells PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY Songs of Praise Now Let Us Ring (Creative Medleys of Praise and Worship Songs Blended with Traditional Hymn Tunes) Songs of Praise Now Let Us Ring (Creative Medleys of Praise and Worship Songs Blended with Traditional Hymn Tunes) More Handbells...
PowerPoint PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY (Praise! Our Songs and Hymns 3) PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY (Trinity Hymnal 53) PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY (Renew 57) More PowerPoint...