Lyrics for this hymn go back almost three hundred and fifty years. This melody was attached to the words about one hundred and fifty years ago. This is an example of how we remain connected with God’s family across centuries. We are like they were. Prayers said for us centuries ago are still being answered today. We have a great, big wonderful God! Please give it a sing-along listen, then let’s meet the song’s writer — and look closer at what he wrote.

From riotous to righteous

According to the biography on Hymnary.org, our songwriter’s name was Joachim Neander. His grandfather was a musician and his father taught college-level Latin. We pick up the story when Neander was in college. We read that “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.”

The story goes on that during those college days “Neander, with two like-minded comrades, went to [church] one Sunday, in order to criticize and find matter of amusement. But the earnest words of [Pastor] Under-Eyck touched his heart; and this, with his subsequent conversations with Under-Eyck, proved the turning-point of his spiritual life.”

Neander went on to become a German Reformed (Calvinist) Church teacher, theologian and hymn writer. “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (German: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren) is his most famous hymn and has been described by John Julian in his “A Dictionary of Hymnology” as “a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest creation of its author, and of the first rank in its class.” It has appeared in most major hymnals.

Neander died of tuberculosis when he was only thirty. But he made much of his brief thirty years, including that he wrote about 60 hymns and provided tunes for many of them. “He is considered by many to be the first important German hymnist after the Reformation and is regarded as the outstanding hymn writer of the German Reformed Church.”

(For more, see https://hymnary.org/person/Neander_Joachim and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Neander)

What a wonderful change of heart

Paul asks in Romans 2 “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (NLT)

We can see this verse from Romans in action when we look at these lyrics written by our formerly “riotous” songsmith:

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; brothers and sisters, draw near,
Join me in glad adoration!

Apparently that pastor encouraged Neander to draw closer to the Lord. What if the pastor had only been critical and had missed that opportunity? Elsewhere in Romans Paul says, “Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.” (NLT) As troubled as people might be, it is our place as much as possible to help them find life in the Lord, and not to condemn them. Paul himself got help changing. People can change. Better for us to serve as stepping stones than as stumbling blocks.

Old English

The lyrics are not modern English, but can still be easily understood and enjoyed.

With this hymn we sing of the Lord as being
almighty
King of Creation
our health and salvation
our shelter
our gentle sustainer
our defender
good and merciful
loving

With this hymn we affirm that we can
praise the Lord
draw near to the Lord
ponder what the Lord can do
agree with Him
gladly forever adore Him

Look how much good thinking this little hymn brings to our minds in less than three minutes of singing! Would we be wrong to call this song a miracle of German engineering? What a compact but powerful, pleasant tool to help us sing praise to the Lord, the Almighty.

God bless you lots!
-Dale R.

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LYRICS: Praise To The Lord
Text: Author: Joachim Neander (1680)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Tune: (Lobe Den Herren) W. Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875)

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; brothers and sisters, draw near,
Join me in glad adoration!

2. Praise to the Lord, Who o’er all things is wondrously reigning,
Sheltering you under His wings, oh, 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
As 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!

Let’s stay in touch

Each time I post a new song and lesson here I send a brief, cheerful note to friends of this song site. The note gives a quick description of the song and lesson along with a link to the new song’s page. It is super-easy for you to get a note from me, too. Just click the green “Song of the Week” button below and you are almost there.

To sweeten the deal, you will also get instant access to the “Music Box” where I put all the free resources and downloads that go along with these song pages. Check it out now! Good stuff. (Side note — I still post announcements on social media, too, even though I have learned it is terribly unreliable at getting the message out and keeping us connected. Email gets that job done where social media fails. We do well to connect this way, and avoid getting throttled by social media.)

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