Great God, we praise you

Evangelical hymn book, 1929

Great God, we praise you is the opening line of an ecumenical German hymn written in 1771 by Ignaz Franz based on the Te Deum (You, God, we praise) from the 4th century. It is one of the best-known hymns and, like the Te Deum, is often sung in church services on happy occasions or at thanksgiving services, for example at the end of the year.

As one of the few originally Catholic songs, it is also often sung in Protestantism ( EG 331, GL 380, MG 34). In its English-language form (Holy God, we praise thy name) and through the German emigration to North America, it has also become one of the most widespread hymns there.

melody

The well-known melody was first printed in the Catholic hymn book ( Vienna 1776). In the period that followed, different variants developed. The two commonly used today, slightly different versions go on Johann Gottfried Coating General Choralbuch (1819) and Henry Bones hymnbook Cantate (Mainz 1852) back. Every now and then suggested alternative melodies could not prevail.

Melody from Vienna around 1776, Heinrich Bone 1852 (text by Ignaz Franz 1771):

Source: Praise to God no.380

text

Great God, we praise you , first version 1776

The text paraphrases the Latin hymn Te Deum in the liturgy of the Latin Church and was composed by the priest Ignaz Franz (1719–1790). Originally the song had twelve stanzas. In 1778, Franz published a different version, which, however, could not prevail. The current version was created by contracting the original fifth and sixth stanzas.

In 1819, Johann Gottfried Shift also made the song find its way into Protestant song books, but it was hostile to the "spiritual folk song" of the Enlightenment period. It was only approved there in the 20th century, but mostly sharply reduced. The New Apostolic Church adapted the text of the song several times.

It was also used as a song of thanks in military hymns. The military hymn book of the Protestant Church of 1939 added a final stanza that glorified the “ Führer ”. The hymn book of the German Christians from 1941 was named after this song "Großer Gott wir loben dich" and contained a version that had been cleaned of "Jewish elements" and adapted to the National Socialist ideology.

The structure of the song can be divided into three sections: a hymnic section each about God, the Father (verses 1 to 5) and God the Son (verses 6 and 7) and finally the supplications (verses 8 to 11).

Ecumenical version

In the church hymn books in Germany and Austria ( Gotteslob No. 380, Evangelical Hymnbook No. 331, Mennonite Hymnal No. 34, Old Catholic Hymnbook No. 550) is the text version developed by the Working Group for Ecumenical Songs ; here in synopsis the Te Deum in the translation by Romano Guardini :

song lyrics

Te Deum

1. Great God, we praise you; Lord we praise your strength. The earth bends before you and admires your works. As you were before time, you will remain forever. 2. Everything that can praise you, cherubim and seraphine sing a song of praise for you; all the angels who serve you always call out to you without rest "holy, holy, holy". 3. Holy, Lord God of hosts ! Holy, Lord of Heaven! Strong helper in an emergency! Heaven, earth, air, and seas are filled with your glory; everything is yours. 4. The apostles holy choir, the prophets exalted multitudes send up new songs of praise and thanksgiving to your throne ; the martyrs clear crowd praises and you continually. 5. You, God the Father on the throne, great praise, small praise. The holy church sings to your only begotten Son , and it honors the Holy Spirit , who gives us his consolation. 6. You, the Father's eternal Son, accepted humanity, came to us from the high throne of heaven , brought us God's grace, made us free from sin. 7. Through you the gate of heaven is open to all who believe; you introduce us to the father when we childlike hope in you; you will come to judgment when the last day comes. 8. Lord, help your servants who humbly ask you. You bought us free with your blood, you suffered death for us; take us up to you in heaven after the run is done . 9. Look upon your people with grace. Help us, bless, Lord, your inheritance; direct it on the right track so that the enemy does not spoil it. Guide it through this time, receive it in eternity. 10. We want to praise you and your name every day and give you honor, praise and thanks at all times . Save from sin, save from death, have mercy on us, Lord God! 11. Lord, have mercy, have mercy. Let's see your goodness; show your loyalty as we firmly trust in you. We only hope in you: let us not be lost.

You, God, we praise, you, Lord, we praise. The earth pays homage to you, the Eternal Father . The angels call to you all, to you heaven and all powers, the Kerubim to you and the Serafim in a never ending voice: Holy, holy, holy the Lord, the God of multitudes! Heaven and earth are full of your high glory. You are praised by the glorious choir of the apostles; thou the prophet's praiseworthy number the martyrs shining army; The holy church praises you over the earth; you, the father of immeasurable majesty; your true and only son; and the Holy Advocate Spirit. King of glory, Christ. You are the Father's everlasting Son. You have not spurned the virgin's womb, you have become human to free human beings. You have conquered the sting of death and opened the kingdoms of heaven to those who believe . You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of your father. As a judge, we believe you will one day return. We ask you then, come to the aid of your servants, whom you redeem with precious blood. In eternal glory, count us among your saints. Save your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance; and lead them and lift them up forever. Every day we praise you and praise your name forever, yes, in eternity. In grace, Lord, will you keep us without guilt on this day. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Let your mercy be upon us, as we have hoped for you. I have put my hope in you, O Lord. I will not be ashamed forever.

Swiss hymn books

The Swiss hymn books ( hymn book of the Evangelical Reformed Churches in German-speaking Switzerland , No. 247; hymn book of the Roman Catholic Church in German-speaking Switzerland, No. 175; prayer and hymn book of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland , No. 495) also follow this ecumenical version , but have the following deviation in the last stanza:

11. Lord, have mercy, have mercy; come upon us, Lord, your blessings .
show your kindness to all because of the promise.
We hope in you alone: ​​let us not be lost.

In Switzerland , there is also one in the aftermath of the First World War, resulting pacifist new version of Karl von Greyerz that in Reformed (no. 518), and the Old Catholic hymnal each particularly for the federal thanksgiving, Buss and Repentance is provided .

2. Our country with its splendor,
 its mountains, its meadows
 are the witnesses of your power, the
 traces of your fatherly goodness.
 Everything in us worships;
 You did great things to us.

3. Draw us into your realm of love;
 make children of God out of sinners;
 make us equal to you, O Savior:
 helpers, fighters, overcomers,
 true and faithful in the least;
 great God, you set us free.

4. Lord, have mercy, have mercy on
 your blood-stained earth;
 Our soul longs for you to
 say a new “Become!”.
 Send us strength and confidence that
 breaks the yoke of arms.

5. Light your fire in us so
 that our hearts burn believingly
 and, freed from fear and delusion,
 we recognize ourselves as human beings
 who
 reach out the hand of peace over sea and land .

6. Free the spirits from hatred,
 free from the burden and chains of sin;
 breaks Mammon's empire in two;
 you only can save humanity.
 Save us from guilt and need,
 Holy Spirit, merciful God.

Text Zurich disputation 1984

Verse 1: Ignaz Franz 1719–1790, verses 2–6 group of the Zurich Disputation 1984 after Karl von Greyerz, 1870–1949.

1. Great God, we praise you,
Lord, we praise your strength.
The earth bends before you
and admires your works.
As you were before time,
you will remain forever.

2. Lord, have mercy, have mercy,
for man threatens the earth.
Our soul longs for
you to speak a new “becoming”!
Give us strength, understanding and courage,
help keep creation good.

3. Help to protect your world
with the water and the forests,
with countless animals
in the air, in the sea, forest and fields.
Let us follow your trail
for the protection of the creature.

4. Free hearts from fear,
free from compulsions, addictions, chains.
Break the power of greed in two.
You can only save us from it.
You only know the many hardships that
lack work and bread.

5. See children starve here
while people destroy grain.
It is greatest injustice to you
not to hear others cry for help.
Give us strength, give a vision
that the yoke of misery is breaking.

6. Yes, have mercy, have mercy.
Man threatens the earth.
Our soul longs for you to
say a new “Become!”
And to be a world-wide peace.
Free us humans for him.

Translations

Danish translation “O store Gud! vi love dig af hjertens grund evindelig ... “(Te Deum; in Danish versions 1528, 1729 and 1798); Taken over into the Danish church hymn book , Den Danske Salmebog , Copenhagen 1953, No. 9 (edited by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig , 1836), and in Den Danske Salme Bog , Copenhagen 1993, No. 9.

literature

• Ansgar Franz, Andreas Marti: 331 - Great God, we praise you . In: Liederkunde zum Evangelisches Gesangbuch . No. 22 . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-525-50345-4 , p. 42–53 , doi : 10.13109 / 9783666503450.42 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Web links

Wikisource: Great God we praise you  - sources and full texts

Commons : Great God we praise you  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Michael Fischer: Great God we praise you (2007). In: Popular and Traditional Songs. Historical-critical song lexicon of the German Folk Song Archive
• Conclusion of the Papal Mass in Munich (2006) on YouTube

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Catholic hymn book, promoted to print on the highest orders of Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty Marien Theresa. Publishing house of the Catechetical Library, Vienna 1776.
2. ↑ apwiki.de - Great God, we praise you text variants in the New Apostolic Church u. a.
3. ↑ See Michael Fischer, Great God we praise you. (PDF; 2.5 MB) Detailed commentary on the history of songs (February 2006 / July 2007), v. a. P. 13–17 on the Te deum and its German versions under nationalistic and militaristic auspices
4. ↑ Catholic Diocese of Old Catholics in Germany (ed.): In tune. Hymn book of the Catholic Diocese of Old Catholics in Germany . 2nd improved and enlarged edition. Alt-Katholischer Bistumsverlag, Bonn 2015, ISBN 978-3-934610-53-8 .
5. ^ Reformation disputation in Zurich based on the Zurich disputations by Zwingli. Cf. Alexander Völker: Confessing and Living Your Faith Today: The Zurich “Project Confession”. In: Martin Klöckener, Arnaud Join-Lambert (eds.): Etudes liturgiques et oecuméniques sur l'Eucharistie et la vie liturgique en Suisse. Universitätsverlag Freiburg Switzerland, Freiburg Switzerland 2001, ISBN 3-7278-1337-7 , p. 398–423, here: p. 407 ( limited preview in Google book search).
6. ↑ Cf. Otto Holzapfel : Lied index: The older German-language popular song tradition ( online version on the Volksmusikarchiv homepage of the Upper Bavaria district ; in PDF format; ongoing updates) with further information.