Groß ist der Herr und hochgepreist

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Groß ist der Herr und hochgepreist” (Cornelius Becker, d. 1604), based on Psalm XLVIII, Magnus Dominus, with melody assignment “Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz.” It shows some peculiarities of Luther’s rendering of the psalm: v. 3 “The mount of Zion is as a fair branch wherein the whole land is comforted, in the side to midnight lieth the city of the great King.” v. 10: “O God, we wait upon Thy grace in Thy temple.” v. 14f. “Apply care to her bulwarks, and raise up her palaces, that it may be told to those following that this God is our God forever and ever; He guideth us as the youth.” On this last point the gloss reads: “That is, graciously and gently through the Word of grace, as a father and mother bring up a child, not as a hangman or executioner drive and kill through law and constraint.” Vierling (Biblia, 743) writes,

It is a psalm of thanksgiving quite similar to the fourth-sixth psalm, for it also praises God for the city of Jerusalem, protected and defended by God from kings and princes, which are forced to depart in shame, and leave the temple, the divine service, and His Word (or “judgments”) intact. Hereby He has kept His promise (as v. 8 sings) namely, that He would be her God, according to the First Commandment, as we have heard it, it says in v. 9, and believed it, so we see and experience it in the city in truth, etc. We sing also sing to Him in behalf of Christianity and the Gospel, to uphold them against the raging of kings and princes, who also must finally depart in shame, and leave the Word intact.

 

GREAT is the Lord and greatly praised
Within the city God hath raised,
Upon His holy hill,
Mount Zion, beautiful doth stand,
A branch to comfort all the land.

2 Thy Zion crowns the northern side,
With situation fair supplied,
The great King’s city, she.
God for refuge strong alone
Within her palaces is known.

3 Though kings assembled oft before,
And sought on her to make their war,
Their plans all came to naught,
They marveled and in great dismay
Were soon obliged to haste away.

4 There horse and man were struck amain,
Upon them fear took hold, and pain
Like women in travail.
The foes by water and by land
Were scattered by God’s mighty hand.

5 These things we from our fathers heard,
And our own eyes confirm their word,
Within God’s gathered church!
No foe shall over her prevail,
For God upholds her without fail.
    
6 We wait, O God, upon Thy grace
And worship in Thy holy place:
Thou art the mighty God,
The earth from end to end doth bless
Thy glory and Thy righteousness.

7 In God Mount Zion’s joy is had,
In Him are Judah’s daughters glad,
For He in every place
Works wonders by His judgments deep
And doth His church in safety keep.

8 On Zion set a wary watch
Lest foes her walls or towers touch,
Build up her palaces,
With all due care support her ways,
And thus our God adore and praise.

9 So of the Lord good tidings bring
To generations following.
Then shall men ever say:
God is our God fore’er in truth,
And guides us like a goodly youth!

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Groß iſt der HErr und hoch gepreiſt,
In der Stadt, die Gotts eigen heiſt,
Auf ſeinem heilgen Berg
Wie ein ſchön Zweiglein iſt Zion,
Daß ganze Land hat Troſt darvon.

2  Dein Berg Zion liegt an der Seit,
Gegen Mitternacht gar ſchön bereit
Des groſſen Königs Stadt,
GOtt unſer Schutz und Trutz genand,
In ihrn Palaſten iſt bekand.

3  Obgleich König mit ihrer Macht
Sie zu bekriegen habn gedacht,
Iſt doch nichts worden draus,
Sind abgezogn mit ihrem Heer,
Und haben ſich entſetzet ſehr.

4  Sie ſind geſtürzt beyd Roß und Mann,
Angſt, Noth und Zittern ſties ſie an,
Gleich einr Gebärerin,
All Feind zu Waſſer und zu Land
Zerſtreuet Gottes ſtarcke Hand.

5  Diß rühmten unſer Väter ſehr,
Und wir erfahren's noch viel mehr
An Gottes Kirch und Gmein,
Daß ſie kein Feind beweltigt nicht,
Denn Gott erhelt ſie ewiglich.
    
6  Auff ſolch dein Güt HErr warten wir,
Und beten darauff an für dir,
Du biſt der ſtarcke Gott,
All Welt rühmt deine Herrlichkeit,
Und deiner Händ Gerechtigkeit.

7  Der Berg Zion wird ſich des frewn,
Die Tochter Juda fröhlich ſeyn,
Daß Gott an allem Ort
Durch ſeine Rechte Wunder thut
Und helt ſein Kirch in ſteter Hut.

8  Beſtellt auff Zion gute Wach,
Ihr Thürm und Mawern nemt in acht,
Erhöht ihre Palaſt,
Und fördert ſie mit allem Fleis,
Thuts unſerm Gott zu Ruhm und Preis.

9  Darmit auch werd in künfftger Zeit
Des HErren Lob weit ausgebreit,
Und man von ihm ſtets ſag:
Der HErr iſt ewig unſer Gott,
Der führt uns wie die Jugend gut.