If God Had Not Been on Our Side

"If God Had Not Been on Our Side"

by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546

Text From:

THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL

(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942), pp. 197-198

If God Had Not Been on Our Side

1. If God had not been on our side

And had not come to aid us,

The foes with all their power and pride

Would surely have dismayed us;

For we, His flock, would have to fear

The threat of men both far and near

Who rise in might against us.

2. Their furious wrath, did God permit,

Would surely have consumed us

And as a deep and yawning pit

With life and limb entombed us.

Like men o'er whom dark waters roll

Their wrath would have engulfed our soul

And, like a flood, o'erwhelmed us.

3. Blest be the Lord, who foiledtheir threat

That they could not devour us;

Our souls, like birds, escaped their net,

They could not overpower us.

The snare is boken--we are free!

Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee,

Who madest earth and heaven.

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Notes:

267 from the Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal

Text: Ps. 124

Author: Martin Luther, 1524

Translated by: composite

Titled: War' Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit

Tune: War' Gott nicht mit uns

1st Published in: "Gesangbuch"

Town: Wittenberg, 1537