Reformation
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
- Words:
- Martin Luther, 1529. Translation composite circa 1868 Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Book.
- Music:
- 'Ein Feste Burg (Rhythmic)' Martin Luther, 1529.
- Setting:
- "Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book", 1931.
- Metre:
- 8 7 8 7 5 5 5 6 7
- 1A mighty Fortress is our God,A trusty Shield and Weapon;He helps us free from every needThat hath us now o'ertaken.The old evil FoeNow means deadly woe;Deep guile and great mightAre his dread arms in fight;On Earth is not his equal.
- 2With might of ours can naught be done,Soon were our loss effected;But for us fights the Valiant One,Whom God Himself elected.Ask ye,Who is this?Jesus Christ it is.Of Sabaoth Lord,And there's none other God;He holds the field forever.
- 3Though devils all the world should fill,All eager to devour us.We tremble not, we fear no ill,They shall not overpower us.This world's prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,He can harm us none,He's judged; the deed is done;One little word can fell him.
- 4The Word they still shall let remainNor any thanks have for it;He's by our side upon the plainWith His good gifts and Spirit.And take they our life,Goods, fame, child and wife,Let these all be gone,They yet have nothing won;The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Scripture
Topics
In the hymnals
- The words are in 761 hymnals indexed by Hymnary.org. Their history →
- The tune, Ein Feste Burg (Rhythmic), is in 832 hymnals. The tune →
Words, music and setting are in the public domain. The score is from the Open Hymnal Project (Brian J. Dumont), which places its own work in the public domain. The piano is the FluidR3 General MIDI sound font (MIT licence). How many hymnals print a hymn, and when it was written, is from Hymnary.org.