BWV 101 Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott

Tenth Sunday after Trinity.

Poet unknown.

1. Martin Moller, verse 1 of the hymn (after the Latin "Aufer immensam"), Wittenberg, 1541; 2. based on verse 2; 3. verse 3 with interpolated recitative; 4. based on verse 4; 5. verse 5 with interpolated recitative; 6. based on verse 6; 7. verse 7 of the hymn.

13 August 1724, Leipzig.

BG 23; NBA I/19.



1. Chorus [Verse 1] (S, A, T, B)

Take from us, Lord, thou faithful God,
The punishment and great distress
Which we for sins beyond all count
Have merited through all our days.
Protect from war and times of dearth,
Contagion (1), fire and grievous pain.

2. Aria (T)

Do not deal as thou couldst rightly
With us wicked thralls of error,
Give the sword of foes its rest!
Master, hearken to our crying,
That we not through sinful deeds,
Like Jerusalem, be ruined.

3. Chorale [Verse 3] and Recit. (S)

Ah, Lord God, through thy faithfulness
Will this our land in peace and quiet be.
When us misfortune's weather threats,
Then do we call,
O gracious God, to thee
In such distress:
    Appear with saving strength to us!
Thou canst gainst foe and his destruction
Through thy great might and help defend us.
    Reveal in us thy great store of grace,
    Us punish not amidst our deeds,
Whene'er our feet were wont to stagger,
And in our weakness we should stumble.
    Attend us with thy favor dear,
And grant that we
Strive only after goodness,
And in the life hereafter
Thy wrath and rage far from us stay.

4. Aria (B) with instr. chorale

Wherefore wouldst thou so wrathful be (2)?
The flames of thy great zeal and ardor
Already o'er our heads are falling.
Ah, moderate thy sentence now
And from a father's loving grace
With this our feeble flesh forbear!

5. Chorale [Verse 5] and Recit. (T)

Our sin hath us corrupted much.
So also must the righteous say it
And with their tearful eyes bewail it:
    The devil plagues us still much more.
Yea, this most evil soul,
Who was e'en from the start a murderer (3),
Seeks to deprive us of salvation
And like a lion to devour us(4).
    The world, our very flesh and blood,
    Doth all the time lead us astray.
Here we encounter on this narrow path
So many obstacles against the good.
    Such sorrow know'st thou, Lord, alone:
Help, helper, help us weak ones,
For thou canst make us stronger!
    Ah, let us by thee ordered be!

6. Aria (S, A)

Consider Jesus' bitter death!
Take, Father, these thy Son's great sorrows
And of his wounds the pain to fathom,
    They are in truth for all the world
    The payment and the ransom price (5);
And show me, too, through all my days,
Forgiving God, forgiving ways!
I sigh alway in my distress:
Consider Jesus' bitter death!

7. Chorale [Verse 7] (S, A, T, B)

Lead us with thine own righteous hand
And bless our city and our land,
Give us alway thy holy word,
Protect from Satan's craft and death;
And send a blessed hour of peace,
That we forever be with thee.



1. This hymn was written during a period of plague.

2. This line is verbatim from verse 4.

3. Cf. Jn. 8:44.

4. Cf. 1 Pet.. 5:8.

5. This and the preceding line are verbatim from verse 6 of the hymn.


© Copyright  Z. Philip Ambrose


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