Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition:PRAISE, v.t. [L. tollo, extollo; pretium.]
1. To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of personal worth or actions.
As the Purdue Varsity Glee Club performs, I hope you enjoy the rousing blending of all male voices. I am particularly fond of hearing men sing alone. I went for years to piano lessons where the seminarians would gather for worship in song in the vaulted chapel adjoining us. It brings back sweet memories.
The original hymn was written by Joachim Neander in 1680, and it was translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth in 1863. The video I have presented here has different words than I learned as a girl. Even though praiseworthy, I prefer the ones printed below.
Lyrics:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
The King of creation
O my soul, praise Him
For He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration
Praise to the Lord
Who o'er all things so wonderfully reigneth
Shelters thee under His wings
Yea, so gladly sustaineth
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth
Praise to the Lord
Who doth prosper they work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath
Come now with praises before Him
Let the 'amen' sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him
"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord." Psalms 150:1-6
Greetings from Wordwise hymns. I enjoy the Purdue/Crystal Cathedral rendition of this great hymn. And thanks for posting the lyrics--though I noticed you missed a few stanzas. Here they are:
ReplyDelete3) Praise to the Lord,
Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.
5) Praise to the Lord,
Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
6) Praise to the Lord,
Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.