Hymn Desk
Hymn Texts /

Oh Bless the Lord My Soul

Oh bless the Lord my soul

The hymn exemplifies Lutheran emphasis on personal faith and devotional response to God's mercies as enumerated in Scripture. It connects individual spiritual experience with the corporate worship tradition, reflecting the Lutheran integration of personal piety with liturgical practice.

History & Background

Originally composed in German by Heinrich Held in the late 17th century, this hymn became widely distributed throughout Lutheran Germany. The English translation appeared in 19th-century American hymnals and has remained a staple of Lutheran worship.

Hymnal Appearances

  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 835
  • Lutheran Service Book — 814
  • Lutheran Worship — 457
  • The Lutheran Hymnal — 27

Translation

Philip Schaff and others

Bulletin Note

Composed by Heinrich Held in 1695, this hymn embodies Lutheran piety's emphasis on personal testimony within corporate worship, blending intimate devotion with scriptural reflection on God's redemptive acts.

Preaching Connection

This hymn exemplifies how the Gospel moves the justified soul from recognition of need (law) to spontaneous praise and enumeration of God's mercies (Gospel fruit), making it a powerful companion to any sermon on grace working through faith.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Stanza Arc

The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From personal redemption and grateful praise, through God's consistent mercy toward His people, to His tender care and protection, culminating in the cosmic vision of angels and saints in eternal adoration

Themes

Praise and adoration Trust in God's providence Exhortation to worship Spiritual warfare

Look Further