Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, So denken Gottes Kinder

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Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, So denken Gottes Kinder

Author: Benjamin Schmolck
Tune: WAS GOTT TUT
Published in 27 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	Six General Hymn Improvisations, Set 1

Representative Text

1 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,
So denken Gottes Kinder.
Er sieht sie oft gar strenge an
Und lieb sie doch nicht minder;
Er zieht ihr Herz nur himmelwärts,
Wenn er sie lässt auf Erden
Ein Ziel der Plagen werden.

2 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan.
Gibt er, so kann man nehmen;
Nimmt er, wir sind nicht übler dran,
Wenn wir uns nur bequemen.
Die Linke schmerzt, die Rechte herzt,
Und beide Hände müssen
Wir doch in Demut küssen.

3 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,
Er weist uns oft den Segen,
Und eh er noch gedeihen kann,
Muss sich die Hoffnung legen.
Weil er allein der Schatz will sein,
So macht er andre Güter
Durch den Verlust uns bitter.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #13577

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Author: Benjamin Schmolck

Schmolck, Benjamin, son of Martin Schmolck, or Schmolcke, Lutheran pastor at Brauchitschdorf (now Chrόstnik) near Liegnitz in Silesia (now Poland) was born at Brauchitschdorf, Dec. 21, 1672. He entered the Gymnasium at Lauban in 1688, and spent five years there. After his return home he preached for his father a sermon which so struck the patron of the living that he made Benjamin an allowance for three years to enable him to study theology. He matriculated, at Michaelmas, 1693, at the University of Leipzig, where he came under the influence of J. Olearius, J. B. Carpzov, and others, and throughout his life retained the character of their teaching, viz. a warm and living practical Christianity, but Churchly in tone and not Pietistic. In th… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, So denken Gottes Kinder
Author:	Benjamin Schmolck
Language:	German
Notes:	Polish translation: See "Z milości jest, co czyni Bóg"
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Was Gott thut das ist wohlgethan, So denken Gottes Kinder. B. Schmolck. [Harvest.] First published in his Freuden-Ocl in Traurigkeit, Breslau, 1720, No. 39, p. 98, in 6 stanzas of 8 lines, entitled, "The contented heart in a scanty Harvest." In his Klage und Reigen, Breslau, N.D. [1734], No. 77, p. 96, he gave it in 9 stanzas (st. iv., v., ix., being new), and entitled it "The contented heart in a scanty harvest, 1731." The text of 1734 is No. 1203 in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder, ed. 1863. The German has undergone various recensions, and so e.g. Miss Cox follows that in Bunsen's Versuch, 1833; Miss Warner that in the Berlin Gesang-Buch, 1829. The text followed in Hymns Ancient & Modern. and the Hymnary is that in Biggs's annotated Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1867, which is based on st. i., iii., vii., viii. of the 1734. Translated as:—
1. What our Father does is well. A free translation from Biggs's text, by Sir H. W. Baker, as No. 227 in Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861, with an original doxology. This has been repeated in the Irish Church Hymnal, 1873, in Porter's Collection, 1876, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871, Baptist Hymnal, 1879, &c.; and in America in the Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Book, 1868, Presbyterian Hymnal, 1874, &c.
2. What God does is done aright. By Mrs. H. M. Chester, as No. 471 in the Hymnary, 1872, from the text of Biggs, with an original doxology. Repeated in the Westminster Abbey Hymn Book 1883.
Other trs. are: (l) "Whatever God does is well," by Miss Warner, 1858, p. 255, repeated in Bishop Ryle's Collection, 1860. (2) "What God hath done is done aright," by Miss Cox, 1864.1 p. 125. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

WAS GOTT TUT

WAS GOTT TUT is usually attributed to Severus Gastorius (b. Ottern, near Weimar, Germany, 1646; d. Jena, Germany, 1682), who presumably composed the tune during a convalescence in 1675 (see above). The tune was published in Ausserlesenes Weimarisches Gesangbuch (1681). Educated at the University of…

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