DEn mensche, Godes handen werck,
From Ruin to Redemption
The chapter contrasts the fall of man through the serpent with the restoration of humanity through the work of Christ.
Man, the work of God's hands, created to raise up His worthy Church for the praise and glory of Him who is its Creator, wickedly let himself be craftily seduced by the Serpent into such misery that through it we all have come to the Fall and stand wholly ruined. Just as humanity's ruin came through one man, so man—to God be the honor!—✦ is saved again through one man. Death's bonds, with shame, in a sorrowful guise—Christ has tasted them for us through much pain, and has also made it so that we might be free from death.✦1
A Call to Gratitude and Obedience
The author exhorts the reader to respond to God's grace with thankfulness, fear, and obedience to His word.
O man! Be thankful to your God, and always keep his commandment. Be thankful to him who does you so much good out of pure grace. Fear him and be subject to him; do take his word to heart, so that afterward you may be raised up and escape everlasting death.
Read the original Latin
DEn mensche, Godes handen werck, Geschapen om syn waerde Kerck, Te rechten op tot prys en lof Van die daer is den Schepper of, Liet boos'lyck,, Sich loos'lyck,, In sulck ellend, Verleyden van 't Serpent, Dat daer door all,, Wy totten val, Gekomen syn en gantsch geschent.
Gelijck des menschs verderffenis Door eenen mensch gekomen is; So is de mensch (God hebbe d'eer!) Door eenen mensch behouden weer. 'sDoots banden Met schanden, In droeven schyn, Heeft Christus door veel pyn, Voor ons gesmaeckt End' oock gemaeckt Dat wy des doots vry mochten syn.
O mensch! weest danckbaer uwen God, En houdet altyt syn gebod, Weest danckbaer die u so veel goet Uyt loutere genade doet; Wilt vreesen End' wesen Hem onderdaen, Syn woord toch nemen aen, Op dat ghy moogt Hier na verhoogt, Die eeuwig-lange doot ontgaen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.5.12-Rom.5.19;1Cor.15.21-1Cor.15.22 — Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and through sin death, and so death spread to all people, because all sinned— Rom.5.13 — For sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Rom.5.14 — Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type of the one who was to come. Rom.5.15 — But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the trespass of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. Rom.5.16 — And the gift is not like what came through the one who sinned. For the judgment following one trespass led to condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses led to justification. Rom.5.17 — For if by the trespass of the one man death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Rom.5.18 — So then, just as through one trespass there was condemnation for all people, so also through one act of righteousness there was justification leading to life for all people. Rom.5.19 — For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 1Cor.15.21 — For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being. 1Cor.15.22 — For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
- ↩Heb.2.9 — But we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Notes
- 1 ↩'In droeven schyn' rendered as 'in a sorrowful guise' (humiliated/sorrowful appearance of the Passion); could also be heard as 'in a sad form/aspect.'
Nederlandtsche Gedenck-clanck (Netherlands Memorial Songs) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
- Psalms and historic prayers sequenced for you — no page-flipping or decision fatigue
- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing