O Heer; die daer des Hemels tente spreyt,
The Sovereign Deliverer
The poet acknowledges God's absolute power over creation and His capacity to deliver the faithful from the shadow of death.
O Lord, who spreads the tent of heaven, and alone have prepared all that is on earth—you can still the foaming, raging sea, and you do all things according to your loving will;✦✦ We lift our eyes to you on high, who can deliver us in fear and need at every hour—yes, even from death itself.
A Call to Joyful Praise
Believers are invited to taste the goodness of the Lord and respond with communal song and music.
When you, O devout ones, have tasted it often, take delight in it freely so that it touches your heart.✦1 Praise God the Lord with singing and music, and cry out freely together with full voices.✦2
The Testimony of Grace
The chapter concludes with a reflection on how God's intervention saved the people from certain destruction.
Had the Lord (to Him be the glory) not stood by us like that, we would long ago (we were so afraid) have completely perished in our distress.
Read the original Latin
O Heer; die daer des Hemels tente spreyt, End' wat op aerd'is heb alleen bereyt , Het schuymig woedig meyr kond maken stille, End'alles doet naer uwen lieven wille;
Wy slaen het oog,, Tot u om hoog,, Die ons in ancxst en noot, Verlossen kont,, Tot aller stont,, jae selfs oock vande doot.
Als ghy (o vrome!) dickwils hebt gesmaeckt , Vermaeckt u nu vry dat't u herte raeckt. Looft God den Heer met singen ende spelen, End' roept vry uyt te saem met luyder kelen.
Hadd' ons de Heer (Hem sy de eer) Alsoo niet bygestaen, Wy waren lang (Ons was soo bang) Al inden druck vergaen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.104.2;Isa.40.22 — You wrap yourself in light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain. Isa.40.22 — He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
- ↩Ps.65.7 — You establish the mountains by your power, clothed with strength.
- ↩Ps.34.8 — The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
- ↩Ps.33.1-Ps.33.3;Ps.150.3-Ps.150.6 — Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous; praise is fitting for the upright. Ps.33.2 — Praise the LORD with the lyre; with the ten-stringed harp make music to him. Ps.33.3 — Sing to him a new song; play skillfully with a shout. Ps.150.3 — Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn; praise him with the harp and lyre. Ps.150.4 — Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe. Ps.150.5 — Praise him with the clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals. Ps.150.6 — Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!
Notes
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