Scripture Verse

The Lord is the rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

Introduction

portrait
Leopold Stein
(1810–1882)

Words: By Mor­de­cai (pos­si­bly Mor­de­cai ben Is­aac ha-Levi), 14th Cen­tu­ry (מעוז צור). Trans­lat­ed from He­brew to Ger­man by Leo­pold Stein (1810–1882). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Mar­cus Jas­trow (1829–1903) & Gus­tav Gott­heil (1827–1903).

Music: Maoz Tsur Ger­man Ashke­na­zic tune (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Marcus Jastrow
(1829–1903)

Lyrics

Rock of Ag­es, let our song
Praise Thy sav­ing pow­er;
Thou, amidst the rag­ing foes,
Wast our shel­ter­ing tow­er.
Furious they as­sailed us,
But Thine arm av­ailed us,
And Thy Word
Broke their sword
When our own strength failed us.

Kindling new the ho­ly lamps,
Priests, ap­proved in suf­fer­ing,
Purified the na­tion’s shrine,
Brought to God their of­fer­ing.
And His courts sur­round­ing
Hear, in joy abound­ing,
Happy throngs,
Singing songs
With a migh­ty sound­ing.

Children of the mar­tyr race,
Whether free or fet­tered,
Wake the ech­oes of the songs
Where ye may be scat­tered.
Yours the mes­sage cheer­ing
That the time is near­ing
Which will see
All men free,
Tyrants dis­ap­pear­ing.