Johann Sebastian Bach Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir

Be not afraid, I am with you;
tremble not, for I am your God.
I strengthen you, I give you my help,
I uphold you now through the right hand
of my righteousness.
Be not afraid,
for in truth I have redeemed you,
for by your name
I now have named you and called you.
Isaiah 41:10 and 43:1

Lord, my shepherd, source of gladness,
thou art mine, I am thine,
no one can divide us.
I am thine, for by thy passion,
with thy blood, for my good,
thou hast brought salvation.

Thou art mine, for I shall hold thee;
from my heart, O my light,
I will never yield thee.
Let me give thee my devotion,
that for me thou mayst be
my belov’d possession.
Paul Gerhardt 1653,
„Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen“ (verse 11, 12)

Be not afraid, thou art mine.

Translation: Jean Lunn

...

Fürchte dich nicht Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir;
weiche nicht, denn ich bin dein Gott!
Ich stärke dich, ich helfe dir auch,
ich erhalte dich durch die rechte Hand meiner Gerechtigkeit.
Fürchte dich nicht,
denn ich habe dich erlöset,
ich habe dich bei deinem Namen gerufen.
Jesaja 41,10 und 43,1

Choral Herr, mein Hirt, Brunn aller Freuden,
du bist mein, ich bin dein,
niemand kann uns scheiden.
Ich bin dein, weil du dein Leben
und dein Blut mir zugut
in den Tod gegeben.

Du bist mein, weil ich dich fasse
und dich nicht, o mein Licht,

...

Uwe Wolf
Translation (abridged): Elizabeth Robinson

The first printed edition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s motets appeared in Leipzig in 1802/03, over fifty years after the composer’s death. This was not only the first edition of the famous motets, but was also the first printed edition of Bach’s vocal works at all since 1708. It differs in some respects from our present-day editions, primarily in the inclusion in the place of the motet Lobet den Herrn of Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, attributed a little later to Johann Christoph Bach. In reprints of the first printed edition, accordingly, this was replaced by Lobet den Herrn, establishing the group of six motets which ultimately found their place in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalog) as BWV 225–230, where they long held an undisputed position.

But doubts remain about Lobet den Herrn. There is so much which is curious about this motet, which breaks every rule, so that in the form in which it is known to us, it may well not be by Bach. On the other hand, we nevertheless believe that we find so much of Bach in it that hardly any other composer can be contemplated. We

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