A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Martin Luther, translated by Frederic H. Hedge, 1852
4 verses, sung to Ein Feste Burg (Isorhythmic) (8.7.8.7.6.6.6.6.7), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing:
Our Helper he, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Verse 2. Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth is his name,
From age to age the same,
And he must win the battle.
Verse 3. And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him!
Verse 4. That word above all earthly pow’rs—
No thanks to them—abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1852, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther wrote the hymn in German by 1529. It was printed at least three times that year, in Joseph Klug's hymn book at Wittenberg (the copy is lost), in an Augsburg broadsheet and in a book by Jakob Dachser. The earliest heading calls it Ein Trost Psalm, a psalm of comfort. Luther drew on Psalm 46, taking the flood scenes of its opening verses and the battle scenes of its later ones, but he did not paraphrase it line by line. The oldest surviving copy of the melody sits in a manuscript Johann Walter prepared in 1530. The first tune was dance-like and freely rhythmic. By the time J. S. Bach used it in Cantata 80, it had settled into even beats. English readers first had Miles Coverdale's version from about 1535 and Thomas Carlyle's in 1831. The translation most North American churches sing is by Frederic H. Hedge, a Unitarian minister and Harvard professor. Hymnary dates it 1852 in Gems of German Verse and 1853 in Hymns for the Church of Christ, and the Hymnology Archive names the 1853 book. In 1835 Heinrich Heine called the hymn the Marseillaise hymn of the Reformation. Hymnary says the fourth stanza reflects Luther's own experience of persecution.
Martin Luther
1483-11-10 to 1546-02-18
Martin Luther was born at Eisleben on 10 November 1483 and died there on 18 February 1546. He wrote hymns in German so congregations could sing in their own language. Hymnary follows Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology in listing 38 of his hymns. He wrote prefaces for several hymn books, including the Klug book of 1529, which held 50 hymns and 29 of them were his. "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" appeared in print in 1529 under the heading "Ein Trost Psalm," a psalm of comfort. The oldest surviving copy of its melody is in a manuscript Johann Walter prepared in 1530.
Martin Luther
1483-11-10 to 1546-02-18
Martin Luther was born at Eisleben on 10 November 1483 and died there on 18 February 1546. He wrote hymns in German so congregations could sing in their own language. Hymnary follows Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology in listing 38 of his hymns. He wrote prefaces for several hymn books, including the Klug book of 1529, which held 50 hymns and 29 of them were his. "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" appeared in print in 1529 under the heading "Ein Trost Psalm," a psalm of comfort. The oldest surviving copy of its melody is in a manuscript Johann Walter prepared in 1530.
- Hymnology Archive, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Psalter Hymnal 469, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Psalm 46:1 In verse 1 of the hymn
- 1 Peter 5:8 In verse 8 of the hymn
- Romans 8:35-39
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God videos
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A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Hymn 53) | Grace Community Church Congregation & Orchestra Hymns of Grace, Congregation
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A Mighty Fortress is Our God (EIN FESTE BURG) First-Plymouth Church Lincoln Nebraska (FirstPVideos), Choir
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A Mighty Fortress - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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HeartSong Cedarville University - A Mighty Fortress (Official Music Video) HeartSong at Cedarville University, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 110 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 95 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 85 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 3 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in C.
Questions people ask
Who wrote A Mighty Fortress Is Our God?
Martin Luther wrote the German text, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, by 1529. The English translation most churches use is by Frederic H. Hedge.
What psalm is A Mighty Fortress based on?
Luther drew on Psalm 46. The Hymnology Archive says he took elements of it, mainly the flood scenes, and did not paraphrase it line by line.
Who wrote the tune for A Mighty Fortress Is Our God?
Hymnals credit the melody EIN FESTE BURG to Luther. Johann Walter's 1530 manuscript holds the oldest surviving copy.
Is A Mighty Fortress Is Our God in the public domain?
The words are public domain in the United States. Luther's German dates from 1529, and Hedge's English translation was published in 1852 or 1853. The tune is from 1529 or 1530.
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