The Old Testament verses became a German hymn in 1582, and originally had 19 stanzas. In 1984, an American musicologist named Theodore Baker translated the first two stanzas into English.
Born in New York City in 1851, Baker was a businessman who moved to Germany to study music. he received his doctorate at the University of Leipzig, writing the first major study of American Indian music. Baker returned to the United States and worked as a literary editor of a music company. He also wrote a biographical dictionary of musicians, which is still in print today.
After his retirement, Baker and his wife moved back to Germany. He died in 1934 in Dresden, Germany.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw