"Befiehl du deine Wege" is a Lutheran hymn by Paul Gerhardt. It is one of his best known hymns,Bertheau, Carl. "Gerhardt, Paulus" in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (Volume 8), Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1878, pp. 774–783 and was first published in 1653 in Johann Crüger's collection of hymns and popular religious songs Praxis pietatis melica.Bach Digital Work at Bach Digital website

Melody and use The hymn is in both the standard Lutheran and Catholic German hymnbooks.

Hassler hymn tune

Johann Sebastian Bach used "Befiehl du deine Wege" and its 1601 tune by Hans Leo Hassler ("Herzlich tut mich verlangen", Zahn No. 5385a) in his St. Matthew Passion.BWV2a (1998), p. 475Luke Dahn (2017). BWV 244.44 at

Gesius hymn tune "Befiehl du deine Wege" is also sung to a tune published by Bartholomäus Gesius in 1603, "Lobet Gott unsern Herren" (Zahn No. 5393): Bach used this melody for instance in his BWV 272 four-part chorale.BWV2a (1998), p. 477Luke Dahn (2017). BWV 272 at

See also Give to the Winds Thy Fears

References