Gott mit uns

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A common Christmas verse from Matthew is the following. The "God with us" has been used by many empires as a military slogan.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [kjv]

ιδου η παρθενος εν γαστρι εξει και τεξεται υιον και καλεσουσιν το ονομα αυτου εμμανουηλ ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον μεθ ημων ο θεος [gnt]

… Emmanuhel … Nobiscum Deus [v]

… Emanuel … Gott mit uns. [lu]

… Еммануил… с нами Бог. [rus]

The Luther German from the 1500's uses the German phrase "Gott mit uns" ≈ "God with us", a phrase that often used by Germany in war. Powers such as Germany, Russia, Roman Empire(s), and others, have used this phrase as a "battle cry".

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [kjv]

Every year at Christmas, one often hears verses read from Matthew or Isaiah that use the name "Emmanuel" or "Immanuel". Which is correct? What is the difference?

The Hebrew is transliterated into English as "Immanuel".
The Greek is transliterated into English as "Emmanuel".

Thus, the word "Emmanuel" is the result of transliterating Hebrew into Greek and then Greek into English. This is an example of the "whisper game" where minor changes to words add up over time to major changes.

More: Is it Emmanuel or Immanuel?

Matthew 1:23

All

KJV: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Greek: ιδου η παρθενος εν γαστρι εξει και τεξεται υιον και καλεσουσιν το ονομα αυτου εμμανουηλ ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον μεθ ημων ο θεος

Latin: ecce virgo in utero habebit et pariet filium et vocabunt nomen eius Emmanuhel quod est interpretatum Nobiscum Deus

Wycliffe: a virgyn shal haue in wombe, and she schal bere a sone, and thei schulen clepe his name Emanuel, that is to seie, God with vs.

Luther: Siehe, eine Jungfrau wird schwanger sein und einen Sohn gebären, und sie werden seinen Namen Emanuel heißen, das ist verdolmetschet, Gott mit uns.

Russian: се, Дева во чреве приимет и родит Сына, и нарекут имя Ему Еммануил, что значит: с нами Бог.

Psalms 16:1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. [kjv]

στηλογραφια τω δαυιδ φυλαξον με κυριε οτι επι σοι ηλπισα [lxx]

The United States motto "In God we Trust" is related to the phrase "God with us" and has in interesting history.

The Greek word translated "trust" in the LXX (Septuagint) in Psalms 16:1 is the ancient Greek word "ελπίζω" ≈ "expectation, hope" as in a well-founded persuasion, belief or faith.

More: In God we Trust


71 Infantry Division XX Army Corps ribbons	Good Conduct medal Victory medal

My uncle Donny was in World War II in the European Theater in France and Germany late in the war.
The 71st Infantry Division was assigned to XX Corps an April 20, 1945.
He saw limited combat action, but had unforgettable memories, of which he rarely spoke.

In high school, Uncle Donny gave me a German belt buckle from his service in World War II. The Nazi swastika is surrounded by the words "Gott mit uns", or "God with us", from the Luther Bible 400 years earlier. The verse is often read at Christmas.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23.
German: … Emanuel … Gott mit uns.
Russian: … Еммануил, … с нами Бог.
Latin: … Emmanuhel … Nobiscum Deus

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. Psalms 16:1
Discuss: What does it mean to put "In God we trust" on currency?

The Waffen SS used the motto "Meine Ehre heißt Treue" meaning "My honor is loyalty".

More: Abraham Lincoln

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

The Waffen SS as a more atheistic military unit did not use "God" as part of their motto. Instead, they used the motto "Meine Ehre heißt Treue" meaning "My honor is loyalty".

The German word "die Treue" ≈ "loyalty".
The German word "die Ehre" ≈ "honor".

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [kjv]

… Emmanuhel … Nobiscum Deus [v]

… Emanuel … Gott mit uns. [lu]

… Еммануил… с нами Бог. [rus]

Martin Luther used the German phrase "Gott mit uns" ≈ "God with us" in Matthew 1:23 in his famous German Bible, NT (New Testament) (from Greek) in 1522, OT (Old Testament) (from Hebrew) in 1534.

The German Army used this phrase for many years. The Third Reich (1933 to 1945) used it before and during World War II.

The Russian Army (and others) used a similar phrase (in their language) at various times.

Matthew 1:23

All

KJV: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Luther: Siehe, eine Jungfrau wird schwanger sein und einen Sohn gebären, und sie werden seinen Namen Emanuel heißen, das ist verdolmetschet, Gott mit uns.

The phase "God with us" is often read at Christmas.

This phrase has been used as a battle cry before and after his translation in other nations and languages.

It was used by German Wehrmacht (Army) in World War II.

Does God take sides in a war? Many armies throughout time have used the phrase "God with us" (in an appropriate translation) as if God is on their side or God should be on their side.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? [kjv]

τι ουν ερουμεν προς ταυτα ει ο θεος υπερ ημων τις καθ ημων [gnt]

Many use this verse as a "battle cry" or puffed-up-in-pride "badge of honor". Some pastors (and others) promote this misconception.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

If God is the primary customer, then the customer is always right.

Man's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of man (humanism).
God's "righteousness" is "what is right" as in an "opinion" that is the "glory" of God (theism).

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

More: Abraham Lincoln

Here is a Lincoln quote from his second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, soon before he was assassinated on April 14.
Both (North and South) read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. … The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)

Lincoln used a number of Bible passages in this address (omitted here).

More: Abraham Lincoln

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [kjv]

… Emmanuhel … Nobiscum Deus [v]

The Latin phrase "Nobiscum Deus" ≈ "God with us" had been earlier used as a battle cry in the late Western Roman and then the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) empires (and later in various countries).

Sweden used the phrase "Gott mit uns" as a war cry in the Thirty Years' War, 1816-1648.

In the 17th century, the phrase Gott mit uns was used as a 'field word', a means of recognition akin to a password by the army of Gustavus Adolphus at the battles of Breitenfeld (1631), Lützen (1632) and Wittstock (1636) in the Thirty Years' War. (Wikipedia).

In some areas of Germany, up to 60% of the population died during the war, mostly as a result of starvation.

For a comparison and Bible reference, see Shibboleth: how something is said.

Martin Luther shook Germany, but Francis Drake calmed it again - he gave us the potato. Heinrich Heine.

Much of the famine in the Thirty Years' War resulted from an invading army seizing grain crops or, when retreating, burning grain crops to keep them from the enemy.

The potato was a blessing. Although it took more work to grow and harvest, army could not easily seize nor burn potato crops as they were buried under the ground.

As another side effect, the potato was easy to convert into beer which became another staple of central Europe and Germany.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [kjv]

… Еммануил… с нами Бог. [rus]

The Russian phrase "С нами Бог" (s na-mee bog) ≈ "God with us" has been used at various times as a battle cry. The Russian word "Бог" (bowg) ≈ "God" appears to be related to the city name "Baghdad".

This phrase "Gott mit uns" was adopted by the Prussian military about 1700.

The German Empire used it from 1871 through the end of World War I in 1918. German helmets in World War I had it inscribed on the helmet.

The Third Reich (1933 to 1945) used it before and during World War II.

The West German Army used it from 1949 to 1962.

Psalms 16:1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. [kjv]

στηλογραφια τω δαυιδ φυλαξον με κυριε οτι επι σοι ηλπισα [lxx]

The United States motto "In God we Trust" is related to the phrase "God with us" and has in interesting history.

The Greek word translated "trust" in the LXX in Psalms 16:1 is the ancient Greek word "ελπίζω" ≈ "expectation, hope" as in a well-founded persuasion, belief or faith.

More: In God we Trust