When it is said
It belongs to Great Compline, the longer evening service. In the Russian service books, as Hapgood translated them, Great Compline is joined to Matins on Christmas Eve to make the night vigil, so “God is with us” is one of the first hymns of the feast’s night.
There two choirs take Isaiah’s verses in turn, and each verse is answered with “For God is with us!”. A Serbian diocese also describes it sung at the Great Compline of Christmas.
Where it comes from
No author known
Isaiah’s words
The verses come from the prophet Isaiah in the Greek Bible’s wording, and so does the refrain: “For God is with us” ends one of them. Isaiah also called the promised Child Immanuel, and Matthew’s Gospel explains that the name means “God with us”.
Isaiah 8:9-10; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23
A hymn for Lent too
Great Compline is also kept in Great Lent. The Greek books have both choirs sing these verses slowly and loudly then, and at other times of the year the verses are said plainly without a melody.
For the victory over Napoleon
Hapgood wrote in 1906 that in Russian churches a service of thanksgiving followed the Liturgy on Christmas Day. It gave thanks for Russia’s victory over Napoleon, and its choir sang this same prophecy of Isaiah.
Isabel F. Hapgood, Service Book (1906), the Nativity of Christ
The Scripture in it
“Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”
“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread. The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.”
I will wait for the LORD, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him. Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Greek
Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, γνῶτε ἔθνη καὶ ἡττᾶσθε.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ἐπακούσατε ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς,
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ἰσχυκότες ἡττᾶσθε.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ἐὰν γὰρ πάλιν ἰσχύσητε, καὶ πάλιν ἡττηθήσεσθε.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ ἣν ἂν βουλὴν βουλεύσησθε, διασκεδάσει Κύριος.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ λόγον, ὃν ἐὰν λαλήσητε, οὐ μὴ ἐμμείνῃ ἐν ὑμῖν,
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Τὸν δὲ φόβον ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ φοβηθῶμεν, ουδ' οὐ μὴ ταραχθῶμεν.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Κύριον δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, Αὐτὸν ἁγιάσωμεν, καὶ Αὐτὸς ἔσται ἡμῖν φόβος.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ ἐὰν ἐπ’ Αὐτῷ πεποιθὼς ὦ ἔσται μοι εἰς ἁγιασμόν.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ πεποιθὼς ἔσομαι ἐπ' Αὐτῷ, καὶ σωθήσομαι δι' Αὐτοῦ.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἃ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεός,
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ὁ λαὸς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν σκότει, εἶδε φῶς μέγα.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ, καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς λάμψει ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ὅτι Παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν, Υἱός, καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν,
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου Αὐτοῦ.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης Αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅριον,
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα Αὐτοῦ, Μεγάλης Βουλῆς Ἄγγελος.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Θαυμαστὸς σύμβουλος.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Θεὸς ἰσχυρός, Ἐξουσιαστής, Ἄρχων εἰρήνης.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος.
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Δόξα...
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Καὶ νῦν...
Ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, γνῶτε ἔθνη καὶ ἡττᾶσθε, ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.