It has its origin in the Book of Isaiah:[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.The second verse of the hymn, written in the first person, then explains to the listener the meaning of this symbolism: That Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the rose that has sprung up to bring forth the Christ child, represented as a small flower ("das Blümlein").

The German text affirms that Mary is a "pure maiden" ("die reine Magd"), emphasizing the doctrine of the Virgin birth of Jesus.

In 1844, the German hymnologist Friedrich Layriz [de] added three more stanzas,[8][9] the first of which, "Das Blümelein so kleine", remained popular and has been included in Catholic[10] and Protestant hymnals.

[11] The tune generally used for the hymn originally appeared in the Speyer Hymnal (printed in Cologne in 1599), and the familiar harmonization was written by German composer Michael Praetorius in 1609.

[13][14][15] During the Nazi era, many German Christmas carols were rewritten to promote National Socialist ideology and to excise references to the Jewish origins of Jesus.

[16] The hymn's melody has been used by a number of composers, including Hugo Distler who used it as the base for his 1933 oratorio Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (The Christmas Story).

[1] Arnold Schoenberg's Weihnachtsmusik (1921) for two violins, cello, piano and harmonium is a short fantasy on Es ist ein Ros entsprungen with Stille Nacht as a contrapuntal melody.

[7] Howells stated that: I sat down and wrote A Spotless Rose...after idly watching some shunting from the window of a cottage in Gloucester which overlooked the Midland Railway.

In an upstairs room I looked out on iron railings and the main Bristol to Gloucester railway line, with shunting trucks bumping and banging.

[24] A further English translation of the hymn, "Behold, a rose is growing", was written by the American Lutheran musician and writer, Harriet Reynolds Krauth Spaeth (1845–1925).

Und hat ein Blümlein bracht mitten im kalten Winter, wohl zu der halben Nacht.

Of Jesse's lineage coming, As men of old have sung; It came, a flow'ret bright, Amid the cold of winter, When half spent was the night.

Behold, a Branch is growing Of loveliest form and grace, as prophets sung, foreknowing; It springs from Jesse's race And bears one little Flow'r In midst of coldest winter, At deepest midnight hour.

(Protestant Version) Isaiah 'twas foretold it, The Rose I have in mind, With Mary we behold it, The virgin mother kind; To show God's love aright, She bore to men a Savior, When half spent was the night.

O Flower, whose fragrance tender With sweetness fills the air, Dispel with glorious splendour The darkness everywhere; True man, yet very God, From Sin and death now save us, And share our every load.