It is the third cantata Bach composed for his chorale cantata cycle, the second cycle he started after being appointed Thomaskantor in 1723. The cantata is based on the seven stanzas of Martin Luther's hymn "Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam", about baptism. The first and last stanza of the chorale were used for the outer movements of the cantata, while an unknown librettist paraphrased the inner stanzas of the hymn into the text for the five other movements. The first movement, a chorale fantasia, is followed by a succession of arias alternating with recitatives, leading to a four-part closing chorale.

Original Name Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam
Librettist Martin Luther (1483–1546) - chorales
Date of composition 1724
Premiered 1724, June 24th in Leipzig, Germany
Dedicated to St. John the Baptist
Type Sacred Cantata
Tonality E Minor
Catalogue BWV 7
Spoken language German
Instruments 3x Voice
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra
Links
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: Christ our Lord came to the Jordan en mi mineur, BWV 7
Johann Sebastian Bach: Christ our Lord came to the Jordan in mi minore, BWV 7
Johann Sebastian Bach: Christ our Lord came to the Jordan e-moll, BWV 7