Bach composed the cantata in his second year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig for the Sunday after Christmas. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Galatians, "through Christ we are free from the law" (Galatians 4:1–7), and from the Gospel of Luke, Simeon and Anna talking to Mary (Luke 2:33–40). The chorale cantata is based on a hymn by Cyriakus Schneegaß (1597) with the same title as the cantata. The librettist is unknown.

Librettist Cyriakus Schneegass (1546-1597)(Hymn)
Date of composition 1724
Premiered 1724, December 31st in Leipzig, Germany
Dedicated to 1st Sunday after Christmas
Type Sacred Cantata
Tonality G Minor
Catalogue BWV 122
Spoken language German
Instruments 4x Voice
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra
Links
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: Das neugeborne Kindelein en sol mineur, BWV 122
Johann Sebastian Bach: Das neugeborne Kindelein in sol minore, BWV 122
Johann Sebastian Bach: Das neugeborne Kindelein g-moll, BWV 122