The prescribed readings for the Sunday are from the Epistle to the Romans, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:12–17), and from the Gospel of Matthew, the warning of false prophets from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15–23). Here and in Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88, composed three weeks before, the text is similar in structure and content to cantatas of Johann Ludwig Bach. The text is attributed to Ernst Ludwig, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, published in a 1705 collection. The poet chose for the opening a verse of the prophet Micah, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8), which is related to the famous saying of Jesus "Ye shall know them by their fruits", and "but he that doeth the will of my Father" from the Gospel. The poet connected to the image of the servant as mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 12:42–47 and Luke 16:1–9. The central movement, opening the second part (marked Parte seconda) to be performed after the sermon, is a quotation of verse 22 from the Gospel, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?". The following aria is a paraphrase of Matthew 10:32. The cantata is closed by the second stanza of Johann Heermann's hymn "O Gott, du frommer Gott" (1630). The cantata is a symmetrical structure around the central Gospel quotation, beginning with the Old Testament and leading to the chorale.

Original Name Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist
Librettist Micah 6: 8 (No.1) Matthew 7: 22-23 (No.4) Johann Heermann (1585-1647) (No.7) Anonymous (Nos.2-3, 5-6)
Date of composition 1726 in Leipzig, Germany
Premiered 1726, August 11th in Leipzig, Germany
First published 1863 (BGA)
Dedicated to 8th Sunday after Trinity
Type Sacred Cantata
Tonality E Major
Catalogue BWV 45
Spoken language German
Instruments 4x Voice
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra
Links
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: You have been told, O man, what is Good en mi majeur, BWV 45
Johann Sebastian Bach: You have been told, O man, what is Good in mi maggiore, BWV 45
Johann Sebastian Bach: You have been told, O man, what is Good E-dur, BWV 45