Bach wrote the cantata in his second year in Leipzig, when he composed an annual cycle of chorale cantatas. For the 14th Sunday after Trinity, 10 September 1724, he chose the chorale of Johann Rist (1641) in 12 stanzas. Rist set the words and probably also the melody. An unknown librettist wrote the poetry for seven movements, keeping the first and last stanza and quoting some of the original lines as part of his own writing in the other movements. Movement 2 corresponds to stanza 2 of the chorale, 6 to 11, 3 to 3–5, 4 to 6–7, and 5 to 8–10.

Librettist anonymous (Chorale by Johann Rist)
Date of composition 1724 in Leipzig, Germany
First published 1870 in Leipzig, Germany
Type Cantata
Tonality G Minor
Catalogue BWV 78
Approx. duration 25 minutes
Spoken language German
Instruments Voice (Soprano)
Voice (Alto)
Voice (Tenor)
Voice (Bass)
Chorus/Choir
Chamber orchestra
Strings
Continuo
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: Jesu, der du meine Seele en sol mineur, BWV 78 ""Jesus, by whom my soul""
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, der du meine Seele in sol minore, BWV 78 ""Jesus, by whom my soul""
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, der du meine Seele g-moll, BWV 78 ""Jesus, by whom my soul""