Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde in F major, BWV 83 ""Joyful time in the new covenant""

Bach wrote the cantata in his first year in Leipzig for the feast Purification of Mary. The prescribed readings for the feast day were from the book of Malachi, "the Lord will come to his temple" (Malachi 3:1–4), and from the Gospel of Luke, the purification of Mary and the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, including Simeon's canticle Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:22–32). The gospel mentions the purification of Mary, but elaborates on Simeon who had been told he would not die without having seen the Messiah. Simeon's canticle Nunc dimittis ("Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace") is a constant part of the services Compline and Evensong. The unknown poet also concentrates on this aspect of the gospel and connects it to the listener's attitude to his own death. In movement 2 he comments the words of the canticle "Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Friede fahren" by recitative. He shapes movement 3 as a close paraphrase of Hebrews 4:16. Movement 4 recalls the last verse of the gospel, the closing chorale expresses the same thought in Martin Luther's words, the fourth stanza of his hymn "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin".