Bach wrote the cantata in his second year in Leipzig for the 19th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 15 October 1724. It is part of his second annual cycle of cantatas, a cycle of chorale cantatas. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians – "put on the new man, which after God is created" (Ephesians 4:22–28) – and from the Gospel of Matthew, Healing the paralytic at Capernaum (Matthew 9:1–8).

Librettist Johann Heermann (1585–1647), chorales
Date of composition 1724
Premiered 1724, October 15th
First published 1851 (BGA)
Dedicated to 19th Sunday after Trinity
Type Cantata
Tonality G Minor
Catalogue BWV 5
Spoken language German
Instruments Voice (Soprano)
Voice (Alto)
Voice (Tenor)
Voice (Bass)
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: Wo soll ich fliehen hin en sol mineur, BWV 5 "Where shall I flee"
Johann Sebastian Bach: Wo soll ich fliehen hin in sol minore, BWV 5 "Where shall I flee"
Johann Sebastian Bach: Wo soll ich fliehen hin g-moll, BWV 5 "Where shall I flee"