Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (Oh God, how much heartache),[1] BWV 3, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The work is based on the hymn "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" in 18 stanzas, a paraphrase of a medieval model, "Jesu dulcis memoria".

He scored the cantata for four vocal soloists, a four-part choir and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of trombone to reinforce the bass in the opening chorus, horn to support the soprano in the last movement, two oboes d'amore, strings and continuo.

It is a paraphrase of the Latin "Jesu dulcis memoria", a medieval hymn attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux,[5] a meditation on Jesus as a comforter and helper in distress.

Bach scored the work for four vocal soloists (soprano (S), alto (A), tenor (T), bass (B)), a four-part choir and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of a trombone (Tb) to reinforce the bass in the opening chorus, a horn (Co) to double the cantus firmus in the closing chorale, two oboes d'amore (Oa), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo.

The melody appears in the opening chorus, sung by the bass as a cantus firmus, in the second movement, as a four-part setting with interspersed recitatives, and in the closing chorale.

[10] The musicologist Julian Mincham writes that the "hybrid recitative provides an excellent example of Bach's experiments of investing long texts with sustained musical interest".

It expresses the contrast of Höllenangst (hell's anguish) and Freudenhimmel (heaven of joy), with inestimable sorrows (unermessnen Schmerzen) disappearing into light mist (leichte Nebel).

[4] In the duet for soprano and alto, "Wenn Sorgen auf mich dringen" (When cares press upon me),[1] in "bright E major", as the Bach scholar Christoph Wolff writes, the voices are embedded in a "dense quartet texture".

[3] The Bach scholar Klaus Hofmann notes that the obbligato motif, which is later picked up by the voices, is played by the oboes d'amore and violin in unison, providing "a new and remarkable tone colour".

[5] The closing chorale, "Erhalt mein Herz im Glauben rein" (If my heart remains pure in faith),[1] is a four-part setting.