The text, written by the court poet Salomon Franck, is based on the prescribed gospel reading for the Sunday, "Render unto Caesar...", and includes several allusions to money and gold.

Similar to other cantatas on words by Franck, the work is scored for a small Baroque chamber ensemble of two violins, viola, two cellos and continuo.

He began with a paraphrase of the famous answer "Render unto Caesar" from the gospel, and included several allusions to money and gold (he was also the numismatist of the Weimar court).

Recent scholarship found that Bach possibly chose to set a stanza from Heermann's "Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht" instead, in a tune he used instrumentally in movement 5, which would match the continuo part.

[6] As with several other cantatas on words by Franck, it is scored for a small Baroque chamber ensemble of two violins (Vl), viola (Va), two cellos (Vc) and basso continuo (Bc).

The opening da capo aria for tenor is based on a paraphrase of "Render to Caesar": "Nur jedem das Seine".

[9] The second movement is a secco bass recitative, "Du bist, mein Gott, der Geber aller Gaben" (You are, my God, the Giver of all gifts).

[8] The following bass aria, "Laß mein Herz die Münze sein" (Let my heart be the coin),[1] has an unusual and unique accompaniment of two obbligato cellos with continuo.

[8] The fourth movement is a soprano and alto duet recitative, "Ich wollte dir, o Gott, das Herze gerne geben" (I would gladly, o God, give you my heart).

The tune of Johann Heermann's hymn "Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht" (I will not let go of my Jesus)[1] is interwoven in the texture as a cantus firmus of the upper strings in unison.