Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält (If God the Lord does not remain on our side),[1] BWV 178, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The cantata is based on the eight stanzas of the hymn "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält" (1524) by Justus Jonas, a paraphrase of Psalm 124.

[2][3] The cantata text is based on the hymn "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält", published in 1524 by the Lutheran reformer Justus Jonas as a paraphrase of Psalm 124.

[4] Compared to Bach's other chorale cantatas of the period, the unknown poet[4] kept much of the original text, six of the eight stanzas, expanding two of them by recitative to connect even closer to the Gospel.

[12] The instruments begin a concerto, with the strings playing dotted rhythms" and the oboes adding "agitated sixteenth notes", both throughout the movement.

[4] While Sven Hiemke wrote in the foreword of the 2017 Carus edition that "Bach makes it clear that this cantata deals with confrontation and conflict", Dürr noted that it gives the movement a sense of unity.

[4] The first aria, sung by the bass, begins "Gleichwie die wilden Meereswellen mit Ungestüm ein Schiff zerschellen" (Just as the wild sea surf crushes a ship with fury).

[5] It illustrates the image of "wild sea surf" in undulating lines in the voice and also in the obbligato part of the violins in unison, and in the continuo.

[4] The fifth movement is again a combination of chorale, "Auf sperren sie den Rachen weit" (They stretch open their yawning gullet wide),[5] and recitative, "Nach Löwenart mit brüllendem Getöne" (like lions with rumbling roaring;).

[6] The continuo unifies the movement by a constant independent regular motion in arpeggio motifs based on triads;[6][4] therefore the recitatives here are not in free tempo as usual.

[4] The drama of the aria comes to a rest only at the end of the middle section, when the words "so werden sie mit Trost erquicket" (they will be revived with solace)[5] are marked adagio and lead to a fermata.

The type of choir is generally not indicated, an exception being made for the recording directed by Sigiswald Kuijken, which is unusual for being sung one voice per part.