Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben
BWV 102 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Jos van Veldhoven
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
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Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Caution for stubborn unbelievers
Although there is a gleam of hope in the second movement, Bach does not really play on it
When Bach started composing his third volume of cantatas in 1725, he was thoroughly distracted by his resolve to create a new Passion for the Easter of 1726. From February up to Good Friday, he resorted completely to cantatas by his cousin Johann Ludwig. However, his intended result failed to appear, as a St Mark Passion by Braun was eventually performed at Easter time. Yet for months afterwards, Bach still continued to draw on the work of his cousin, even casting envious looks at Johann Ludwig for the words to his own cantatas. He derived the text for the cantata Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben from a collection of texts attributed to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, at whose court cousin Bach was Kapellmeister.
The quintessence of the collection is the way the text is constructed of two different biblical quotes; one from the Old Testament, which Bach uses at the beginning, and one from the New Testament, which is used in the middle. The cantata consists of two movements. The first biblical text is followed by a recitative and aria, and the second by an aria and recitative. It closes with a chorale. The impressive opening chorus comes straight to the point: the world is full of stubborn unbelievers, and however hard God punishes them, it does not help. The sermon for this tenth Sunday after Trinity is about the expulsion of the money-changers from the temple and the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. The errant souls are called upon to convert while they still can. Although there is a clear difference between the texts of the Old and New Testaments as far as God’s position is concerned – the implacable, punishing God later becomes mild and peace-giving – it is remarkable that Bach did not really play on this. The atmosphere of the whole cantata is pessimistic, which is further reinforced by the lamenting oboes and a martial flute. Even the final chorale, where the faithful see the error of their ways and ask for a helping hand, offers little comfort.
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Erster Teil
1. Chor
Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben!
Du schlägest sie,
aber sie fühlen's nicht;
du plagest sie, aber sie bessern sich nicht.
Sie haben ein härter Angesicht denn ein Fels
und wollen sich nicht bekehren.
2. Rezitativ (Bass)
Wo ist das Ebenbild, das Gott uns eingepräget,
wenn der verkehrte Will sich ihm zuwiderleget?
Wo ist die Kraft von seinem Wort,
wenn alle Besserung weicht aus dem Herzen fort?
Der Höchste suchet
uns durch Sanftmut zwar zu zähmen,
ob der verirrte Geist
sich wollte noch bequemen;
doch, fährt er fort in dem verstockten Sinn,
so gibt er ihn in's Herzens Dünkel hin.
3. Arie (Alt)
Weh der Seele, die den Schaden
nicht mehr kennt
und, die Straf auf sich zu laden,
störrig rennt,
ja von ihres Gottes Gnaden
selbst sich trennt.
4. Arioso (Bass)
Verachtest du den Reichtum seiner Gnade,
Geduld und Langmütigkeit?
Weissest du nicht,
dass dich Gottes Güte zur Busse locket?
Du aber nach deinem verstockten
und unbussfertigen Herzen
häufest dir selbst den Zorn
auf den Tag des Zorns
und der Offenbarung
des gerechten Gerichts Gottes.
Zweiter Teil
5. Arie (Tenor)
Erschrecke doch,
du allzu sichre Seele!
Denk, was dich würdig zähle
der Sünden Joch.
Die Gotteslangmut geht
auf einem Fuss von Blei,
damit der Zorn hernach dir
desto schwerer sei.
6. Rezitativ (Alt)
Beim Warten ist Gefahr;
willst du die Zeit verlieren?
Der Gott, der ehmals gnädig war,
kann leichtlich dich
vor seinen Richtstuhl führen.
Wo bleibt sodann die Buss?
Es ist ein Augenblick,
der Zeit und Ewigkeit,
der Leib und Seele scheidet;
verblendter Sinn, ach kehre doch zurück,
dass dich dieselbe Stund
nicht finde unbereitet!
7. Choral
Heut lebst du, heut bekehre dich,
eh morgen kömmt, kann's ändern sich;
wer heut ist frisch, gesund und rot,
ist morgen krank, ja wohl gar tot.
So du nun stirbest ohne Buss,
dein Leib und Seel dort brennen muss.
Hilf, o Herr Jesu, hilf du mir,
dass ich noch heute komm zu dir
und Busse tu den Augenblick,
eh mich der schnelle Tod hinrück,
auf dass ich heut und jederzeit
zu meiner Heimfahrt sei bereit.
Translation
Part 1
1. Chorus
Lord, your eyes look for faith.
You strike them [the entire people of Israel],
but they do not feel it; you torment them,
but they do not mend their ways.
They have a face harder than a rock,
and do not want to convert [to faith in you].
2. Recitative (Bass)
Where is the image [of God] that God stamps in us,
If the perverse will sets itself against it?
Where is the power of his word,
If all mending of ways retreats from the heart?
By gentleness the Most High seeks indeed to bridle us,
Whether [or not] our misguided spirit
would yet go along;
But if it [the spirit] carries on
in its obdurate disposition,
He [God] gives it over to the heart’s conceit.
3. Aria (Alto)
Woe to the soul that
No longer recognizes its [sin-inflicted] damage,
And, bringing punishment on itself,
Stubbornly runs,
Yes, breaks itself away
Even from its God’s grace.
4. Arioso (Bass)
Do you despise the richness of his grace,
patience, and forbearance?
Do you not know that God’s goodness
entices you to repentance?
But, in accordance with your obdurate
and unrepentant heart,
you are heaping up wrath against yourself
on the day of wrath
and of the revelation
of God’s righteous judgment.
Part 2
5. Aria (Tenor)
Be terrified indeed,
You all too cocksure soul.
Consider what would make you count
As worthy of sin’s yoke.
God’s forbearance moves with a leaden foot,
With the result that his wrath will be
all the heavier against you afterward
[on the day of judgment].
6. Recitative (Alto)
There is danger while waiting [for the end time];
Do you want to forfeit the time [of God’s visitation]?
The god who formerly was merciful
Can easily lead you
before his judgment seat.
Then where is repentance?
It is an instant
That separates time and eternity,
body and soul.
Blinded disposition, ah, turn back,
Lest this same hour [of judgment]
find you unprepared.
7. Chorale
Today you live; convert [to Godliness] today;
Before tomorrow comes, things can change;
One who today is vigorous, healthy, and ruddy,
Tomorrow is sick—indeed, even dead.
If you die now without repentance,
Your body and soul must burn there [in hell].
Save, O Lord Jesus, save me,
That even today I may come to you
And may do penitence this instant,
Before sudden death may pull me away [from earth];
So that today and at all times
I may be prepared for my journey home [to heaven].
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Sourced: August 2026
Credits
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- Release date
- 22 May 2015
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- Recording date
- 11 October 2014
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- Location
- Grote Kerk, Naarden
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- Conductor
- Jos van Veldhoven
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- Alto
- Alex Potter
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- Tenor
- Thomas Hobbs
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- Bass
- Peter Kooij
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- Ripieno soprano
- Lauren Armishaw, Marjon Strijk (solo), Kristen Witmer
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- Ripieno alto
- Marleene Goldstein, Barnabás Hegyi
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- Ripieno tenor
- João Moreira, Kevin Skelton
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- Ripieno bass
- Matthew Baker, Jelle Draijer
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- Violin 1
- Shunske Sato, Anneke van Haaften, Annelies van der Vegt
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- Violin 2
- Sayuri Yamagata, Pieter Affourtit, Paulien Kostense
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- Viola
- Staas Swierstra, Jan Willem Vis
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Richte van der Meer
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- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
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- Traverso
- Marten Root
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- Oboe
- Martin Stadler, Peter Frankenberg
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- Bassoon
- Benny Aghassi
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- Trumpet
- Robert Vanryne
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- Harpsichord
- Siebe Henstra
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- Positive organ
- Leo van Doeselaar
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- Concert production
- Imke Deters, Erik van Lith, Marco Meijdam
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- Producers
- Zoë de Wilde, Frank van der Weij
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- Film director
- Lucas van Woerkum
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- Director of photography
- Sal Kroonenberg
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- Camera
- Sal Kroonenberg, Robert Berger, Ruben van den Broeke, Benjamin Sparschuh
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- Film editors
- Lucas van Woerkum, Frank van der Weij
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- Music recording producer
- Leo de Klerk
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- Gaffer
- Zen Bloot
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- Best boys
- Roeland van Bemmel, Patrick Galvin
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- Score reader
- MaNOj Kamps
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- Music recording assistants
- Jaap Firet, Gilius Kreiken, Jaap van Stenis, Bobby Verbakel
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- Camera assistants
- Izak de Dreu, Zino Rosmolen
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- Music edit and mix
- Leo de Klerk, Frank van der Weij
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- Music edit assistant
- Martijn Snoeren
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- Interviews
- Onno van Ameijde
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- Acknowledgements
- Angela Mast, Marlo Reeders
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