Composed in Weimar for the Twenty third Sunday after Trinity, which fell on November 24, 1715, Bach's Cantata No. 163 "Nur jedem das Seine!" (Do justice to all men!) (BWV 163) sets a text by Salomon Franck from 1715 for its first five movements and a chorale by Johann Heermann from 1630 for its finale movement. Scored for tenor, bass, soprano, and alto soloists and chorus, strings, and basso continuo, "Nur jedem das Seine!" is one of Bach's most austerely scored cantatas. "Nur jedem das Seine!" begins in dark B minor with its first movements in the tonic, its second movement in A minor, its third in E minor, its fourth starting in B minor and ending in the relative major of D major, the tonality of the fifth and sixth movements. Thus, the cantata harmonically moves toward the tonic of D major with the first movement in the relative minor, the second in the minor dominant, and the third in the minor supertonic. The first movement is a da capo aria for tenor with stings and continuo. The second is a very dry secco recitative for soloist and continuo. The third is an aria for tenor soloist accompanied by a pair of obbligato cellos and continuo. The fourth is a second recitative, but this time as an expansive, heartrending duet for alto and soprano soloists and continuo, one of the few duet recitatives in Bach's cantatas. The fifth is a gladdening aria in the form of a trio sonata for the same pair of soloists as in the previous movement, violins and violas all unisono and continuo. "Nur jedem das Seine!" concludes with an austere harmonization of Heermann's chorale for chorus and strings colla parte.

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