Song of Solomon 4:1-16

A Wonderful Song about Love

Song of Songs

Mark Kirkpatrick

Chapter 4

The Man

v1 My *dear, you are so beautiful!

Oh, you are beautiful!

Your eyes are behind your *veil.

They are like *doves.

Your hair is like a group of goats.

They are coming down from the mountain called Gilead.

v2 Your teeth are white like sheep whose wool is clean and neat.

Each sheep has its *twin.

None of the young sheep is alone.

v3 Your lips are like a red ribbon.

They are so lovely when you speak.

Your cheeks are red behind your *veil.

They are like a *pomegranate.

v4 Your neck is like a strong building.

This building stands above the castle that David built.

Your neck is round and smooth.

A thousand *shields hang on it.

All these *shields belong to soldiers.

v5 Your breasts are like two young *gazelles.

A *gazelle can have *twins.

These *twins eat among the flowers.

Your breasts are like these *twins.

v6 I will go to the mountain of *myrrh.

I will go to the hill of *incense.

I will go there until the day begins.

I will go there until the shadows disappear.

v7 You are beautiful, my *dear!

How perfect you are!

Verse 1 This is probably the beginning of the wedding ceremony. Perhaps this is the reason that she is wearing a *veil. The word ‘goats’ has the idea that the woman is strong. The hair of goats can wave in the wind. So the man is being kind to her. The *Hebrew for ‘coming down’ has a special meaning. The goats are like a stream. We are not sure where the mountain called Gilead is.

Verse 2 The woman has wonderful teeth. The ‘*twins’ mean that she has all her teeth. There are none missing. The sheep have very good health. They are clean. This woman is perfect in all her details.

Verse 3 Women used to colour their lips. They made their lips look more red. The man also likes the sound of the woman’s voice (Song of Solomon 2:14). So her lips are lovely too. Red cheeks show that she is healthy. The taste of *pomegranates is sweet. They are also round. People associate them with love in some countries.

Verse 4 The woman’s neck is round and smooth. The *Hebrew for ‘*shields’ is not clear. It could mean anything that an army might use (Ezekiel 27:11). However, the ‘*shields’ might be a *symbol for *jewels. These would be on her neck. Soldiers dress well for a procession. So the woman also is attractive.

Verse 5 The *gazelles are probably a *symbol. They are graceful animals that have much energy. There may also be connections with sex (also in Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 2:9). There is a mixture of *symbols. In Song of Solomon 5:13, the woman refers to the man’s lips as *lotuses. And lotuses are flowers. Perhaps the woman is suggesting that the man should kiss her.

Verse 6 *Myrrh and *incense have beautiful smells. People associated these smells with love. The ‘mountain’ and ‘hill’ are probably *symbols of the woman’s breasts. Perhaps the bride put *incense between her breasts. This could help their love (see Song of Solomon 1:13; Song of Solomon 3:6).

Verse 7 This verse completes this section. It says everything that the man thinks. The woman is perfect.

The Man

v8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.

Come with me from Lebanon.

Come down from the top of Amana mountain,

from the top of Senir, the top of Hermon.

Come from the lions’ cave.

And from where *leopards live in the mountains.

v9 I want to love you with all of my heart, my sister.

I want to love you, my bride.

You gave me one look with your eyes,

You showed me one stone of your *jewels.

v10 Your love is a delight, my sister, my bride!

Your love is so much better than wine!

Your *perfume smells better than any *spice.

v11 Your lips are sweet.

They are like honey, my bride.

Honey and milk are under your tongue.

Your clothes have the smell of Lebanon.

v12 My sister, my bride, you are like a garden.

This is a garden that someone has locked.

You are like a place where there is fresh water.

It is a private place.

You are like a fountain that someone has closed.

v13 These plants grow in your garden:

*pomegranates with the best fruit

bushes and flowers that have a beautiful smell

v14 *perfume bushes and other flowers

many *spices

trees with *incense

*myrrh and the best *spices.

v15 You are like a fountain in a garden.

You are like a well of fresh water.

This water comes down quickly from the Lebanon mountains.

The Woman

v16 Wake up, north wind!

Come, south wind!

Blow on my garden.

Then its smell can spread everywhere.

Let my lover come into his garden.

Then he can taste its pleasant fruit.

dear ~ someone that you love in a special way.
veil ~ a piece of cloth; a woman wears it over her face; it is possible to see through it.
dove ~ a bird.
twin ~ one of a pair - both come from one mother in one birth.
pomegranate ~ a fruit which is the size of an orange.
shield ~ a piece of metal that a soldier uses to protect himself.
gazelle ~ an animal.
myrrh ~ something that comes from trees; people use it in incense.
incense ~ a spice that produces a sweet smell.
spice ~ a special plant that has a strong smell and taste. People use spices to make incense and perfume.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.
incense ~ a spice that produces a sweet smell.
spice ~ a special plant that has a strong smell and taste. People use spices to make incense and perfume.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.
Hebrew ~ the language that Song of Songs is written in.
symbol ~ something that represents something else; a sign of an object; something that actually means something else.
jewel ~ a precious stone.
lotus ~ a flower.
myrrh ~ something that comes from trees; people use it in incense.
incense ~ a spice that produces a sweet smell.
spice ~ a special plant that has a strong smell and taste. People use spices to make incense and perfume.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.
leopard ~ a dangerous animal.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.
spice ~ a special plant that has a strong smell and taste. People use spices to make incense and perfume.
incense ~ a spice that produces a sweet smell.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.'

How to love God with all your heart

Song of Songs

Commentary: Keith Simons. Translation: Mark Kirkpatrick

Chapter 4

Solomon’s beautiful words about the woman whom he loves

Solomon

v1 My *dear, you are so beautiful!

Oh, you are beautiful!

Your eyes are behind your *veil.

They are like *doves.

Your hair is like a group of goats.

They are coming down from the mountain called Gilead.

v2 Your teeth are white like sheep whose wool is clean and neat.

Each sheep has its *twin.

None of the young sheep is alone.

v3 Your lips are like a red ribbon.

They are so lovely when you speak.

Your cheeks are red behind your *veil.

They are like a *pomegranate.

v4 Your neck is like a strong building.

This building stands above the castle that David built.

Your neck is round and smooth.

A thousand *shields hang on it.

All these *shields belong to soldiers.

v5 Your breasts are like two young *gazelles.

A *gazelle can have *twins.

These *twins eat among the flowers.

Your breasts are like these *twins.

v6 I will go to the mountain of *myrrh.

I will go to the hill of *incense.

I will go there until the day begins.

I will go there until the shadows disappear.

v7 You are beautiful, my *dear!

How perfect you are!