Song of Solomon

Chapter 4

Christ sets forth the graces of the church, 1-7. He shows his love to her, 8-15. The church prays to be made fit for his presence, 16.

[Gentleman:]

Behold, you are fair, my love./
Behold, you are fair./
You have doves' eyes within your veil./
Your hair is as a flock of goats/
that appear from mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn,/
which came up from the washing,/
all of which bear twins,/
and not one is barren among them.

Your lips are like a thread of scarlet/
and your speech is lovely./
Your temples are like a piece of pomegranate/
within your veil.

Your neck is like the tower of David/
built for an armory,/
on which hang a thousand bucklers,/
all shields of mighty men.

Your two breasts are like two fawns/
that are twins of a gazelle,/
which feed among the lilies.

Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away,/
I will go to the mountain of myrrh/
and to the hill of frankincense.

You are all fair, my love./
There is no spot in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,/
with me from Lebanon./
Look from the top of Amana,/
from the top of Shenir and Hermon,/
from the lions' dens,/
from the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse./
You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes,/
with one chain of your neck.

10 How fair your love is, my sister, my spouse!/
How much better your love is than wine,/
and the smell of your ointments than all spices!

11 Your lips, O my spouse,/
drop as the honey-comb./
Honey and milk are under your tongue./
And the smell of your garments/
is like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse,/
a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates,/
with pleasant fruits,/
camphor, with spikenard,

14 Spikenard and saffron,/
calamus and cinnamon,/
with all trees of frankincense,/
myrrh and aloes,/
with all the chief spices,

15 A fountain of gardens,/
a well of living waters,/
and streams from Lebanon.

[Lady:]

16 Awake, O north wind, and come, O south./
Blow upon my garden so that its spices may flow out./
Let my beloved come into his garden/
and eat his pleasant fruits.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Song of Solomon, Chapter 4[➚]

Notes

John Gill's Chapter Summary:

In this chapter is contained a large commendation of the church’s beauty by Christ: first, more particularly, by an enumeration of several parts, as her eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, and breasts (Song of Solomon 4:1-5); and more generally (Song of Solomon 4:7); And having observed where he himself was determined to go, he invites her to go with him, which he enforces, partly from the danger she was exposed to where she was (Song of Solomon 4:6,8); and partly from the comeliness of her person and graces in his esteem, with which he was ravished, and therefore was extremely desirous of her company (Song of Solomon 4:9-11); And then enters into some new descriptions of her, as a garden and orchard, as a spring and fountain (Song of Solomon 4:12-14); all which she makes to be owing to him (Song of Solomon 4:15). And the chapter is closed with an order from Christ to the winds to blow on his garden and cause the spices of it to flow out, and with an invitation of the church to Christ, to come into his garden and relax there (Song of Solomon 4:16).

Top