Song of Solomon Chapter 4 — A Groom’s Praise and Invitation
The groom praises the bride’s beauty using vivid nature metaphors and invites her to join him in a garden of precious spices and fruits.
1Behold, you are beautiful, my love.
2Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock,
3Your lips are like scarlet thread.
4Your neck is like David’s tower built for an armory,
5Your two breasts are like two fawns
6Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
7You are all beautiful, my love.
8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
9You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride.
10How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
11Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb.
12My sister, my bride, is a locked up garden;
13Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits,
14spikenard and saffron,
15a fountain of gardens,
16Awake, north wind, and come, you south!
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Song of Solomon 4:7
“You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in you.”
This verse summarizes the groom's total admiration for the bride's perfection and character.
Song of Solomon 4:12
“My sister, my bride, is a locked up garden; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.”
This metaphor emphasizes the exclusivity and sanctity of the couple's relationship.
Chapter Summary
Song of Solomon Chapter 4 is a lyrical expression of admiration from the groom to his bride. He describes her features in detail, using metaphors of nature and architecture, such as a flock of goats, David’s tower, and a garden of pomegranates. He emphasizes her perfection and calls her both his sister and his bride, terms denoting intimacy and commitment. The groom invites her to depart with him from the heights of Lebanon and the peaks of Amana and Hermon. He describes her as a locked-up garden filled with exotic spices like spikenard, saffron, and cinnamon, symbolizing her exclusivity and the richness of their relationship. The chapter concludes with a call for the north and south winds to blow upon this garden, carrying its fragrance to the beloved.
Frequently Asked Questions
In ancient Near Eastern love poetry, 'sister' was a common term of endearment. It was used to signify a close, affectionate relationship of equal standing and deep intimacy rather than literal biological kinship.
The 'locked garden' represents the bride’s faithfulness and the private, exclusive nature of the couple's love. It suggests that her beauty and affection are reserved solely for her husband.
The chapter mentions Lebanon, Amana, Senir, and Hermon. These are mountainous regions and peaks located to the north of Israel, known for their majestic landscapes and wildlife.
Study Note
The descriptive style used in this chapter is known in Hebrew and Arabic literature as a 'wasf,' a poem that praises the physical attributes of a beloved through metaphorical comparisons to the natural world.
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