Song of Solomon Chapter 5 — The Beloved's Search
The Shulammite woman experiences a restless night searching for her beloved and later describes his striking appearance to the daughters of Jerusalem.
1I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
2I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
3I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on?
4My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening.
5I rose up to open for my beloved.
6I opened to my beloved;
7The watchmen who go about the city found me.
8I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
9How is your beloved better than another beloved,
10My beloved is white and ruddy.
11His head is like the purest gold.
12His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks,
13His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes.
14His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl.
15His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold.
16His mouth is sweetness;
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Song of Solomon 5:2
“I was asleep, but my heart was awake.”
This verse captures the narrator's constant state of focus and longing for her beloved, even while resting.
Song of Solomon 5:16
“His mouth is sweetness;”
This phrase introduces the concluding praise for her beloved's character and appearance.
Chapter Summary
In Song of Solomon Chapter 5, the beloved enters his garden and invites others to share in its abundance. The narrator then recounts a sequence where she is awakened by her beloved knocking at her door. Though she initially hesitates to rise, she eventually goes to open the door, only to find he has already departed. Distressed by his absence, she searches the city to find him. During her search, she encounters the city watchmen who mistreat her. When she meets the daughters of Jerusalem, she asks for their help and is questioned about what makes her beloved so special. In response, she provides a highly detailed and poetic description of his physical appearance, comparing his features to gold, doves, spices, and marble. She concludes her praise by declaring his character and presence to be sweetness, emphasizing her deep love and friendship for him.
Frequently Asked Questions
When the woman finally rises to open the door, her beloved has already gone. This leads her into a search through the city to find him, highlighting the pain of separation and longing.
The watchmen are individuals patrolling the city who find the woman as she searches for her beloved. Unlike an earlier encounter in the book, they are portrayed here as treating her harshly.
She uses elaborate metaphors, comparing his head to gold, his eyes to doves, and his legs to marble pillars. She emphasizes his unique beauty and strength to explain why she is searching for him.
Study Note
The detailed physical description of the male beloved in verses 10–16 is a 'wasf,' a traditional Near Eastern poetic form used to celebrate physical beauty.
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