Song of Solomon — Chapter 4

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1Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

2Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

4Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

5Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

6Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

7Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

8Come 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.

9Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

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

11Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

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

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

16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

1Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are [as] doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead.

2Thy teeth are like a flock [of ewes] that are [newly] shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.

3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.

4Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men.

5Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.

6Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.

7Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee.

8Come with me from Lebanon, [my] bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions` dens, From the mountains of the leopards.

9Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, [my] bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.

10How fair is thy love, my sister, [my] bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!

11Thy lips, O [my] bride, drop [as] the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12A garden shut up is my sister, [my] bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants,

14Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.

15[Thou art] a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon.

16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

1The Lover to His Beloved: Oh, you are beautiful, my darling! Oh, you are beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair is like a flock of female goats descending from Mount Gilead.

2Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from the washing place; each of them has a twin, and not one of them is missing.

3Your lips are like a scarlet thread; your mouth is lovely. Your forehead behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate.

4Your neck is like the tower of David built with courses of stones; one thousand shields are hung on it— all shields of valiant warriors.

5Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of the gazelle grazing among the lilies.

6Until the dawn arrives and the shadows flee, I will go up to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.

7You are altogether beautiful, my darling! There is no blemish in you!

8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards.

9You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride! You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.

10How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine; the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice!

11Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12The Lover to His Beloved: You are a locked garden, my sister, my bride; you are an enclosed spring, a sealed-up fountain.

13Your shoots are a royal garden full of pomegranates with choice fruits: henna with nard,

14nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon with every kind of spice, myrrh and aloes with all the finest spices.

15You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.

16The Beloved to Her Lover: Awake, O north wind; come, O south wind! Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell. May my beloved come into his garden and eat its delightful fruit!

1Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is as a flock of goats, that descend from Mount Gilead.

2Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock, which have come up from the washing, where every one of them has twins. None is bereaved among them.

3Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

4Your neck is like David’s tower built for an armory, whereon a thousand shields hang, all the shields of the mighty men.

5Your two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.

6Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.

7You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in you.

8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride. You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck.

10How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine! The fragrance of your perfumes than all kinds of spices!

11Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12A locked up garden is my sister, my bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.

13Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits: henna with spikenard plants,

14spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree; myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices,

15a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, flowing streams from Lebanon.

16Awake, north wind; and come, you south! Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

The wedding night — the Bridegroom praises the Bride's beauty from head to toe in elaborate imagery, calling her 'a garden locked, a fountain sealed,' and she invites him to enter his garden and taste its fruits.

Authorship & Background

Author: Solomon (1:1). Also called 'Canticles' or 'Song of Songs' (the greatest song). A love poem celebrating marital love — the only extended treatment of romantic/sexual love in Scripture. Interpreted on multiple levels: (1) literal — celebrating human love within marriage; (2) allegorical — picturing God's love for Israel or Christ's love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25-32). Key themes: the beauty and dignity of marital love, desire and fulfillment, the beloved's pursuit, and love 'strong as death' (8:6).
Historical Context: Chapter 4 is the Bridegroom's extended praise of the Bride — a "wasf" (Arabic literary form: a descriptive poem praising the beloved's body from head to toe). This is the wedding night: the procession of Chapter 3 has concluded, and now the Bridegroom speaks his admiration over his Bride with lavish, uninhibited praise. Every feature is celebrated — eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, breasts — using imagery from nature, architecture, and precious things. The climax is verse 7: "Thou art ALL fair, my love; there is NO spot in thee" — total, unconditional affirmation. The second half (vv.12-16) shifts to garden imagery: she is an enclosed garden, a sealed fountain — exclusive, reserved, fruitful. The chapter ends with the Bride's invitation: "Let my beloved come into his garden" — the consummation of marriage. Allegorically, this chapter pictures how Christ sees His Church: entirely beautiful, without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:27), a garden of delight reserved exclusively for Him.
Speakers:
  • The Bridegroom (Solomon): vv.1-15 (praise of the Bride)
  • The Bride (Shulamite): v.16 (invitation)

Map & Geography

  • Gilead (v.1): Mountainous region east of the Jordan River.
  • Lebanon (v.8, v.11, v.15): Region north of Israel known for its cedar forests.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that the Bridegroom's praise is detailed, specific, and lavish — he does not offer generic compliments but notices every feature. This models how husbands should speak to wives: with specific, generous, uninhibited praise. The "enclosed garden" (v.12) represents the beauty of sexual exclusivity — virginity before marriage and faithfulness within it are not restrictions but gifts. Guzik notes the allegorical significance: Christ's detailed knowledge of and delight in each believer.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.' What words are these from the mouth of the altogether Lovely One! He who sees all things, who knows every secret of the heart — He declares His Bride 'all fair.' This is not blindness but grace. He has washed her in His blood, clothed her in His righteousness, and now declares what is true: in His sight, justified by faith, there is no spot. Believer, receive this word — not as flattery but as the verdict of your Judge who is also your Bridegroom. He sees you as you are IN HIM."

Reflection

  • 1. Speak beauty over your beloved (vv.1-7). The Bridegroom does not think beautiful thoughts silently — he SPEAKS them, in detail, with lavish specificity. In marriage: your spouse needs to HEAR what you see. Unspoken admiration is wasted admiration. Be specific, generous, and frequent in praise. Spiritually: this is how Christ speaks over you. Do you hear His voice declaring "all fair, no spot"? Let His affirmation define you.
  • 2. "No spot in thee" (v.7). Total acceptance. In marriage: love that catalogues flaws is not love — it is critique masquerading as care. Choose to see your spouse as the Bridegroom sees the Bride: wholly beautiful. Spiritually: in Christ, God sees no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Your sins are removed "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12). Live in the freedom of "no spot" — not in the bondage of self-accusation.
  • 3. Exclusivity is beautiful (v.12). The sealed garden is not a prison — it is a treasure. Sexual purity (before and within marriage) is not a restriction but a gift of focused abundance. In marriage: your intimacy belongs to one person alone, and that exclusivity makes it sacred. Spiritually: give Christ undivided devotion — don't spread your worship among competing loves.
  • 4. Invitation, not force (v.16). The Bride INVITES: "Let my beloved come." He does not take — she gives. He does not force entry — she opens. In marriage: intimacy is always by mutual, joyful consent. Spiritually: Christ stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20) — He does not break it down. He waits for your willing invitation.
  • 5. Both winds release fragrance (v.16). "North wind AND south wind" — cold adversity AND warm blessing both serve to release the garden's spices. In marriage: both difficult seasons and joyful seasons deepen love when faced together. Spiritually: both suffering and prosperity can produce Christlikeness. Don't resent the north wind — it releases fragrance that comfort alone cannot.