Song of Solomon — Chapter 6

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1Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

2My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

4Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

5Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

6Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

7As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

8There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

9My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

11I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

12Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

13Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

1Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?

2My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3I am my beloved`s, and my beloved is mine; He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies,

4Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.

5Turn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.

6Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.

7Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.

8There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.

9My dove, my undefiled, is [but] one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; [Yea], the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?

11I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, [And] the pomegranates were in flower.

12Before I was aware, my soul set me [Among] the chariots of my princely people.

13Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim?

1The Maidens to the Beloved: Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned? Tell us, that we may seek him with you.

2The Beloved to the Maidens: My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the flowerbeds of balsam spices, to graze in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3The Beloved about Her Lover: I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine; he grazes among the lilies.

4The Lover to His Beloved: My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awe-inspiring as bannered armies.

5Turn your eyes away from me— they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.

6Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing; each has its twin; not one of them is missing.

7Like a slice of pomegranate is your forehead behind your veil.

8There may be sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and young women without number.

9But she is unique, my dove, my perfect one! She is the special daughter of her mother; she is the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and complimented her; the queens and concubines praised her:

10“Who is this who appears like the dawn? Beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring as the stars in procession?”

11The Lover to His Beloved: I went down to the orchard of walnut trees, to look for the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines had budded or if the pomegranates were in bloom.

12I was beside myself with joy! There please give me your myrrh, O daughter of my princely people.

13The Lover to His Beloved: (7:1) Turn, turn, O Perfect One! Turn, turn, that I may stare at you!The Beloved to Her Lover: Why do you gaze upon the Perfect One like the dance of the Mahanaim?

1Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

2My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies,

4You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.

5Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead.

6Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing; of which every one has twins; no one is bereaved among them.

7Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

8There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

9My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?

11I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.

12Without realizing it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.

13Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Lover Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Reunion and renewed praise — the Bride knows where her Beloved has gone ('to his garden'); he responds with fresh praise of her unique beauty, declaring her flawless among all women.

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 6 resolves the crisis of Chapter 5. The Daughters of Jerusalem, moved by the Bride's description of her beloved, ask where he has gone so they can seek him with her (v.1). The Bride's answer reveals that she already knows: "My beloved is gone down into his garden" (v.2). The crisis has passed; reunion has occurred. The covenant declaration is renewed with a significant shift: "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" (v.3) — compared to 2:16 ("My beloved is mine, and I am his"), the order reverses. Now she emphasizes HIS possession of HER first — a deepening of surrender. The Bridegroom then renews his praise (vv.4- 10), comparing her to beautiful cities (Tirzah, Jerusalem) and declaring her unique among all women. The chapter ends with the mysterious "Shulamite" passage (v.13) where onlookers call for her return and admire her beauty. Allegorically, this chapter pictures restoration after spiritual failure — the believer's renewed communion with Christ, the deepening of surrender, and Christ's unwavering declaration of His Bride's beauty even after her unfaithfulness.
Speakers:
  • The Daughters of Jerusalem: v.1, v.13a
  • The Bride (Shulamite): vv.2-3, v.11-12
  • The Bridegroom (Solomon): vv.4-10
  • Onlookers/Narrator: v.13b

Map & Geography

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the progression of the covenant formula (2:16 to 6:3 to 7:10) as one of the most important structural elements in the Song. It marks the Bride's spiritual maturation from possessive claiming to surrendered belonging. Guzik also notes that the Bridegroom's praise AFTER the crisis of Chapter 5 is even more lavish than before — grace responds to failure not with diminished love but with renewed affirmation.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' Mark the order. She puts HIS ownership first now. In earlier days she said, 'My beloved is mine' — claiming Him, grasping Him, taking Him as her possession. Now, matured by experience and suffering, she says, 'I am HIS' first. This is growth. The young believer cries, 'What is mine in Christ?' The mature believer asks, 'What am I to Christ? How can I be more fully His?' When you can say 'I am my beloved's' before you say 'and my beloved is mine,' you have grown in grace."

Reflection

  • 1. The order of belonging matters (v.3). "I am my beloved's" comes first now. Spiritual maturity reverses our instinct from "What do I get from God?" to "How fully do I belong to God?" In marriage: move from "What does my spouse do for me?" to "How can I belong more fully to them?" This reversal marks growth. Yield ownership first; receiving follows naturally.
  • 2. His love is unchanged after your failure (v.4). After the crisis of Chapter 5 — her delay, his departure, her suffering — his praise is UNDIMINISHED. He does not punish with coldness or reduce his affirmation. In marriage: after conflict or failure, don't withdraw praise — restore it lavishly. Spiritually: Christ's love for you is not performance-based. After your worst failures, His declaration over you remains: "Beautiful."
  • 3. You are singular, not one of many (v.9). Among countless others, she is "but one" — unique, chosen, irreplaceable. In marriage: your spouse should know they are not one option among many but your singular, exclusive choice. Spiritually: Christ does not love generically — He loves YOU specifically, individually, uniquely. You are not one in a crowd to Him.
  • 4. Your beauty grows (v.10). Morning to moon to sun — increasing light, increasing glory. In marriage: love that matures becomes MORE beautiful, not less. The best is ahead, not behind. Spiritually: the Christian life is "from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18). You are becoming more radiant, not fading. The trajectory is sunrise, not sunset.
  • 5. Your gaze has power (v.5). "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." In marriage: the power of focused, loving attention is enormous — look at your spouse with intention, admiration, and delight. Spiritually: your worship, your attention, your gaze toward God MOVES Him. He is not indifferent to your devotion. Zephaniah 3:17 — He rejoices over you with singing.