Song of Solomon — Chapter 7
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1How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O daughter of the prince! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the handiwork of a master.
2Your navel is a rounded goblet; it never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by the lilies.
3Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
4Your neck is like a tower made of ivory; your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, facing toward Damascus.
5Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple threads; the king is captured in your tresses.
6How fair and pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!
7Your stature is like a palm tree; your breasts are clusters of fruit.
8I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9and your mouth like the finest wine. May it flow smoothly to my beloved, gliding gently over lips and teeth.
10I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.
11Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside; let us spend the night among the wildflowers.
12Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom—there I will give you my love.
13The mandrakes send forth a fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, new as well as old, that I have treasured up for you, my beloved.
1How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.
2Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
3Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
4Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
5Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
6How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
7This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
8I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
9And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
10I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.
11Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
12Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
13The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
1How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince`s daughter! Thy rounded thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skilful workman.
2Thy body is [like] a round goblet, [Wherein] no mingled wine is wanting: Thy waist is [like] a heap of wheat Set about with lilies.
3Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe.
4Thy neck is like the tower of ivory; Thine eyes [as] the pools in Heshbon, By the gate of Bath-rabbim; Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looketh toward Damascus.
5Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the hair of thy head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses [thereof].
6How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
7This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, And thy breasts to its clusters.
8I said, I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof: Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, And the smell of thy breath like apples,
9And thy mouth like the best wine, That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep.
10I am my beloved`s; And his desire is toward me.
11Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; Let us lodge in the villages.
12Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see whether the vine hath budded, [And] its blossom is open, [And] the pomegranates are in flower: There will I give thee my love.
13The mandrakes give forth fragrance; And at our doors are all manner of precious fruits, new and old, Which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
1The Lover to His Beloved: (7:2) How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O nobleman’s daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a master craftsman.
2Your navel is a round mixing bowl— may it never lack mixed wine! Your belly is a mound of wheat, encircled by lilies.
3Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
4Your neck is like a tower made of ivory. Your eyes are the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.
5Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. The locks of your hair are like royal tapestries— the king is held captive in its tresses!
6How beautiful you are! How lovely, O love, with your delights!
7The Lover to His Beloved: Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like clusters of grapes.
8I want to climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit stalks. May your breasts be like the clusters of grapes, and may the fragrance of your breath be like apples!
9May your mouth be like the best wine, flowing smoothly for my beloved, gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.
10The Beloved about Her Lover: I am my beloved’s, and he desires me!
11The Beloved to Her Lover: Come, my beloved; let us go to the countryside; let us spend the night in the villages.
12Let us rise early to go to the vineyards, to see if the vines have budded, to see if their blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom— there I will give you my love.
13The mandrakes send out their fragrance; over our door is every delicacy, both new and old, which I have stored up for you, my lover.
1How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.
2Your body is like a round goblet, no mixed wine is wanting. Your waist is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies.
3Your two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a roe.
4Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.
5Your head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses.
6How beautiful and how pleasant you are, love, for delights!
7This, your stature, is like a palm tree, your breasts like its fruit.
8I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit.” Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the smell of your breath like apples,
9Your mouth like the best wine, that goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of those who are asleep.
10I am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me.
11Come, my beloved, let us go out into the field. Let us lodge in the villages.
12Let’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love.
13The mandrakes produce fragrance. At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, which I have stored up for you, my beloved.
Summary
The Bridegroom praises the Bride's beauty from her feet to her head, comparing her to a palm tree and her form to clusters of grapes, in the most elaborate description in the book (vv. 1-9). The Bride responds that she belongs to her Beloved and his desire is for her (v. 10). She invites him to go with her to the countryside and vineyards, to see whether the vines have budded, promising to give him her love there (vv. 11-12). The chapter closes with her describing the fragrant mandrakes and the choice fruits, both new and old, that she has kept in store for him (v. 13).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Damascus (v.4): Ancient Syrian city; site of Paul's conversion.
- Lebanon (v.4): Region north of Israel known for its cedar forests.
- Carmel (v.5): Mountain range along the Mediterranean coast; site of Elijah's contest with Baal.
Places on this map
- DamascusDamascus, SyriaAn oasis city where the Barada river runs out of the Anti-Lebanon into the desert, about 135 miles north-east of Jerusalem. It sat astride the caravan roads to Mesopotamia and Arabia, which made Aram rich and made it Israel's most persistent northern rival. Wikipedia
- LebanonMount Lebanon range, LebanonIn the Bible this is the mountain range, not the modern country: a snow-capped wall rising over 10,000 feet behind the Phoenician coast. Its cedar was the prestige timber of the ancient Near East and both the tabernacle's successors and Solomon's temple were built from it. Wikipedia
- Mediterranean SeaCalled simply the Great Sea, and treated as the western edge of the world. Israel's coast has almost no natural harbours, so for most of its history the sea was a boundary rather than a road, and seafaring was left to the Phoenicians. Wikipedia
- AramSyriaThe Syrian interior north-east of Israel, a set of city-states rather than one kingdom, with Damascus the strongest. Aramaic, its language, became the everyday speech of the whole region including Judea. Wikipedia
- Mount CarmelHaifa, IsraelA wooded limestone ridge that runs 15 miles from the coast inland, reaching about 1,700 feet and forcing the main north-south road through the passes at Megiddo. Rain clouds break on it first, which is why Elijah's contest over rain was staged here. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the progression of the three covenant declarations as the Song's structural backbone — tracing the Bride's journey from possessive love (2:16) to surrendered love (6:3) to resting love (7:10). He notes that the final formula contains no claiming at all — only belonging and being desired. This is the rest of mature faith: not striving to hold God but resting in God's desire for you. Guzik also highlights the Bride's invitation (vv.11-13) as evidence that mature love expands outward rather than becoming insular.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Song of Solomon -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- An Identity That's Been Elevated (v.1) — She's called "prince's daughter" even though she started out as a vineyard worker, her identity transformed by whose she now is. Where do you still define yourself by your past labor or inadequacy instead of by who you actually belong to now?
- Desire Spoken Without Shame (v.9) — The Bridegroom voices his desire for her openly and without embarrassment. Do you carry any shame around desire that God actually designed to be good within its proper place?
- Resting in Being Wanted (v.10) — She declares that she belongs to her beloved and that his desire is toward her, resting in being chosen rather than striving to earn it. Are you still trying to perform your way into being wanted, when you could simply rest in already being desired?
- Wanting All of Ordinary Life Together (vv.11-13) — She invites him not just to intimacy but to the fields and vineyards to see together whether the vines are flourishing. Are you keeping your closest relationship, or your relationship with God, confined to special moments instead of inviting it into your ordinary days?