An [a]Excellent Song Which Was Solomon’s
1 1 The familiar talk and mystical communication of the spiritual love between Jesus Christ and his Church. 5 The domestical enemies that persecute the Church.
1 Let [b]him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
2 Because of the [c]savor of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out: therefore the [d]virgins love thee.
3 [e]Draw me: we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his [f]chambers: we will rejoice and be glad in thee: we will remember thy love more than wine: the righteous do love thee.
4 I am [g]black, O daughters of Jerusalem, but comely, as the tents of [h]Kedar, and as the [i]curtains of Solomon.
5 Regard ye me not because I am [j]black: for the [k]sun hath looked upon me. The [l]sons of my mother were angry against me: they made me the keeper of the vines: but I [m]kept not mine own vine.
6 Show me, [n]O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the stocks of [o]thy companions?
7 [p]If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steps of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds.
8 I have compared thee, O my love, to the troupe of horses in the [q]chariots of Pharaoh.
9 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of stones, and thy neck with chains.
10 We will make thee borders of gold with floods of silver.
11 [r]While the King was at his repast, my spikenard gave the smell thereof.
12 My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh unto me: he shall lie between my [s]breasts.
13 My well-beloved is as a cluster of camphire unto me in the vines of En Gedi.
14 My love, behold, thou art [t]fair: behold, thou art fair: thine eyes are like the doves.
15 My well-beloved, behold, thou art fair, and pleasant: also our [u]bed is green.
16 The beams of our house are cedars, our rafters are of fir.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:1 Hebrew, a song of songs: so called because it is the chiefest of those 1005, which Solomon made, as is mentioned, I Kings 4:32.
- Song of Solomon 1:1 This is spoken in the person of the Church, or of the faithful soul inflamed with the desire of Christ, whom she loveth.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 The feeling of thy great benefits.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 They that are pure in heart and conversation.
- Song of Solomon 1:3 The faithful confess that they cannot come to Christ, except they be drawn.
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Meaning, the secret joy that is not known to the world.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 The Church confesseth her spots and sin, but hath confidence in the favor of Christ.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Kedar was Ishmael’s son, of whom came the Arabians that dwelt in tents.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Which within were all set with precious stones and Jewels.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 Consider not the Church by the outward appearance.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 The corruption of nature through sin and afflictions.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 Mine own brethren, which should have most favored me.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 She confesseth her own negligence.
- Song of Solomon 1:6 The spouse feeling her fault fleeth to her husband only for succor.
- Song of Solomon 1:6 Whom thou hast called to the dignity of pastors, and they set forth their own dreams instead of thy doctrine.
- Song of Solomon 1:7 Christ speaketh to his Church, bidding them that are ignorant, to go to the pastors to learn.
- Song of Solomon 1:8 For thy spiritual beauty and excellency there was no worldly treasure to be compared unto thee.
- Song of Solomon 1:11 The Church rejoiceth that she is admitted to the company of Christ.
- Song of Solomon 1:12 He shall be most dear unto me.
- Song of Solomon 1:14 Christ accepteth his Church, and commendeth her beauty.
- Song of Solomon 1:15 That is, the heart of the faithful, wherein Christ dwelleth by his Spirit.