5 1 Christ calleth his Church to the participation of all his treasures. 2 She heareth his voice. 3 She confesseth her nakedness. 10 She praiseth Christ her husband.
1 I am come into my [a]garden, my sister, my spouse, I gathered my myrrh with my spice: I ate mine honeycomb with mine honey, I drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink, and make you merry, O well-beloved.
2 [b]I sleep, but mine heart waketh, it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh, saying, Open unto me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for mine head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the [c]night.
3 I have put off my [d]coat, how shall I defile [put] it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?
4 My well-beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and [e]mine heart was affectioned toward him.
5 I rose up to open to my well-beloved, and mine hands did drop down myrrh, and my [f]fingers pure myrrh upon the handles of the bar.
6 I opened to my well-beloved: but my well-beloved was gone and past: mine heart was gone when he did speak: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he answered me not.
7 The [g]watchmen that were about the city, found me: they smote me, and wounded me: the watchmen of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, [h]O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my well-beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love.
9 [i]O the fairest among women, what is thy well-beloved more than other well-beloved? what is thy well-beloved more than another lover, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My well-beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand.
11 His [j]head is as fine gold, his locks curled, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves upon the rivers of waters, which are washed with milk, and remain by the full vessels.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, and as sweet flowers, and his lips like lilies dropping down pure myrrh.
14 His hands as rings of gold set with the [k]chrysolite, his belly like white ivory covered with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is as sweet things, and he is wholly delectable: this is my well-beloved, and this is my lover, O daughters of Jerusalem.
17 [l]O the fairest among women, whither is thy well-beloved gone? whither is thy well-beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:1 The garden signifieth the kingdom of Christ, where he prepareth the banquet for his elect.
- Song of Solomon 5:2 The spouse saith that she is troubled with the cares of worldly things, which is meant by sleeping.
- Song of Solomon 5:2 Declaring the long patience of the Lord toward sinners.
- Song of Solomon 5:3 The spouse confesseth her nakedness, and that of herself she hath nothing, or seeing that she is once made clean, she promiseth not to defile herself again.
- Song of Solomon 5:4 Hebrew, my bowels were moved towards him.
- Song of Solomon 5:5 The spouse which should be anointed of Christ, shall not find him if she think to anoint him with her good works.
- Song of Solomon 5:7 These are the false teachers, which wound the conscience with their traditions.
- Song of Solomon 5:8 She asketh of them which are godly (forasmuch as the law and salvation should come out of Zion and Jerusalem) that they would direct her to Christ.
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Thus say they of Jerusalem.
- Song of Solomon 5:11 She describeth Christ to be of perfect beauty and comeliness.
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew, Tarshish.
- Song of Solomon 5:17 Hearing of the excellency of Christ, the faithful desire to know how to find him.