1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. a
Woman
2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses are more delightful than wine. b
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating; c
your name is perfume poured out. d
No wonder young women adore you.
4 Take me with you e—let’s hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.
Young Women
We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will celebrate your caresses more than wine.
Woman
It is only right that they adore you.
5 Daughters of Jerusalem, f
I am dark like the tents of Kedar, g
yet lovely h like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me; i
they made me take care of the vineyards. j
I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
7 Tell me, you whom I love: k
Where do you pasture your sheep? l
Where do you let them rest at noon? m
Why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions? n
Man
8 If you do not know,
most beautiful of women, o
follow the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, my darling, p
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. q
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry, r
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.
Woman
12 While the king is on his couch,
my perfume releases its fragrance. s
13 The one I love is a sachet of myrrh to me, t
spending the night between my breasts.
14 The one I love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me, u
in the vineyards of En-gedi. v
Man
15 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves. w
Woman
16 How handsome you are, my love. x
How delightful!
Our bed is verdant;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.
1:1. The type of construction found in the title “Song of Songs” is often used to indicate a superlative idea (e.g., “king of kings” or “holy of holies”). If Solomon was the author, perhaps this was his greatest composition; if not, the poem may be so designated because of its artistry or theme (see “Date, Authorship, and Structure” in the introduction to Song of Songs).
1:2–4. This woman is not passive, waiting for the man to act; she participates fully in their romantic activity, often initiating it. Her words convey the energy and urgency of her desire (1:2). “Caresses” often refers to lovemaking, and she finds the euphoric and intoxicating effect of his love to be even greater than that of wine. As is typical of love poetry, the poetic wording throughout the Song leaves the exact nature of the love/lovemaking ambiguous.
1:5–7. The woman’s words are probably directed to women whose skin reflects the benefits of never having worked outside (1:6). She indicates that her skin is dark because she has had to work in the vineyards. This suggests that she is from a poor family and may have been viewed as incompatible with beauty. Sometimes in the Song “vineyard” or garden refers to a literal one, and at other times it refers to the woman’s body. Both meanings are evident here.
1:8–11. The man has feelings for her like those she has for him and thinks she is the “most beautiful of women” (1:8). He is interested only in her—no matter how much others may love him—and he will obviously welcome her visit. The man regularly calls the woman “my darling” (1:9a). It is a term of endearment that can have an intimate sense or a more general one (the masculine form of this Hebrew word means “friend, companion”).
1:12–14. The scent of the woman’s perfume (1:12) causes her to think of her lover as “a sachet of myrrh” (1:13). En-gedi was a beautiful and fertile oasis in the barren desert; the woman expresses that her lover stands apart from other men in as dramatic a way as En-gedi contrasts with the surrounding desert (1:14).
1:15. The man describes his lover by using words that she will echo back to him in verse 16 and reinforces his compliment by repeating the word “beautiful.”
1:16–2:1. The forest and the beauty of nature remind the woman of the special delight she finds in her lover, and nature is a fitting context for the couple as they find delight in each other (1:16–17). The “wildflower” (2:1) may be a crocus or meadow saffron, and the woman may be comparing herself to a beautiful wildflower or saying that she is only a common wildflower. “Lily” may refer to a lotus (see the CSB footnote), a symbol of life and regeneration in ancient iconography; in this case she would be making a very positive statement about herself.