Song of Solomon 4

King James Version

Full text for Song of Solomon Chapter 4

1¶ Behold, thou [art] fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair; thou [hast] doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair [is] as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

2Thy teeth [are] like a flock [of sheep that are even] shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none [is] barren among them.

3Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech [is] comely: thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

4Thy neck [is] like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

5Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

6Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

7Thou [art] all fair, my love; [there is] no spot in thee.

8¶ Come with me from Lebanon, [my] spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, [my] spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10How fair is thy love, my sister, [my] spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11Thy lips, O [my] spouse, drop [as] the honeycomb: honey and milk [are] under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments [is] like the smell of Lebanon.

12A garden inclosed [is] my sister, [my] spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13Thy plants [are] an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

14Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15¶ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, [that] the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The Beloved ardently praises the Shulamite's unparalleled beauty, describing her features with rich natural and architectural imagery. He declares her entirely fair and without blemish, then invites her to join him from the mountains. He likens her to an exclusive, fragrant garden, a source of living waters, leading to her invitation for him to enter her garden.

Medium Summary

The Beloved begins by extolling the Shulamite's physical perfections, comparing her eyes to doves, her hair to a flock of goats, and her teeth to shorn sheep. He praises her lips, temples, neck, and breasts with vivid similes, culminating in the declaration that she is "all fair" and without blemish. He then extends an invitation for her to leave the dangerous mountains of Lebanon and join him, expressing how deeply she has captivated his heart. Her love is esteemed above wine, and her fragrance surpasses all spices. He describes her as an "inclosed garden," a sealed fountain, rich with precious fruits and spices, signifying her purity and exclusivity. The chapter concludes with the Shulamite inviting the winds to awaken her garden's fragrance, and her beloved to come and partake of its pleasant fruits.

Long Summary

Song of Solomon chapter four opens with the Beloved's passionate declaration of the Shulamite's exquisite beauty, repeating "Behold, thou art fair, my love." He meticulously describes her features, likening her eyes to doves, her flowing hair to a flock of goats descending Mount Gilead, and her perfectly aligned teeth to a flock of shorn, twin-bearing sheep. Her lips are compared to a scarlet thread, her speech comely, and her temples to a piece of pomegranate. He praises her stately neck as the tower of David, adorned with shields, and her breasts as twin roes feeding among lilies. The Beloved then expresses his desire to retreat to the mountain of myrrh and frankincense until daybreak, affirming her complete fairness and lack of any blemish. He extends an earnest invitation for her to come with him from the perilous heights of Lebanon, away from lions' dens and leopards' mountains, addressing her as "my sister, my spouse." He confesses that she has "ravished" his heart with a single glance and a chain of her neck, proclaiming her love superior to wine and her ointments more fragrant than all spices. Her lips are likened to dropping honeycomb, with honey and milk beneath her tongue, and her garments possess the scent of Lebanon. The Beloved further describes her as an "inclosed garden," a "spring shut up," and a "fountain sealed," emphasizing her purity, exclusivity, and untouched nature. He enumerates the rich array of pleasant fruits, camphire, spikenard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, myrrh, and aloes within her garden, identifying her as a "fountain of gardens" and a "well of living waters" flowing from Lebanon. The chapter culminates with the Shulamite's response, calling upon the north and south winds to blow upon her garden, releasing its spices, and inviting her beloved to enter and partake of its pleasant fruits, signifying their anticipated union.

Core Concepts

  • The Beloved's PraiseThe male speaker ardently praises the Shulamite's physical beauty, using a series of elaborate similes drawn from nature and architecture to describe her features.
  • Unblemished BeautyThe Beloved declares the Shulamite "all fair" and asserts that "there is no spot in thee," emphasizing her perfect and pure beauty in his eyes.
  • Invitation to UnionThe Beloved invites the Shulamite to leave the dangerous mountains of Lebanon and join him, expressing his deep affection and desire for her presence.
  • The Inclosed GardenThe Shulamite is metaphorically described as an "inclosed garden," a "spring shut up," and a "fountain sealed," symbolizing her purity, exclusivity, and untouched nature.
  • Abundance and FragranceHer "garden" is depicted as rich with pomegranates, various spices, and fragrant trees, signifying her delightful essence and the abundance of her charms.
  • Living WatersShe is also called a "fountain of gardens" and a "well of living waters," representing her life-giving and refreshing nature.
  • Mutual InvitationThe chapter concludes with the Shulamite inviting her beloved into her garden, signifying her readiness for intimacy and their anticipated shared delight.