Song of Solomon 5

King James Version

Full text for Song of Solomon Chapter 5

1¶ I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

2¶ I sleep, but my heart waketh: [it is] the voice of my beloved that knocketh, [saying], Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, [and] my locks with the drops of the night.

3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door], and my bowels were moved for him.

5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped [with] myrrh, and my fingers [with] sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, [and] was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

7The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I [am] sick of love.

9¶ What [is] thy beloved more than [another] beloved, O thou fairest among women? what [is] thy beloved more than [another] beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

10My beloved [is] white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.

12His eyes [are] as [the eyes] of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, [and] fitly set.

13His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

14His hands [are as] gold rings set with the beryl: his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires.

15His legs [are as] pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance [is] as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16His mouth [is] most sweet: yea, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved, and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The chapter opens with the beloved inviting his spouse to partake of his garden's delights. The spouse then recounts a dream-like experience where she hesitates to open the door for her beloved, who subsequently departs. She suffers for her delay, is mistreated by watchmen, and then passionately describes her beloved's unparalleled beauty to the daughters of Jerusalem.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with the beloved inviting his spouse to enjoy the fruits of his garden, urging friends to partake abundantly. The scene then shifts to the spouse recounting a dream or vision where she hears her beloved knocking, but hesitates to open the door due to her state of undress. When she finally rises, he has withdrawn, leaving her in deep distress. She searches for him in the city, but is found and mistreated by the watchmen. Overwhelmed with love-sickness, she implores the daughters of Jerusalem to convey her longing to him. In response to their query, she then provides a detailed and effusive description of her beloved's physical perfections, declaring him to be 'altogether lovely'.

Long Summary

The chapter commences with the beloved's tender invitation to his spouse, calling her 'my sister, my spouse,' to enter and enjoy his garden, filled with myrrh, spice, honeycomb, honey, wine, and milk, urging friends to eat and drink abundantly. The narrative then transitions to the spouse recounting a vivid, dream-like experience. She describes herself as sleeping but with her heart awake, hearing her beloved knocking and pleading for entry, his head and locks wet with dew. Her hesitation stems from having already prepared for rest, stating she has put off her coat and washed her feet. When her beloved's hand reaches through the door's opening, her emotions are deeply stirred. She then rises to open, her hands dripping with sweet-smelling myrrh from the lock. However, upon opening, she finds her beloved has withdrawn and departed, causing her soul to fail. She desperately seeks him, calling out, but receives no answer. Her search leads her to the city watchmen, who find, smite, wound her, and remove her veil, adding to her distress. Overcome with an intense longing, she charges the daughters of Jerusalem to tell her beloved that she is 'sick of love.' When questioned by the daughters about her beloved's unique qualities, she launches into an elaborate and poetic description of his physical attributes, portraying him as 'white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.' She details his head of fine gold, black bushy locks, dove-like eyes, cheeks like beds of spices, lips like lilies dripping myrrh, hands like gold rings with beryl, belly like bright ivory with sapphires, and legs like marble pillars on gold sockets. She concludes by affirming his countenance as excellent as Lebanon's cedars and his mouth as most sweet, declaring him 'altogether lovely,' her beloved and her friend.

Core Concepts

  • Marital Invitation and IntimacyThe chapter opens with the beloved inviting his spouse into his 'garden' to partake of various delights, symbolizing the joy and intimacy shared within their union.
  • The Spouse's Delay and RegretThe spouse's hesitation to open the door for her beloved, due to her comfort and state of undress, leads to his departure and her subsequent distress and search for him.
  • Search and SufferingAfter her beloved withdraws, the spouse embarks on a desperate search, encountering watchmen who mistreat her, symbolizing the pain and vulnerability experienced in the absence of the beloved.
  • Love-SicknessThe spouse declares herself 'sick of love,' illustrating the intense emotional and physical longing she feels for her beloved's presence and the anguish of his absence.
  • Description of the Beloved's BeautyIn response to the daughters of Jerusalem, the spouse provides an elaborate and highly poetic description of her beloved's physical perfections, emphasizing his unique and unparalleled attractiveness.
  • Unwavering DevotionDespite her suffering and the beloved's temporary absence, the spouse's detailed praise and declaration of him as 'altogether lovely' reveal her profound and unwavering devotion.