Song of Solomon 1

The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.

I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.

Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En–gedi.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

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Song of Solomon 1:9

“I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.”

Study Summary

The lover declares the beloved to be like a mare among Pharaoh's chariots, employing royal and military imagery to suggest her stunning beauty and commanding presence in the midst of powerful forces. The equestrian metaphor, while potentially objectifying in modern readings, in its ancient context suggested power, dignity, and worth—comparing the beloved to a prized possession of monarchs. The lover's recognition of the beloved's distinctive beauty 'among' other women suggests not isolating her from community but celebrating her as exemplary and pre-eminent. This verse demonstrates the lover's own poetic agency in honoring the beloved through elaborate comparison and metaphor, suggesting that love expresses itself through language and artistic celebration.

Community Reflections

Omar Hassan (Test User)1d ago

God's faithfulness through history — Song of Solomon 1

Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the emphasis, to let the truth sink deep into our hearts.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the emphasis, to let the truth sink deep into our hearts.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength…

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