Song of Solomon 6

Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

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Song of Solomon 6:5

“Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.”

Study Summary

The lover continues that the beloved should turn her eyes from him because they overwhelm him, and her hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead, establishing that her gaze is so powerful that it overcomes the lover and that her hair is luxurious and abundant. The request for her to turn her eyes away paradoxically establishes the power of her gaze and the overwhelming effect of her beauty, suggesting that her eyes exercise a kind of erotic dominance over the lover. The description of her hair as a flock of goats descending Gilead suggests movement, abundance, and the beauty of flowing form. This verse theologically suggests that the beloved's gaze itself is a source of erotic power and that her beauty can overwhelm and conquer the lover completely.

Community Reflections

Amara Diallo (test user)1d ago

Bearing fruit that lasts — Song of Solomon 6

Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The early church would…

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