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Song of Solomon 1
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King James Version
1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
Beloved
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is
better than wine.
3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as
ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his
chambers:
Friends
we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy
love more than wine:
Beloved
the upright love thee.
5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents
of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 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.
7 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?
Friends
8 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.
Lover
9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in
Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains
of gold.
11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
Beloved
12 While the king sitteth at his table, my
spikenard sendeth forth
the smell thereof.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all
night betwixt my breasts.
14 My beloved is unto me as a
cluster of camphire in the vineyards
of Engedi.
Lover
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast
doves' eyes.
Beloved
16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also
our bed is
green.
Lover
17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.1
Bible
Commentary
1. The song of songs. The expression implies that this song is of peculiar excellence.
The Jews considered the Song of Solomon the most excellent of all
Bible songs. The original title presumably compared the song
with the other 1,004 composed by Solomon (1 Kings 4:32)
2. Let him kiss me. The speaker is evidently the Shulamite maid. Her speech
continues to the end of v. 7, except for interruptions by the ladies
of the court indicated by the "we" of v. 4.
3. Ointment poured forth. Among the Orientals perfume and ointment were very precious. For
Solomon's bride the name of her beloved meant more to her than any
perfume, however sweet.
4. The upright love thee. Or, "they love thee uprightly". These could be words of
approval spoken by the bride, who believes that all should feel
kindly affection toward a man as charming as her beloved. She
feels that all will approve her decision to marry Solomon.
5. I am black. She probably means no more than that she is dark complexioned.
Kedar. Nomadic tribes of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13) inhabiting the Arabian
deserts (see
Isa. 42:11). They are said to have lived in tents made of black
goatskins.
6. My mother's children.
It seems that the bride's older brothers had left their little
sister to take care of the vineyards, thus causing her to become
sunburned.
Mine own vineyard.
That is, her own personal beauty (see ch. 8:12). Her
brothers had not allowed her the leisure or the opportunity to give
attention to her appearance.
8. If thou know not.
Another voice is introduced. It may be that of Solomon, or
it may be the playful response of the court ladies telling the
Shulamite to be patient. In due time her lover will appear.
In the meantime she is to continue watching her flocks.
12. Spikenard.
A powerful perfume probably obtained from India. Spikenard
early became an article of commerce.
13. Bundle of myrrh.
Myrrh was extracted from the aromatic resin of what was probably
the Arabian Balsamodendron myrrha tree. The Hebrew women are
reported to have worn under their dresses, on occasions, a bottle or
little bag of myrrh suspended from their necks.
14. Cluster of camphire.
Better, "cluster of henna flowers." The plant grew in
southern Palestine and produced odoriferous yellow and white
flowers. The flowers and twigs were sometimes ground into
powder, from which the Oriental women made a yellow dye to stain
their hands and feet.
En-gedi. Literally, "fountain of the kid". It was a district to the
west of the Dead Sea, about midway between the mouth of the Jordan
and the southern extremity of the lake.
16. Our bed is green.
It is not certain whether the bride is here describing a couch
in the palace, or whether she is referring to her former
environment. Some see here a reference to the nuptial bed.4
References and notes
1. King James Authorized Version
2. Matthew Henry Bible Commentary - http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/song/mh/song1.htm
3. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible - http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/song/gill/song1.htm
4.
SDA Bible Commentary - Vol. 3 pgs.
1109, 1115, 1116
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Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
The bride, the church, speaks to the bridegroom (v. 2-4), to
the daughters of Jerusalem (v. 5, 6), and then to the
bridegroom (v. 7).