1 Christ calleth his Church to the participation of all his treasures. 2 She heareth his voice. 3 She confesseth her nakedness. 10 She praiseth Christ her husband.

I am come into my [a]garden, my sister, my spouse, I gathered my myrrh with my spice: I ate mine honeycomb with mine honey, I drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink, and make you merry, O well-beloved.

[b]I sleep, but mine heart waketh, it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh, saying, Open unto me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for mine head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the [c]night.

I have put off my [d]coat, how shall I defile [put] it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

My well-beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and [e]mine heart was affectioned toward him.

I rose up to open to my well-beloved, and mine hands did drop down myrrh, and my [f]fingers pure myrrh upon the handles of the bar.

I opened to my well-beloved: but my well-beloved was gone and past: mine heart was gone when he did speak: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he answered me not.

The [g]watchmen that were about the city, found me: they smote me, and wounded me: the watchmen of the walls took away my veil from me.

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

[i]O the fairest among women, what is thy well-beloved more than other well-beloved? what is thy well-beloved more than another lover, that thou dost so charge us?

10 My well-beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand.

11 His [j]head is as fine gold, his locks curled, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves upon the rivers of waters, which are washed with milk, and remain by the full vessels.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, and as sweet flowers, and his lips like lilies dropping down pure myrrh.

14 His hands as rings of gold set with the [k]chrysolite, his belly like white ivory covered with sapphires.

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

16 His mouth is as sweet things, and he is wholly delectable: this is my well-beloved, and this is my lover, O daughters of Jerusalem.

17 [l]O the fairest among women, whither is thy well-beloved gone? whither is thy well-beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 5:1 The garden signifieth the kingdom of Christ, where he prepareth the banquet for his elect.
  2. Song of Solomon 5:2 The spouse saith that she is troubled with the cares of worldly things, which is meant by sleeping.
  3. Song of Solomon 5:2 Declaring the long patience of the Lord toward sinners.
  4. Song of Solomon 5:3 The spouse confesseth her nakedness, and that of herself she hath nothing, or seeing that she is once made clean, she promiseth not to defile herself again.
  5. Song of Solomon 5:4 Hebrew, my bowels were moved towards him.
  6. Song of Solomon 5:5 The spouse which should be anointed of Christ, shall not find him if she think to anoint him with her good works.
  7. Song of Solomon 5:7 These are the false teachers, which wound the conscience with their traditions.
  8. Song of Solomon 5:8 She asketh of them which are godly (forasmuch as the law and salvation should come out of Zion and Jerusalem) that they would direct her to Christ.
  9. Song of Solomon 5:9 Thus say they of Jerusalem.
  10. Song of Solomon 5:11 She describeth Christ to be of perfect beauty and comeliness.
  11. Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew, Tarshish.
  12. Song of Solomon 5:17 Hearing of the excellency of Christ, the faithful desire to know how to find him.

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