Song of Solomon 1-2
King James Version
1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
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: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: 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?
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.
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.
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.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.
16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Song of Solomon 1-2
1599 Geneva Bible
An [a]Excellent Song Which Was Solomon’s
1 1 The familiar talk and mystical communication of the spiritual love between Jesus Christ and his Church. 5 The domestical enemies that persecute the Church.
1 Let [b]him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
2 Because of the [c]savor of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out: therefore the [d]virgins love thee.
3 [e]Draw me: we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his [f]chambers: we will rejoice and be glad in thee: we will remember thy love more than wine: the righteous do love thee.
4 I am [g]black, O daughters of Jerusalem, but comely, as the tents of [h]Kedar, and as the [i]curtains of Solomon.
5 Regard ye me not because I am [j]black: for the [k]sun hath looked upon me. The [l]sons of my mother were angry against me: they made me the keeper of the vines: but I [m]kept not mine own vine.
6 Show me, [n]O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the stocks of [o]thy companions?
7 [p]If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steps of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds.
8 I have compared thee, O my love, to the troupe of horses in the [q]chariots of Pharaoh.
9 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of stones, and thy neck with chains.
10 We will make thee borders of gold with floods of silver.
11 [r]While the King was at his repast, my spikenard gave the smell thereof.
12 My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh unto me: he shall lie between my [s]breasts.
13 My well-beloved is as a cluster of camphire unto me in the vines of En Gedi.
14 My love, behold, thou art [t]fair: behold, thou art fair: thine eyes are like the doves.
15 My well-beloved, behold, thou art fair, and pleasant: also our [u]bed is green.
16 The beams of our house are cedars, our rafters are of fir.
2 3 The Church desireth to rest under the shadow of Christ. 8 She heareth his voice. 14 She is compared to the dove. 15 And the enemies to the foxes.
1 I am the rose of the field, and the lily of the valleys.
2 Like a lily among the thorns, so is my [v]love among the daughters.
3 [w]Like the apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my well-beloved among the sons of men: under his shadow had I delight, and sat down: and his fruit was sweet unto my mouth.
4 He brought me into the wine cellar, and love was his banner over me.
5 Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6 His left hand is under mine head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 [x]I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor waken my love, until she please.
8 [y]It is the voice of my well-beloved: behold, he cometh leaping by the mountains, and skipping by the hills.
9 My well-beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: lo, he [z]standeth behind our wall, looking forth of the windows, showing himself through the [aa]grates.
10 My well-beloved spake and said unto me, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come thy way.
11 For behold, [ab]winter is past: the rain is changed, and is gone away.
12 The flowers appear in the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree hath brought forth her young figs: and the vines with their small grapes have cast a savor: arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 My dove, that art in the [ac]holes of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, show me thy sight, let me hear thy voice: for thy voice is sweet, and thy sight comely.
15 Take us the foxes, the [ad]little foxes, which destroy the vines: for our vines have small grapes.
16 My well-beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies,
17 Until the daybreak, and the shadows flee away: return, my well-beloved, and be like a [ae]roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:1 Hebrew, a song of songs: so called because it is the chiefest of those 1005, which Solomon made, as is mentioned, I Kings 4:32.
- Song of Solomon 1:1 This is spoken in the person of the Church, or of the faithful soul inflamed with the desire of Christ, whom she loveth.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 The feeling of thy great benefits.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 They that are pure in heart and conversation.
- Song of Solomon 1:3 The faithful confess that they cannot come to Christ, except they be drawn.
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Meaning, the secret joy that is not known to the world.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 The Church confesseth her spots and sin, but hath confidence in the favor of Christ.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Kedar was Ishmael’s son, of whom came the Arabians that dwelt in tents.
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Which within were all set with precious stones and Jewels.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 Consider not the Church by the outward appearance.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 The corruption of nature through sin and afflictions.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 Mine own brethren, which should have most favored me.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 She confesseth her own negligence.
- Song of Solomon 1:6 The spouse feeling her fault fleeth to her husband only for succor.
- Song of Solomon 1:6 Whom thou hast called to the dignity of pastors, and they set forth their own dreams instead of thy doctrine.
- Song of Solomon 1:7 Christ speaketh to his Church, bidding them that are ignorant, to go to the pastors to learn.
- Song of Solomon 1:8 For thy spiritual beauty and excellency there was no worldly treasure to be compared unto thee.
- Song of Solomon 1:11 The Church rejoiceth that she is admitted to the company of Christ.
- Song of Solomon 1:12 He shall be most dear unto me.
- Song of Solomon 1:14 Christ accepteth his Church, and commendeth her beauty.
- Song of Solomon 1:15 That is, the heart of the faithful, wherein Christ dwelleth by his Spirit.
- Song of Solomon 2:2 Thus Christ preferreth his Church above all other things.
- Song of Solomon 2:3 The spouse testifieth her great desire toward her husband, but her strength faileth her, and therefore she desireth to be comforted, and felt it.
- Song of Solomon 2:7 Christ chargeth them which have to do in the Church as it were by a solemn oath, that they trouble not the quietness thereof.
- Song of Solomon 2:8 This is spoken of Christ, who took upon his our nature to come to help his Church.
- Song of Solomon 2:9 Forasmuch as his divinity was hid under the cloak of our flesh.
- Song of Solomon 2:9 So that we cannot have full knowledge of him in this life.
- Song of Solomon 2:11 That is, sin and error is driven back by the coming of Christ, which is here described by the spring time, when all things flourish.
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Thou that art ashamed of thy sins, come and show thyself unto me.
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Suppress the heretics while they are young, that is, when they begin to show their malice, and destroy the vine of the Lord.
- Song of Solomon 2:17 The Church desireth Christ to be most ready to help her in all dangers.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
