Song of Solomon 1

HCSB

Song of Solomon 1

^{Tools
1}

Solomon’s Finest Song.^(a)^(A)

^{Tools
2}

W^(b) Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your^(c) love is^(d) more delightful than wine.^(B)

^{Tools
3}

The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;^(C)
your name is perfume poured out.^(D)
No wonder young women^(e) adore you.

^{Tools
4}

Take me with you^(E)—let us hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring^(f) me to his chambers.

Y We will rejoice and be glad for you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

W It is only right that they adore you.

^{Tools
5}

Daughters of Jerusalem,^(F)
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,^(G)
yet lovely^(H) like the curtains of Solomon.

^{Tools
6}

Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;^(I)
they made me a keeper of the vineyards.^(J)
I have not kept my own vineyard.^(g)

^{Tools
7}

Tell me, you, the one I love:^(K)
Where do you pasture your sheep?^(L)
Where do you let them rest at noon?^(M)
Why should I be like one who veils herself^(h)⁽ⁱ⁾
beside the flocks of your companions?^(N)

^{Tools
8}

M^(j) If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,^(O)
follow^(k) the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.

^{Tools
9}

I compare you, my darling,^(P)
to a^(l) mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.^(m)^(Q)

^{Tools
10}

Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,^(R)
your neck with its necklace.

^{Tools
11}

We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

^{Tools
12}

W While the king is on his couch,⁽ⁿ⁾
my perfume^(o) releases its fragrance.^(S)

^{Tools
13}

My love is a sachet of myrrh to me,^(T)
spending the night between my breasts.

^{Tools
14}

My love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,^(U)
in the vineyards of En-gedi.^(p)^(V)

^{Tools
15}

M How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.^(W)

^{Tools
16}

W How handsome you are, my love.^(X)
How delightful!
Our bed is lush with foliage;

^{Tools
17}

the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.^(q)

Footnotes:

a. Song of Solomon 1:1: Or The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s

b. Song of Solomon 1:2: The W, M, Y, N, and B indicate the editors’ opinions of the changes of speakers: W Woman, M Man, Y Young women of Jerusalem, N Narrator, B Brothers. If a letter is in parenthesis (W), there is a question about the identity of the speaker.

c. Song of Solomon 1:2: Unexpected change of grammatical persons, here from he and his to your, is a Hb poetic device.

d. Song of Solomon 1:2: Or your caresses are, or your lovemaking is

e. Song of Solomon 1:3: Or wonder virgins

f. Song of Solomon 1:4: Or The king has brought

g. Song of Solomon 1:6: Lit my vineyard, which is mine

h. Song of Solomon 1:7: Or who wanders

i. Song of Solomon 1:7: To express shame or grief, or to conceal identity as a prostitute would; Gn 38:14-15

j. Song of Solomon 1:8: Some understand the young women to be the speakers in this verse.

k. Song of Solomon 1:8: Lit go out for yourself into

l. Song of Solomon 1:9: Lit my

m. Song of Solomon 1:9: Pharaoh’s chariot horses were stallions.

n. Song of Solomon 1:12: Or is at his table

o. Song of Solomon 1:12: Lit nard

p. Song of Solomon 1:14: Wellspring of the Young Goat

q. Song of Solomon 1:17: Or firs, or pines

Cross references:

A. Song of Solomon 1:1: 1 Kings 4:32

B. Song of Solomon 1:2: Song of Solomon 4:10

C. Song of Solomon 1:3: John 12:3

D. Song of Solomon 1:3: Ecclesiastes 7:1

E. Song of Solomon 1:4: Hosea 11:4

F. Song of Solomon 1:5: Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 3:5; Song of Solomon 3:10; Song of Solomon 5:8; Song of Solomon 5:16; Song of Solomon 8:4

G. Song of Solomon 1:5: Psalm 120:5; Isaiah 60:7

H. Song of Solomon 1:5: Song of Solomon 2:14; Song of Solomon 4:3; Song of Solomon 6:4

I. Song of Solomon 1:6: Psalm 69:8

J. Song of Solomon 1:6: Song of Solomon 8:11

K. Song of Solomon 1:7: Song of Solomon 3:1-4

L. Song of Solomon 1:7: Song of Solomon 2:16; Song of Solomon 6:3

M. Song of Solomon 1:7: Isaiah 13:20; Jeremiah 33:12

N. Song of Solomon 1:7: Song of Solomon 8:13

O. Song of Solomon 1:8: Song of Solomon 5:9; Song of Solomon 6:1

P. Song of Solomon 1:9: Song of Solomon 1:15

Q. Song of Solomon 1:9: 2 Chronicles 1:16-17

R. Song of Solomon 1:10: Song of Solomon 5:13

S. Song of Solomon 1:12: Mark 14:3; John 12:3

T. Song of Solomon 1:13: Psalm 45:8; John 19:39

U. Song of Solomon 1:14: Song of Solomon 4:13

V. Song of Solomon 1:14: 1 Samuel 23:29

W. Song of Solomon 1:15: Song of Solomon 4:1

X. Song of Solomon 1:16: Song of Solomon 2:3