Song of Solomon 8:4-14

4 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you greatly, that ye raise not, neither make the dearworthy spousess to awake, till she will. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I strongly command you, that ye raise not up, nor awaken the dearworthy spousess, until she desireth it.)

5 Who is this spousess, that goeth up from desert, and floweth in delights, and resteth on her darling? I raised thee (up) under a pomegranate tree; there thy mother was corrupted, there thy mother was defouled. (Who is this spousess, who cometh in from the desert, and who floweth in delights, and then resteth on her darling? I raised thee up under a pomegranate tree; there thy mother gave birth to thee, yea, there thy mother was in labour.)

6 Set thou me as a signet on thine heart, as a signet on thine arm; for love is strong as death, envy is hard as hell; the lamps thereof be [the] lamps of fire, and of flames. (Put thou me like a seal, or a lock, upon thy heart, yea, like a seal, or a lock, upon thy arm; for love is as strong as death, and envy is as hard as the grave; its lamps be lamps of fire, and lamps of flames.)

7 Many waters be not able to quench charity, neither floods shall oppress it. Though a man give all the chattel of his house for love, he shall despise, or reckon it, as nought. (A great many waters be not able to drown love, nor can the floods sweep it away. And even though a man might give all the possessions of his house for love, he shall reckon it as but nothing, or of no consequence.)

8 Our sister is little, and hath no teats; what shall we do to our sister, in the day when she shall be spoken to? (Our sister is little, or young, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister, on the day when she shall be spoken for?)

9 If it is a wall, build we thereon silveren towers; if it is a door, join we together with boards of cedar. (If she is a wall, then we shall build silver towers upon her; if she is a door, then we shall altogether enclose her with cedar boards.)

10 I am a wall, and my teats be as a tower; since I am made as finding peace before him. (I am a wall, and my breasts be like towers; and so I am able to find peace with him/and so I am able to bring him peace.)

11 A vinery was to the peaceable; in that city, that hath peoples, he betook it to keepers; a man bringeth a thousand pieces of silver for the fruit thereof. (Solomon had a vineyard in Baalhamon; he rented it out to guardians, or to farmers; and each of them bringeth a thousand pieces of silver to him as payment for its fruit.)

12 The vinery is before me; a thousand be of thee peaceable, and two hundred to them that keep the fruits thereof. (My own vineyard is before me; so let the thousand pieces of silver be for thee, O Solomon, and two hundred more for those who guard thy fruits.)

13 Friends harken (to) thee, that dwellest in orchards; make thou me to hear thy voice. (Friends listen to thee, thou who livest in the garden; let me also hear thy voice.)

14 My darling, fly thou; be thou made like a capret, and a calf of harts, on the hills of sweet smelling spices. (My darling, fly thou; be thou made like a gazelle, or a hart calf, on the hills of sweet smelling spices.)

Song of Solomon 8:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SONG OF SOLOMON 8

This chapter begins with an ardent wish of the church for a free and intimate converse with Christ; declaring what she would do to him, and for him, should she have such an interview with him, So 8:1,2; what familiarity should be between them, So 8:3; charging the daughters of Jerusalem not to give him any disturbance, So 8:4. Upon which they inquire who she was that was in such a posture they saw her in, So 8:5; when the church, instead of giving them an answer, says some things concerning her beloved, on whom they saw her leaning; and makes some requests to him for more nearness to him, and manifestations of his love to her; urged from the strength her love and affections to him, which was invincible, So 8:6,7. Next follows a speech of the church about her little sister; expressing a concern for her, and what she would do to her and with her, So 8:8,9; and the answer of the little sister, declaring what she, was, and what she enjoyed, So 8:10; then the words of the church again, concerning her husband's vineyard; the place, keepers, and profit of it, So 8:11,12. And the chapter, and with it the Song, is concluded with a request of Christ to the church, that he might hear her voice, So 8:13; and with a petition of hers to him, that he would come quickly to her, So 8:14.