Keraia
Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:16

The Bride and Her Beloved · Song of Solomon 5:1–16
Read Song of Solomon 5

Translations

Modern
His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Traditional
His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Literal
His mouth is sweetness, and all of him is desireable. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!
Latin
Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis. Talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiæ Jerusalem.

Original

Hebrew
English
His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Notes

Song of Solomon 5:16

The woman finishes by saying she wants to kiss him.

Song of Solomon 5:10–16

This detailed description of the lover in the Song highlights his value to the woman.

Song of Solomon 5:2–6:3

  • One verse earlier, the couple fully enjoys their intimate union. Now the woman feels the pain of separation. In the dramatic interpretation, the woman has been separated from the man twice before and has searched for him (Song of Solomon 1:4–7; 3:1–4). This last time, the separation occurs in her dreams—it is only a nightmare. Her dream seems to continue to Song of Solomon 6:3, given the natural flow of questions and answers between the woman and the young women of Jerusalem.

  • If the Song is a collection of poems, these poems explore love rather than recounting actual events. This poem reminds us that an intimate relationship is not always easy or perfectly satisfying.

Theme notes and profiles

Human Sexuality

Places

Jerusalem: The capital of Israel, a holy city for three religions

Glossary

Song of Solomon

Topics

Character of Christ: Altogether Lovely Love to Christ: His Personal Excellence is Deserving of Preciousness of Christ: Illustrated