Song of Solomon Chapter 4
Showing all 16 verses for Song of Solomon Chapter 4.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. "
"Look at you — you are beautiful, truly beautiful, my love. Your eyes are as gentle and soft as doves peeking through your hair, and your dark hair flows and ripples down like a flock of goats streaming down the slopes of Mount Gilead."
I love it when you delight in someone and actually tell them so. Don't let affection go unspoken — say what you see and love in the person beside you, plainly and often. Real love isn't shy about admiration; it notices and it speaks.
"Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. "
"Your teeth are white and even, like a flock of freshly washed, freshly shorn sheep coming up from the water — a matched, complete set, with nothing missing or crooked."
Notice the small, ordinary things about someone you love — not just the obvious highlights. Genuine affection pays attention to detail because it delights in the whole person, not a highlight reel.
"Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. "
"Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon, and your voice is lovely to hear. Beneath your hair, your cheeks glow like the inside of a split-open pomegranate."
When you love someone, love the whole of them — their words as much as their face. Tell people that how they speak, not just how they look, moves you; it means more than they might expect.
"Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. "
"Your neck is graceful and proud, like the tower of David, built strong and hung all around with a thousand shields — the weapons of mighty warriors."
True attraction includes admiring someone's strength and dignity, not just softness. Love the whole person — their backbone as much as their gentleness.
"Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. "
"Your breasts are like two young gazelles, twins, grazing peacefully among the lilies."
Physical desire for the person you love and are committed to isn't something to hide or feel guilty about — it's part of what makes that love whole. I want you free from shame about healthy desire within a loving, faithful relationship, not weighed down by it.
"Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. "
"Until the day dawns and the night shadows disappear, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense."
Good things - real intimacy, real love - are worth the wait and worth travelling towards. Don't confuse patience with a lack of desire; the two can live together beautifully.
"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. "
"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."
See the people you love the way I see you - looking for what's good and beautiful, not hunting for flaws. Choose to notice wholeness in someone rather than fixating on imperfections; it changes how they feel loved.
"Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards. "
"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the peak of Amana, from the summits of Shenir and Hermon, away from the lions' dens and the mountains where leopards roam."
I'm always calling people down from the high, guarded, lonely places they've retreated to - come towards love instead of hiding from it. Real relationship asks you to leave isolation behind and be found.
"Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. "
"You have captured my heart completely, my sister, my bride; you have captured my heart with just one glance of your eyes, with just one jewel of your necklace."
Let yourself be moved by the people you love. Don't armour your heart against being affected by someone's small gestures - the glance, the little things, are often exactly where real love is felt.
"How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! "
"How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice."
Let the person you love know they matter more to you than any comfort, luxury or achievement. Love spoken plainly like this builds security; don't assume they already know.
"Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. "
"Your lips drip sweetness like honey from the comb; honey and milk seem to be under your tongue. The scent of your clothes is like the scent of the cedar forests of Lebanon."
Let the people you love be a source of genuine delight to you, and tell them so specifically. Vague compliments fade; specific, sensory ones stay with a person.
"A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. "
"You are like a private garden, my sister, my bride - a spring that is kept covered, a fountain sealed off just for me."
What you save for one person, and keep just for them, becomes more precious, not less. Faithfulness isn't a cage - it's what makes love feel safe and specially chosen.
"Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, "
"You are like an orchard full of pomegranate trees and choice fruit, with henna and spikenard growing there too."
Don't be afraid of extravagant, generous praise for someone you love - true love isn't stingy with its words. Let your appreciation for someone be as rich as what you actually feel.
"Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: "
"Spikenard and saffron, sweet cane and cinnamon, with every kind of frankincense tree, myrrh and aloes, and all the finest spices there are."
There's no limit on how much you're allowed to treasure someone. Let your love be generous and unguarded rather than measured out carefully for fear of saying too much.
"A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. "
"You are a garden fountain, a well of fresh flowing water, streams flowing down from Lebanon."
The best kind of love doesn't just look good - it actually nourishes you, day to day. Ask whether the people and relationships in your life leave you more alive, and pursue the ones that do.
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. "
"Wake up, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow across my garden so its fragrance spreads. Let my beloved come into his garden and enjoy its choice fruits."
Real intimacy is a mutual gift, freely given and freely wanted by both people - never something taken or owed. When love is wanted equally by both sides, it's something to celebrate openly, not hide.