Song of Songs · Bible in Basic English
Song of Songs 8 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.
1 Oh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.
2 I would take you by the hand into my mother's house, and she would be my teacher. I would give you drink of spiced wine, drink of the pomegranate.
2 I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.
3 His left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me.
4 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
4 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
5 Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.
5 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Beloved Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother conceived you. There she was in labor and bore you.
6 Put me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames.
6 Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yah.
7 Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.
7 Many waters can’t quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
8 We have a young sister, and she has no breasts; what are we to do for our sister in the day when she is given to a man?
8 We have a little sister. She has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is to be spoken for?
9 If she is a wall, we will make on her a strong base of silver; and if she is a door, we will let her be shut up with cedar-wood.
9 If she is a wall, we will build on her a turret of silver. If she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vine-garden at Baal-hamon; he let out the vine-garden to keepers; every one had to give a thousand bits of silver for its fruit.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He leased out the vineyard to keepers. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12 My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.
12 My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit.
13 You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.
13 You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!
14 Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.
14 Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!
Cross references (14)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 45:10–11; Zechariah 9:9; Galatians 4:26; Luke 2:38; Haggai 2:7
- 2 Song of Songs 3:4; Song of Songs 4:10–5:1; Song of Songs 7:12; Galatians 4:26; John 5:46–47
- 3 Song of Songs 2:6; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Deuteronomy 33:27; Isaiah 62:4–5
- 4 Song of Songs 2:7; Song of Songs 3:5
- 5 Song of Songs 3:6; Isaiah 40:3; Psalm 63:8; Song of Songs 2:3; Song of Songs 3:4
- 6 Revelation 12:11; Isaiah 49:16; Philippians 1:20–23; Song of Songs 5:8; Proverbs 6:34
- 7 Proverbs 6:35; Proverbs 6:31; Isaiah 43:2; Romans 13:8–10; Matthew 7:24–25
- 8 1 Peter 2:12; Ezekiel 16:55–56; Acts 22:21; Psalm 2:8; Romans 3:1–2
- 9 Zechariah 6:12–15; Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–12; 1 Kings 6:15; Revelation 21:12–19
- 10 Isaiah 60:10; Ezekiel 16:7; Luke 1:30; Song of Songs 7:7–8; Ephesians 1:6
- 11 Ecclesiastes 2:4; Isaiah 7:23; Matthew 21:33–43; Mark 12:1; Genesis 20:16
- 12 Song of Songs 1:6; Acts 20:28; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; Proverbs 4:23; 1 Corinthians 6:20
- 13 Song of Songs 4:16; Song of Songs 1:7; Song of Songs 6:2; Judges 14:11; John 14:21–23
- 14 Song of Songs 2:17; Revelation 22:20; Revelation 22:17; Song of Songs 2:9; Philippians 1:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Of this it is said, "Love is strong as death." For as when death cometh, it cannot be resisted; by whatever arts, whatever medicines, you meet it; the violence of death can none avoid who is born mortal; so against the violence of love can the world do nothing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… ye know how great a thing jealousy is: and therefore He said, to whom these things are clearly known, "For full of jealousy is the rage of a husband;" "he will not spare in the day of vengeance:" and "jealousy is cruel as the grave." And we too know of many that have chosen to give up their lives rather …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Many waters quench not love, neither do rivers drown it; He was dead whom they sought, yet was not the hope of the Resurrection quenched.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Hear the Song of songs: "Love is strong as death." A great saying that, brethren, "Love is strong as death." The strength of charity could not be expressed in grander terms than these, "Love is strong as death." For who resisteth death, my brethren?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)