Song of Songs · Geneva Bible (1599)
Song of Songs 1 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy loue is better then wine.
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 Because of the sauour of thy good ointments thy name is as an ointment powred out: therefore the virgins loue thee.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine.
3 Drawe me: we will runne after thee: the King hath brought me into his chabers: we will reioyce and be glad in thee: we will remember thy loue more then wine: the righteous do loue thee.
3 Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins love you.
4 I am blacke, O daughters of Ierusalem, but comely, as the tentes of Kedar, and as the curtaines of Salomon.
4 Take me away with you. Let’s hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Friends We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will praise your love more than wine! Beloved They are right to love you.
5 Regard ye me not because I am blacke: for the sunne hath looked vpon mee. The sonnes of my mother were angry against mee: they made me the keeper of ye vines: but I kept not mine owne vine.
5 I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains.
6 Shewe me, O thou, whome my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noone: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions?
6 Don’t stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has scorched me. My mother’s sons were angry with me. They made me keeper of the vineyards. I haven’t kept my own vineyard.
7 If thou knowe not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee foorth by the steps of the flocke, and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards.
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; for why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions?
8 I haue compared thee, O my loue, to the troupe of horses in the charets of Pharaoh.
8 If you don’t know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones, and thy necke with chaines.
9 I have compared you, my love, to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 We will make thee borders of golde with studdes of siluer.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels.
11 Whiles the King was at his repast, my spikenard gaue the smelll thereof.
11 We will make you earrings of gold, with studs of silver.
12 My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me: he shall lie betweene my breasts.
12 While the king sat at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My welbeloued is as a cluster of camphire vnto me in the vines of Engedi.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh, that lies between my breasts.
14 My loue, beholde, thou art faire: beholde, thou art faire: thine eyes are like the doues.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.
15 My welbeloued, beholde, thou art faire and pleasant: also our bed is greene:
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are like doves.
16 The beames of our house are cedars, our rafters are of firre.
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant; and our couch is verdant.
17 Not in this translation
17 The beams of our house are cedars. Our rafters are firs.
Cross references (15)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Song of Songs 4:10; Song of Songs 1:4; Psalm 36:7; Psalm 63:3–5; Isaiah 55:1–2
- 3 Ecclesiastes 7:1; Exodus 30:23–28; Song of Songs 4:10; John 12:3; Psalm 45:7–8
- 4 John 6:44; Hosea 11:4; Psalm 45:14–15; John 12:32; Hebrews 12:1
- 5 Song of Songs 2:14; Luke 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Song of Songs 5:16; Song of Songs 2:7
- 6 Song of Songs 8:11–12; Luke 12:51–53; Mark 4:6; Jeremiah 12:6; Psalm 69:8
- 7 Song of Songs 3:1–4; Isaiah 13:20; Psalm 23:1–2; Psalm 28:1; Genesis 37:16
- 8 Song of Songs 6:1; Song of Songs 5:9; James 2:21; James 5:10; Hebrews 11:4–40
- 9 Song of Songs 2:10; Song of Songs 2:13; John 15:14–15; Isaiah 31:1; Song of Songs 2:2
- 10 Ezekiel 16:11–13; 1 Peter 3:4; Song of Songs 5:13; Genesis 24:47; Song of Songs 4:9
- 11 Psalm 149:4; Philippians 3:21; Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 5:25–27; Song of Songs 8:9
- 12 John 12:3; Revelation 3:20; Mark 14:3; Song of Songs 4:13–16; Luke 24:30–32
- 13 John 19:39; Psalm 45:8; Ephesians 3:17; Song of Songs 4:14; Genesis 43:11
- 14 Song of Songs 2:3; 1 Samuel 23:29–24:1; Song of Songs 1:13; Joshua 15:62; Song of Songs 4:13–14
- 15 Song of Songs 4:1; Song of Songs 5:12; Song of Songs 4:7; Ephesians 1:17–18; 2 Corinthians 11:2–3
- 16 Song of Songs 2:3; Psalm 45:2; Zechariah 9:17; Revelation 5:11–13; Song of Songs 5:10–16
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).
An example of this is that passage in the Song of Solomon, "I am black, but comely, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." For it is not said, I was black as the tents of Kedar, but am now comely as the curtains of Solomon.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For now meanwhile thou standest outside the door: but God grant that you all may say, The King hath brought me into His chamber.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
So then this Bridegroom, "fair in beauty above the children of men," became deformed that He might make His Spouse fair to whom it is said, "O thou beauteous among women," of whom it is said, "Who is this that cometh up, whitened" with the brightness of light, not the colouring of falsehood!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
… with you, all Beauteous as He was, prayed for you; "Father," saith He, "forgive them, for they know not what they do." For if He were without comeliness, how is it that she loveth Him, who saith, "Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth"? How is it that she loveth Him?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)