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Song of Songs · JPS Tanakh (1917)

Song of Songs 1 JPS Tanakh (1917)

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About JPS
  • Jewish
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 1917
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (1)

1 THE SONG of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — for thy love is better than wine. 3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the maidens love thee. 4 Draw me, we will run after thee; the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will find thy love more fragrant than wine! sincerely do they love thee. 5 'I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, that I am swarthy, that the sun hath tanned me; my mother's sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.' 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that veileth herself beside the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids, beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with circlets, thy neck with beads. 11 We will make thee circlets of gold with studs of silver. 12 While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is unto me as a bag of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are as doves. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our couch is leafy. 17 The beams of our houses are cedars, and our panels are cypresses.

Cross references (16)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 2 Song of Songs 4:10; Song of Songs 1:4; Psalm 36:7; Psalm 63:3–5; Isaiah 55:1–2
  2. 3 Ecclesiastes 7:1; Exodus 30:23–28; Song of Songs 4:10; John 12:3; Psalm 45:7–8
  3. 4 John 6:44; Hosea 11:4; Psalm 45:14–15; John 12:32; Hebrews 12:1
  4. 5 Song of Songs 2:14; Luke 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Song of Songs 5:16; Song of Songs 2:7
  5. 6 Song of Songs 8:11–12; Luke 12:51–53; Mark 4:6; Jeremiah 12:6; Psalm 69:8
  6. 7 Song of Songs 3:1–4; Isaiah 13:20; Psalm 23:1–2; Psalm 28:1; Genesis 37:16
  7. 8 Song of Songs 6:1; Song of Songs 5:9; James 2:21; James 5:10; Hebrews 11:4–40
  8. 9 Song of Songs 2:10; Song of Songs 2:13; John 15:14–15; Isaiah 31:1; Song of Songs 2:2
  9. 10 Ezekiel 16:11–13; 1 Peter 3:4; Song of Songs 5:13; Genesis 24:47; Song of Songs 4:9
  10. 11 Psalm 149:4; Philippians 3:21; Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 5:25–27; Song of Songs 8:9
  11. 12 John 12:3; Revelation 3:20; Mark 14:3; Song of Songs 4:13–16; Luke 24:30–32
  12. 13 John 19:39; Psalm 45:8; Ephesians 3:17; Song of Songs 4:14; Genesis 43:11
  13. 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
  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
  15. 16 Song of Songs 2:3; Psalm 45:2; Zechariah 9:17; Revelation 5:11–13; Song of Songs 5:10–16
  16. 17 Hebrews 11:10; Psalm 92:12; 2 Chronicles 2:8–9; 1 Kings 6:9; Song of Songs 7:5

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).

  1. Quotes verse 1:5 Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine (Book III, Chapters 31–34)

    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)

  2. Quotes verse 1:4 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (Lecture III)

    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)

  3. Quotes verse 1:8 Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament (Sermon XLV)

    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)

  4. Quotes verse 1:7 Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament (Sermon LXXXVIII)

    … 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)