1 O that thou [wert] as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! [when] I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yes, I should not be despised. 2 I would lead thee, [and] bring thee into my mother's house, [who] would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 3 His left hand [should be] under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. 4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not, nor awake [my] love, until he please. 5 Who [is] this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple-tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth [that] bore thee. 6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love [is] strong as death; jealousy [is] cruel as the grave: the coals of it [are] coals of fire, [which hath] a most vehement flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. 8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? 9 If she [is] a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she [is] a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. 10 I [am] a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favor. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand [pieces] of silver. 12 My vineyard which [is] mine, [is] before me: thou, O Solomon, [must have] a thousand, and those that keep the fruit of it two hundred. 13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear [it] . 14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Song of Songs · Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Song of Songs 8 Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)