Misinterpretations of this verse often reduce it to a purely allegorical depiction of the soul or church seeking Christ, neglecting its literal celebration of passionate human love within marriage; others mistakenly see the daughters as jealous rivals rather than supportive friends affirming the bride's beauty and the beloved's desirability, thus missing the passage's theme of shared joy in romantic devotion.
Song of Solomon 6
King James Version (1769)
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
Truth and untruth
Song of Solomon 6:1 captures the chorus of Jerusalem's daughters responding to the bride's lament over her absent lover by asking where he has gone, offering to seek him with her, which underscores the irresistible allure and worthiness of the beloved that inspires communal admiration and collective pursuit in the ecstatic poetry of romantic love.
2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
Truth and untruth
Common misinterpretations treat this verse as endorsing unrestrained eroticism detached from marital commitment, overlooking its context in celebratory, monogamous love poetry, or impose a rigid spiritual allegory that erases the physical romance, viewing the garden solely as the church without recognizing the human lovers' delight; others literalize it as Solomon's actual horticultural activities, ignoring the rich metaphors for sensory and emotional fulfillment in relationship.
Song of Solomon 6:2 poetically captures the bride's tender affirmation of her beloved's whereabouts and pursuits, depicting him as descending into his garden to savor beds of spices, feed in the gardens, and gather lilies, symbolizing his intentional delight in her beauty and the refreshing intimacy of their love; this imagery underscores mutual enjoyment, the lover's initiative in cherishing his beloved, and the profound refreshment found in covenantal union, often allegorized as God's passionate communion with His people.
3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations of this passage often reduce it to mere erotic sensuality, ignoring its poetic depth and emphasis on covenantal fidelity, or conversely, spiritualize it exclusively as Christ's love for the church while dismissing its celebration of human marital joy; others misuse it as a generic marriage vow without context, overlooking the Song's dramatic narrative of longing, pursuit, and reconciliation, or apply it to non-committed relationships, distorting the exclusive 'I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine' into casual affection.
Song of Solomon 6:3 poetically expresses the profound mutual possession and exclusive devotion in a romantic relationship, where the bride declares her complete belonging to her beloved and vice versa, with him tenderly pasturing among the lilies, symbolizing his gentle care amid purity and beauty; this verse celebrates the intimacy and commitment of marital love as a divine gift, often interpreted both literally as human passion and allegorically as Christ's unwavering love for his bride, the church.
4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
Truth and untruth
Common misinterpretations of Song of Solomon 6:4 include forcing an exclusively allegorical reading as Christ's exclusive praise of the church, overlooking the book's primary celebration of human marital love; reducing the imagery to superficial physical objectification without recognizing the emotional and relational depth; or wrongly interpreting 'terrible as an army with banners' as endorsing aggression or militarism in romance, rather than poetically conveying majestic beauty that inspires awe and captivation.
Song of Solomon 6:4 captures the lover's poetic admiration for his beloved's stunning beauty and majestic presence, comparing her grace to the picturesque city of Tirzah and the splendor of Jerusalem, while likening her awe-inspiring allure to an army arrayed with banners. This verse underscores the profound delight in romantic love, where physical attractiveness merges with a commanding dignity that evokes reverence, affirming the God-ordained joy and intensity of spousal affection in its multifaceted expression.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
Truth and untruth
Common misinterpretations treat the verse literally, envisioning eyes that physically overpower or hair literally like goats, ignoring its hyperbolic poetry; others impose heavy allegory, such as eyes representing the church's gaze on Christ or hair as virtues, despite the Song's primary focus on human eros rather than mysticism. Sanitizing its sensual intensity to fit prudish views dilutes the biblical affirmation of marital sexuality, while out-of-context applications as generic compliments overlook the culturally specific, intimate hyperbole meant to exalt a lover's unique allure.
Song of Solomon 6:5 captures the lover's intense rapture at his beloved's beauty, where her gaze overwhelms him like a conquering force and her flowing hair evokes the vibrant, numerous flocks of goats descending from Gilead's hills, symbolizing lush abundance and wild allure. This verse exemplifies the Song's poetic celebration of mutual romantic passion and physical attraction within covenantal love, using hyperbolic pastoral imagery familiar to ancient Israelites to convey the dizzying power of desire.
6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations often literalize the sheep metaphor into grotesque or absurd dental imagery, ignoring its hyperbolic poetic intent, or impose modern disgust on ancient beauty standards; others over-allegorize it as spiritual purity or church virtues detached from the Song's erotic human love context, or sensationalize with inappropriate sexual connotations that distort the elegant pastoral praise of physical perfection.
Song of Solomon 6:6 poetically praises the beloved's teeth as a flock of sheep emerging from washing, symbolizing their pure whiteness, perfect uniformity, and completeness—every one bearing twins with none barren—highlighting flawless beauty and symmetry in an ancient Near Eastern idiom that celebrates the lover's admiration for his bride's radiant smile within the intimate, romantic dialogue of the Song.
7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations of this verse often reduce it to crude sensuality or superficial flattery, stripping away its poetic artistry and the Song's theme of holistic, covenantal love mirroring divine intimacy; others over-allegorize it into rigid spiritual typology without acknowledging the celebration of human physical attraction in marriage, or misapply its hyperbolic imagery as a literal beauty standard or fertility prescription, ignoring the cultural and literary context of ancient Near Eastern love poetry.
In Song of Solomon 6:7, the lover poetically praises the beloved's beauty by comparing her temples, glimpsed through her hair, to the cut-open pomegranate with its vivid red sections and abundant seeds, symbolizing freshness, vibrancy, allure, and fruitfulness in the context of intimate marital love that reflects the delight and joy of covenantal union, often interpreted allegorically as God's passionate affection for His people.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations often view this verse literally as Solomon endorsing or boasting about his polygamous harem, promoting promiscuity or royal excess, while overlooking its hyperbolic poetic device meant to exalt one woman's uniqueness rather than catalog historical facts; others force allegorical readings, like the church surpassing false religions, detached from the intimate lovers' dialogue celebrating exclusive romantic passion.
Song of Solomon 6:8 poetically highlights the unparalleled beauty and exclusivity of the beloved woman amid the king's vast court, using hyperbolic numbers of queens, concubines, and virgins to emphasize her supreme desirability and the lover's singular devotion, reflecting the Song's overarching theme of intense, mutual romantic love that transcends all rivals in admiration and affection.
9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
Truth and untruth
Common misinterpretations treat the verse as purely allegorical, with the bride symbolizing the Church or Israel and the lover as Christ, ignoring its primary literal context as erotic poetry celebrating human marital love. Others erroneously apply it to self-esteem affirmations outside covenant relationships or justify polygamy by focusing on the praising queens and concubines, missing the poetic hyperbole that exalts the Shulammite's unique excellence amid Solomon's harem.
Song of Solomon 6:9 celebrates the singular beauty, purity, and exclusivity of the beloved bride, portrayed as the lover's undefiled dove and the only one cherished by her mother, whose virtues draw praise even from queens, concubines, and daughters. This verse underscores the depth of romantic devotion in marriage, highlighting how true love elevates the beloved above all others in worth and admiration, reflecting God's design for intimate, covenantal union.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations often allegorize the verse exclusively as the Church or Israel in eschatological triumph, ignoring its primary romantic dialogue between lovers; others dismiss it as mere eroticism or superficial flattery, neglecting the deeper celebration of holistic beauty encompassing purity, radiance, and relational power, or impose modern individualistic or sensual readings that strip away the poetic covenantal love theme.
Song of Solomon 6:10 poetically exalts the Shulammite bride's unparalleled beauty and majesty, comparing her appearance to the fresh radiance of the morning, the gentle fairness of the moon, the dazzling clarity of the sun, and the awe-inspiring might of an army with banners, emphasizing how true love inspires profound admiration, purity, and formidable strength in the beloved within the intimate context of marital passion.
11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations often treat this verse as a literal farming report detached from its poetic context, ignoring how the garden and budding plants metaphorically evoke the bride's desire and the fertility of love; others overly sexualize the imagery without balance, reducing it to eroticism alone, or force an exclusive allegorical reading as Christ's exclusive pursuit of the church while neglecting the primary celebration of human marital passion and mutuality.
In Song of Solomon 6:11, the bride expresses her longing and initiative by descending into the nut garden to check on the valley's fruits, flourishing vines, and budding pomegranates, using vivid imagery of spring renewal to symbolize the awakening and vitality of her love for the bridegroom, highlighting themes of anticipation, beauty, and the natural blossoming of romantic intimacy within a committed relationship.
12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
Truth and untruth
Misinterpretations of Song of Solomon 6:12 frequently impose rigid allegories, such as equating the chariots of Amminadib with the soul's heavenly ascent or spiritual warfare, stripping away the verse's erotic spontaneity and reducing it to abstract mysticism disconnected from the Song's romantic context. Others literalize Amminadib as a historical racer or divine figure, ignoring the metaphorical imagery of uncontrollable passion, or sanitize the impulsive desire into mere platonic affection, overlooking the passage's testimony to the magnetic pull of physical and emotional love.
Song of Solomon 6:12 poetically captures the Shulammite woman's sudden, irresistible surge of passion for her beloved, as her soul propels her forward like the swift chariots of Amminadib amid the chorus of admiration from the daughters of Jerusalem. This verse illustrates the exhilarating, spontaneous nature of true love, where inner delight overrides awareness, drawing lovers together in joyful union within the Song's vivid celebration of mutual attraction and marital bliss.
13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
Truth and untruth
Common misinterpretations of this verse include reducing it to purely allegorical symbolism where the Shulamite represents the church and the callers Christ or onlookers heavenly hosts, overshadowing its literal poetic depiction of human passion; others sensationalize the imagery as erotic voyeurism or militaristic conquest, ignoring the context of tender admiration and graceful dance-like elegance that highlights mutual desire in marital intimacy.
Song of Solomon 6:13 poetically expresses the chorus of onlookers' fervent plea for the Shulamite to return, allowing them to gaze upon her captivating beauty, likening her graceful movements to the synchronized majesty of two armies in formation, which underscores the profound admiration and magnetic allure she inspires in her lovers, celebrating the exquisite harmony and desirability within romantic love.