Song of Solomon 6 — Summary & Meaning

The daughters of Jerusalem now offer to seek the beloved with her, and she answers that he has gone down to his garden, reaffirming, 'I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' The bridegroom appears again in praise, calling her 'beautiful... as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners,' and setting her, his dove, his undefiled, above all the queens and concubines as the only one. The onlookers marvel, 'Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun?' and call the Shulamite to return that they may behold her. Reunion and renewed delight answer the night of loss, confirming that this love holds its object singular and cherished, the same singular regard with which the LORD sets His love upon His people.

Historical backdrop

Solomon's Israel sat astride the trade routes that carried spices north from Arabia and India, and the Song is scented with them: myrrh and frankincense, nard and saffron, cinnamon and aloes brought from far countries. It is the world of a kingdom at peace, of walled gardens and the cedars of Lebanon and the vineyards of Engedi, where such wealth of perfume could furnish the very language of love.

Matthew Henry on Song of Solomon 6

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Song of Solomon 6

The Church Fathers on Song of Solomon 6

¹Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?

²My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

³I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.

⁴Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.

⁵Turn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.

⁶Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.

⁷Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.

⁸There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.

⁹My 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 called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

¹⁰Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?

¹¹I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, Andthe pomegranates were in flower.

¹²Before I was aware, my soul set me Amongthe chariots of my princely people.

¹³Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim?

What is Song of Solomon 6 about?