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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Song of Solomon 4:12 My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/songs/4-12.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/22_Sng_04_12.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Song of Solomon 4:12 - Solomon Admires His Bride" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/songs/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/songs/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/songs/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/songs/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />A garden inclosed <i>is</i> my sister, <i>my</i> spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/songs/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />A garden enclosed <i>Is</i> my sister, <i>my</i> spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/songs/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“A locked garden is my sister, <i>my</i> bride, A locked spring, a sealed fountain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/songs/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220A garden locked is my sister, my bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/songs/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“A garden locked is my sister, <i>my</i> bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/songs/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />A garden locked is my sister, <i>my</i> bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/songs/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“A garden enclosed is my sister, my [promised] bride— A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/songs/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden — a locked garden and a sealed spring.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/songs/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden— a locked garden and a sealed spring. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/songs/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/songs/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />My bride, my very own, you are a garden, a fountain closed off to all others. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/songs/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/songs/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />My bride, my sister is a garden that is locked, a garden that is locked, a spring that is sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/songs/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />My sweetheart, my bride, is a secret garden, a walled garden, a private spring; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/songs/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, is a locked garden a locked rock garden, a sealed up spring.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/songs/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/songs/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />You are a locked garden, my sister, my bride; you are an enclosed spring, a sealed-up fountain. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/songs/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />A locked up garden is my sister, my bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/songs/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/songs/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my bride, is a locked up garden; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/songs/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />A garden shut up [is] my sister-spouse, "" A spring shut up—a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/songs/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> A garden shut up is my sister-spouse, A spring shut up -- a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/songs/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />A garden shut up, my sister, O bride; a reservoir shut up, a fountain sealed.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/songs/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/songs/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><font color=#CC0000>An enclosed garden is my sister, my spouse: an enclosed garden, a sealed fountain.</font><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/songs/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />A garden enclosed, my sister, my bride, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/songs/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/songs/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; yea, a garden guarded, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/songs/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />A garden that is enclosed is my sister bride! A garden that is enclosed, a spring that is sealed<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/songs/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/songs/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />My sister, <i>my</i> spouse is a garden enclosed; a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/songs/4-12.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9D_QEk8ZdxU?start=565" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/songs/4.htm">Solomon Admires His Bride</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">11</span>Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon. <span class="reftext">12</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/269.htm" title="269: ’ă·ḥō·ṯî (N-fsc:: 1cs) -- Sister. Irregular feminine of 'ach; a sister (like 'Ezrachiy), literally and figuratively).">My sister,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3618.htm" title="3618: ḵal·lāh (N-fs) -- Daughter-in-law, bride. From kalal; a bride; hence, a son's wife.">my bride,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1588.htm" title="1588: gan (N-cs) -- An enclosure, garden. From ganan; a garden.">you are a garden</a> <a href="/hebrew/5274.htm" title="5274: nā·‘ūl (V-Qal-QalPassPrtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; properly, to fasten up, i.e. With a bar or cord; hence, to sandal, i.e. Furnish with slippers.">locked up,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1530.htm" title="1530: gal (N-ms) -- A heap, wave, billow. From galal; something rolled, i.e. A heap of stone or dung, by analogy, a spring of water.">a spring</a> <a href="/hebrew/5274.htm" title="5274: nā·‘ūl (V-Qal-QalPassPrtcpl-ms) -- A primitive root; properly, to fasten up, i.e. With a bar or cord; hence, to sandal, i.e. Furnish with slippers.">enclosed,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4599.htm" title="4599: ma‘·yān (N-ms) -- A spring. Or ma ynow; or ma yanah; from ayin; a fountain, figuratively, a source.">a fountain</a> <a href="/hebrew/2856.htm" title="2856: ḥā·ṯūm (V-Qal-QalPassPrtcpl-ms) -- To seal, affix a seal, seal up. A primitive root; to close up; especially to seal.">sealed.</a> </span><span class="reftext">13</span>Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/5-15.htm">Proverbs 5:15-18</a></span><br />Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. / Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? / Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/5-1.htm">Isaiah 5:1-7</a></span><br />I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/31-12.htm">Jeremiah 31:12</a></span><br />They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/28-13.htm">Ezekiel 28:13</a></span><br />You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/2-8.htm">Genesis 2:8-10</a></span><br />And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. / Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. / Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/80-8.htm">Psalm 80:8-11</a></span><br />You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it. / You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. / The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/27-2.htm">Isaiah 27:2-3</a></span><br />In that day: “Sing about a fruitful vineyard. / I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it continually. I guard it night and day so no one can disturb it;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/15-1.htm">John 15:1-5</a></span><br />“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-44.htm">Matthew 13:44</a></span><br />The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/3-9.htm">1 Corinthians 3:9</a></span><br />For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/5-25.htm">Ephesians 5:25-27</a></span><br />Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her / to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, / and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/21-2.htm">Revelation 21:2</a></span><br />I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/22-1.htm">Revelation 22:1-2</a></span><br />Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb / down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/11-2.htm">2 Corinthians 11:2</a></span><br />I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/colossians/1-22.htm">Colossians 1:22</a></span><br />But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.</p><p class="hdg">garden</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/songs/6-2.htm">Song of Solomon 6:2,11</a></b></br> My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/5-15.htm">Proverbs 5:15-18</a></b></br> Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/58-11.htm">Isaiah 58:11</a></b></br> And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.</p><p class="hdg">inclosed</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_corinthians/1-22.htm">2 Corinthians 1:22</a></b></br> Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ephesians/1-13.htm">Ephesians 1:13</a></b></br> In whom ye also <i>trusted</i>, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ephesians/4-30.htm">Ephesians 4:30</a></b></br> And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/songs/4-11.htm">Bride</a> <a href="/psalms/139-5.htm">Enclosed</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/12-6.htm">Fountain</a> <a href="/job/8-16.htm">Garden</a> <a href="/psalms/22-16.htm">Inclosed</a> <a href="/proverbs/18-19.htm">Locked</a> <a href="/songs/2-14.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/job/41-15.htm">Sealed</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/12-4.htm">Shut</a> <a href="/songs/4-10.htm">Sister</a> <a href="/songs/4-10.htm">Sister-Spouse</a> <a href="/songs/4-11.htm">Spouse</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/12-6.htm">Spring</a> <a href="/proverbs/21-13.htm">Stopped</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/11-3.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/songs/5-1.htm">Bride</a> <a href="/isaiah/40-12.htm">Enclosed</a> <a href="/songs/4-15.htm">Fountain</a> <a href="/songs/4-13.htm">Garden</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-9.htm">Inclosed</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-19.htm">Locked</a> <a href="/isaiah/2-10.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/isaiah/29-10.htm">Sealed</a> <a href="/songs/8-9.htm">Shut</a> <a href="/songs/5-1.htm">Sister</a> <a href="/songs/4-9.htm">Sister-Spouse</a> <a href="/songs/5-1.htm">Spouse</a> <a href="/songs/4-15.htm">Spring</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-6.htm">Stopped</a> <a href="/songs/4-15.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Song of Solomon 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/4-1.htm">Christ sets forth the graces of the church</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/4-8.htm">He shows forth his love to her</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/4-16.htm">The church prays to be made fit for his presence</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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"Sister" denotes a familial bond, suggesting deep affection and respect, while "bride" indicates a covenantal and exclusive relationship. In ancient Near Eastern culture, marriage was a sacred covenant, and the dual terms emphasize both the friendship and the romantic love present in the relationship. This duality can also be seen as a type of Christ and the Church, where believers are both family and the bride of Christ (<a href="/ephesians/5-25.htm">Ephesians 5:25-27</a>).<p><b>you are a garden locked up</b><br>The imagery of a "garden" symbolizes beauty, fertility, and delight. In the ancient world, gardens were often private and enclosed spaces, signifying exclusivity and protection. The "locked up" aspect suggests purity and chastity, emphasizing the bride's virtue and the exclusivity of her love. This can be connected to the idea of the Church being set apart and holy, as seen in <a href="/1_peter/2-9.htm">1 Peter 2:9</a>, where believers are described as a "chosen people."<p><b>a spring enclosed</b><br>A "spring" represents life-giving water, essential for survival and prosperity in the arid climate of the Middle East. An "enclosed" spring suggests a source of refreshment and life that is protected and reserved for a specific purpose or person. This can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual life and vitality that comes from a relationship with God, as described in <a href="/john/4-14.htm">John 4:14</a>, where Jesus speaks of the "living water" He provides.<p><b>a fountain sealed</b><br>The "fountain" imagery continues the theme of life and sustenance, with "sealed" indicating security and exclusivity. In biblical times, sealing something was a way to mark ownership and protect it from being tampered with. This can be seen as a reflection of the believer's security in Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit as mentioned in <a href="/ephesians/1-13.htm">Ephesians 1:13-14</a>. The sealed fountain also underscores the idea of purity and the reserved nature of the bride's love, paralleling the Church's devotion to Christ.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_bridegroom.htm">The Bridegroom</a></b><br>Often interpreted as Solomon, representing Christ in allegorical readings. He speaks of his bride with admiration and respect.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_bride.htm">The Bride</a></b><br>Represents the Church or the individual believer, symbolizing purity, beauty, and exclusivity in her relationship with the bridegroom.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_garden.htm">The Garden</a></b><br>Symbolizes the bride's purity and the sanctity of her love, which is reserved for her bridegroom alone.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_spring_and_fountain.htm">The Spring and Fountain</a></b><br>Represent sources of life and refreshment, indicating the bride's inner beauty and vitality, which are protected and cherished.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_locked/sealed_imagery.htm">The Locked/Sealed Imagery</a></b><br>Emphasizes the exclusivity and sacredness of the bride's love and purity, reserved for her husband.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/p/purity_and_exclusivity.htm">Purity and Exclusivity</a></b><br>The imagery of a locked garden and sealed fountain teaches the importance of purity and exclusivity in relationships, particularly in marriage.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/v/value_of_inner_beauty.htm">Value of Inner Beauty</a></b><br>The bride's inner beauty and vitality are highlighted, reminding believers to cultivate inner spiritual beauty and character.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/sacredness_of_marriage.htm">Sacredness of Marriage</a></b><br>Marriage is portrayed as a sacred covenant, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the Church, calling for faithfulness and commitment.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/guarding_one's_heart.htm">Guarding One's Heart</a></b><br>Just as the garden is locked, believers are encouraged to guard their hearts and maintain spiritual purity.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/christ's_love_for_the_church.htm">Christ's Love for the Church</a></b><br>The passage reflects Christ's deep love and desire for a pure and devoted Church, encouraging believers to live in a way that honors this relationship.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_song_of_solomon_4.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Song of Solomon 4</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_song_4_7's_perfection_fit_reality.htm">How can the description of the bride's flawless perfection in Song of Solomon 4:7 align with human reality, given our understanding of human imperfection?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_song_4_fit_solomon's_many_wives.htm">If historically attributed to King Solomon, how does Song of Solomon 4 mesh with the accounts of his many wives and concubines in other biblical texts (e.g., 1 Kings 11:3)?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_reconcile_song_4_1-3's_exaggerations.htm">How do we reconcile the poetic exaggerations in Song of Solomon 4:1-3 with any literal or historical interpretations of the text?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_spikenard_in_the_bible.htm">What does spikenard refer to in the Bible?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/songs/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(12) <span class= "bld">A</span> <span class= "bld">garden inclosed.</span>--Comp. with this passage <a href="/context/songs/4-12.htm" title="A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.">Song of Solomon 4:12-15</a>; <a href="/proverbs/5-15.htm" title="Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.">Proverbs 5:15</a>; <a href="/proverbs/5-21.htm" title="For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his goings.">Proverbs 5:21</a>. The closed or walled garden and the sealed fountain appear to have been established metaphors for the pure and chaste wife. For the latter, at least, there is not only the above passage in Proverbs, but a prayer still in use in Jewish marriages: "Suffer not a stranger to enter into the sealed fountain," &c<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/songs/4.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 12.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.</span> We must bear in mind that these words are supposed to be spoken on the journey in the marriage procession. The bride is not yet brought to the royal palace. She is still travelling in the royal palanquin. The idea of a paradise or garden is carried from the beginning of Scripture to the end, the symbol of perfect blessedness. The figure of the closed or shut-up garden represents the bridegroom's delight in the sense of absolute and sole possession - for himself and no other. The language is very natural at such a time, when the bride is being taken from her home. We may compare with the figures here employed those in <a href="/proverbs/5-15.htm">Proverbs 5:15-20</a>. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/songs/4-12.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">My sister,</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲחֹתִ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·ḥō·ṯî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_269.htm">Strong's 269: </a> </span><span class="str2">Sister -- a sister</span><br /><br /><span class="word">my bride,</span><br /><span class="heb">כַלָּ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(ḵal·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3618.htm">Strong's 3618: </a> </span><span class="str2">Daughter-in-law, bride</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[you are] a garden</span><br /><span class="heb">גַּ֥ן ׀</span> <span class="translit">(gan)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1588.htm">Strong's 1588: </a> </span><span class="str2">An enclosure, garden</span><br /><br /><span class="word">locked up,</span><br /><span class="heb">נָע֖וּל</span> <span class="translit">(nā·‘ūl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5274.htm">Strong's 5274: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fasten up, with a, bar, cord, to sandal, furnish with slippers</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a spring</span><br /><span class="heb">גַּ֥ל</span> <span class="translit">(gal)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1530.htm">Strong's 1530: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something rolled, a heap of stone, dung, a spring of water</span><br /><br /><span class="word">enclosed,</span><br /><span class="heb">נָע֖וּל</span> <span class="translit">(nā·‘ūl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5274.htm">Strong's 5274: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fasten up, with a, bar, cord, to sandal, furnish with slippers</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a fountain</span><br /><span class="heb">מַעְיָ֥ן</span> <span class="translit">(ma‘·yān)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4599.htm">Strong's 4599: </a> </span><span class="str2">A fountain, a source</span><br /><br /><span class="word">sealed.</span><br /><span class="heb">חָתֽוּם׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥā·ṯūm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2856.htm">Strong's 2856: </a> </span><span class="str2">To seal, affix a seal, seal up</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/songs/4-12.htm">Song of Solomon 4:12 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/songs/4-12.htm">OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 4:12 A locked up garden is my sister (Song Songs SS So Can)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/songs/4-11.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Song of Solomon 4:11"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Song of Solomon 4:11" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/songs/4-13.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Song of Solomon 4:13"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Song of Solomon 4:13" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>