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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 1:16 How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/songs/1-16.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/5/22_Sng_01_16.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Song of Solomon 1:16 - The Bride Confesses Her Love" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! 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Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/songs/1.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/songs/1.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/songs/1.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/songs/1.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Behold, thou <i>art</i> fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed <i>is</i> green.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/songs/1.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Behold, you <i>are</i> handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed <i>is</i> green.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/songs/1.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“How handsome you are, my beloved, <i>And</i> so delightful! Indeed, our bed is luxuriant!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/songs/1.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220How handsome you are, my beloved, And so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/songs/1.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“<,>How handsome you are, my beloved, <i>And</i> so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/songs/1.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“Behold, you are handsome, my beloved, Indeed, <i>so</i> pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/songs/1.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“Behold, how fair <i>and</i> handsome you are, my beloved; <i>And</i> so delightful! Our arbor is green <i>and</i> luxuriant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/songs/1.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />How handsome you are, my love. How delightful! Our bed is verdant;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/songs/1.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />How handsome you are, my love. How delightful! Our bed is lush with foliage; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/songs/1.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/songs/1.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />My love, you are handsome, truly handsome--the fresh green grass will be our wedding bed <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/songs/1.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our couch is green.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/songs/1.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Look at you! You are handsome, my beloved, so pleasing to me! The leaf-scattered ground will be our couch.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/songs/1.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />How handsome you are, my dearest; how you delight me! The green grass will be our bed; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/songs/1.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Look at you! You are handsome, my beloved, truly lovely. How lush is our couch.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/songs/1.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/songs/1.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Oh, how handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how delightful you are! The lush foliage is our canopied bed; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/songs/1.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Look, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant; and our couch is verdant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/songs/1.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yes, pleasant: also our bed is green.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/songs/1.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant; and our couch is verdant. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/songs/1.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Behold, you [are] beautiful, my love, indeed, pleasant, "" Indeed, our bed [is] green,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/songs/1.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Lo, thou art fair, my love, yea, pleasant, Yea, our couch is green,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/songs/1.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Behold thee beautiful, my beloved, also pleasant: also our bed is green.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/songs/1.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/songs/1.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Bride to Groom: <font color=#0000CC>Behold, you are handsome, O my beloved, and graceful. Our bed is flourishing.</font><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/songs/1.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />How beautiful you are, my lover— handsome indeed! Verdant indeed is our couch; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/songs/1.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely. Our couch is green;<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/songs/1.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our bed is spacious.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/songs/1.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Behold, you are beautiful, my love, also you are sweet, and our bed is canopied<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/songs/1.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; Also our couch is leafy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/songs/1.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Behold, thou art fair, my kinsman, yea, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/songs/1-16.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=149" 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/1.htm">The Bride Confesses Her Love</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">15</span>How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. <span class="reftext">16</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/2005.htm" title="2005: hin·nə·ḵā (Interjection:: 2ms) -- Lo! behold! A primitive particle; lo!; also if.">How</a> <a href="/hebrew/3303.htm" title="3303: yā·p̄eh (Adj-ms) -- Fair, beautiful. From yaphah; beautiful.">handsome you are,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1730.htm" title="1730: ḏō·w·ḏî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- Or dod; from an unused root meaning properly, to boil, i.e. to love; by implication, a love- token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle.">my beloved!</a> <a href="/hebrew/637.htm" title="637: ’ap̄ (Conj) -- Also, yea. A primitive particle; meaning accession; also or yea; adversatively though.">Oh, how</a> <a href="/hebrew/5273.htm" title="5273: nā·‘îm (Adj-ms) -- Pleasant, delightful. From na'em; delightful.">delightful!</a> <a href="/hebrew/637.htm" title="637: ’ap̄- (Conj) -- Also, yea. A primitive particle; meaning accession; also or yea; adversatively though."></a> <a href="/hebrew/7488.htm" title="7488: ra·‘ă·nā·nāh (Adj-fs) -- Luxuriant, fresh. From an unused root meaning to be green; verdant; by analogy, new; figuratively, prosperous.">The soft grass</a> <a href="/hebrew/6210.htm" title="6210: ‘ar·śê·nū (N-fsc:: 1cp) -- A couch, divan. From an unused root meaning perhaps to arch; a couch.">is our bed.</a> </span><span class="reftext">17</span>The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are fragrant firs.…<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="/psalms/45-11.htm">Psalm 45:11</a></span><br />and the king will desire your beauty; bow to him, for he is your lord.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/61-10.htm">Isaiah 61:10</a></span><br />I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/19-7.htm">Revelation 19:7-8</a></span><br />Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. / She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.<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="/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="/john/3-29.htm">John 3:29</a></span><br />The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/9-15.htm">Matthew 9:15</a></span><br />Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/62-5.htm">Isaiah 62:5</a></span><br />For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/2-19.htm">Hosea 2:19-20</a></span><br />So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. / And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/2-2.htm">Jeremiah 2:2</a></span><br />“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/45-13.htm">Psalm 45:13-14</a></span><br />All glorious is the princess in her chamber; her gown is embroidered with gold. / In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.<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="/1_peter/3-3.htm">1 Peter 3:3-4</a></span><br />Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, / but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/2-23.htm">Genesis 2:23-24</a></span><br />And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” / For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/31-10.htm">Proverbs 31:10-11</a></span><br />A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. / The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Behold, you are fair, my beloved, yes, pleasant: also our bed is green.</p><p class="hdg">thou art</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/songs/2-3.htm">Song of Solomon 2:3</a></b></br> As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so <i>is</i> my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit <i>was</i> sweet to my taste.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/songs/5-10.htm">Song of Solomon 5:10-16</a></b></br> My beloved <i>is</i> white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/45-2.htm">Psalm 45:2</a></b></br> Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.</p><p class="hdg">also</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/songs/3-7.htm">Song of Solomon 3:7</a></b></br> Behold his bed, which <i>is</i> Solomon's; threescore valiant men <i>are</i> about it, of the valiant of Israel.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/110-3.htm">Psalm 110:3</a></b></br> Thy people <i>shall be</i> willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/songs/1-15.htm">Beautiful</a> <a href="/proverbs/31-22.htm">Bed</a> <a href="/songs/1-15.htm">Beloved</a> <a href="/proverbs/26-25.htm">Charming</a> <a href="/songs/1-12.htm">Couch</a> <a href="/songs/1-15.htm">Fair</a> <a href="/proverbs/15-17.htm">Green</a> <a href="/2_samuel/23-21.htm">Handsome</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/11-8.htm">Indeed</a> <a href="/songs/1-10.htm">Lovely</a> <a href="/songs/1-14.htm">Lover</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/11-9.htm">Pleasant</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/12-1.htm">Pleasure</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/songs/2-10.htm">Beautiful</a> <a href="/songs/3-1.htm">Bed</a> <a href="/songs/1-17.htm">Beloved</a> <a href="/nahum/3-4.htm">Charming</a> <a href="/songs/3-1.htm">Couch</a> <a href="/songs/2-10.htm">Fair</a> <a href="/songs/2-13.htm">Green</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-6.htm">Handsome</a> <a href="/songs/5-3.htm">Indeed</a> <a href="/songs/2-14.htm">Lovely</a> <a href="/songs/2-3.htm">Lover</a> <a href="/songs/4-13.htm">Pleasant</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-17.htm">Pleasure</a><div class="vheading2">Song of Solomon 1</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-1.htm">the church's love unto Christ</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-5.htm">She confesses her deformity</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-7.htm">and prays to be directed, to his flock</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-8.htm">Christ directs her to the shepherd's tents</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-9.htm">and showing his love to her</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-11.htm">gives her gracious promises</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/songs/1-12.htm">the church and Christ congratulate one another</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'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/songs/1.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/songs/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/songs/1.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>How handsome you are, my beloved!</b><br>This phrase reflects the admiration and affection the Shulammite woman has for her beloved, often interpreted as Solomon. In the context of ancient Near Eastern poetry, physical beauty was frequently celebrated as a reflection of inner qualities. The term "handsome" here not only refers to physical appearance but also to the character and virtues of the beloved. This admiration can be seen as a type of the believer's love for Christ, who is described as "altogether lovely" in <a href="/songs/5-16.htm">Song of Solomon 5:16</a>. The use of "my beloved" indicates a deep, personal relationship, echoing the intimate relationship between Christ and the Church.<p><b>Oh, how delightful!</b><br>The expression of delight suggests a sense of joy and satisfaction in the presence of the beloved. In biblical terms, delight often signifies a deep, spiritual joy that transcends mere physical attraction. This can be connected to <a href="/psalms/37-4.htm">Psalm 37:4</a>, which speaks of delighting in the Lord. The delight here can be seen as a reflection of the joy found in a relationship with God, where the believer finds ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment.<p><b>The soft grass is our bed.</b><br>This imagery of a natural setting for their union suggests simplicity and purity, contrasting with the opulence often associated with Solomon's reign. The pastoral setting evokes the Garden of Eden, symbolizing innocence and unspoiled beauty. It also reflects the biblical theme of rest and peace found in God's creation, as seen in <a href="/psalms/23-2.htm">Psalm 23:2</a>, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." The use of "our bed" indicates mutual belonging and shared intimacy, paralleling the unity between Christ and His Church. The natural setting may also symbolize the believer's rest in Christ, who provides spiritual rest and peace.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_beloved.htm">The Beloved</a></b><br>The male figure in the Song of Solomon, often interpreted as King Solomon or a representation of Christ in allegorical readings. He is the object of affection and admiration.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_shulammite.htm">The Shulammite</a></b><br>The female speaker in this verse, expressing her admiration and love for her beloved. She represents the bride or the church in allegorical interpretations.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_bed.htm">The Bed</a></b><br>Symbolic of intimacy and rest, described as "verdant," suggesting freshness, life, and fertility. It represents the flourishing relationship between the beloved and the Shulammite.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_setting.htm">The Setting</a></b><br>The pastoral imagery suggests a natural, lush environment, emphasizing the beauty and vitality of the relationship.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_beauty_of_love.htm">The Beauty of Love</a></b><br>The verse highlights the beauty and admiration present in a loving relationship. In a Christian marriage, spouses should continually express appreciation and admiration for one another.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/symbolism_of_verdancy.htm">Symbolism of Verdancy</a></b><br>The verdant bed symbolizes a relationship that is alive and flourishing. Couples should strive to keep their relationship vibrant and growing through mutual respect and love.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/christ_and_the_church.htm">Christ and the Church</a></b><br>This verse can be seen as a reflection of the love between Christ and the Church. Believers are called to maintain a vibrant and intimate relationship with Christ, characterized by admiration and devotion.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_nature_in_scripture.htm">The Role of Nature in Scripture</a></b><br>The use of natural imagery in this verse reminds us of the beauty of God's creation and how it can symbolize spiritual truths. Believers are encouraged to see God's handiwork in the world around them.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_song_of_solomon_1.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Song of Solomon 1</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/was_solomon's_kingdom_truly_wealthy.htm">The lavish imagery in Song of Solomon 1 implies a royal court with abundant wealth. Is there corroborating historical evidence that Solomon's kingdom was this prosperous?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_substantiate_solomon's_authorship.htm">Song of Solomon 1:1 attributes the text to Solomon, yet there is limited archaeological evidence for his personal authorship or historical reign. How can this claim be substantiated?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_of_pharaoh's_cavalry_in_solomon's_era.htm">Is there archaeological or historical evidence of Pharaoh's cavalry that supports the mare comparison in Song of Solomon 1:9 from Solomon's era?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_reconcile_song_3_with_matt_5_28.htm">How do we reconcile the romantic imagery of Song of Solomon 3 with the more sober views on marriage and lust in other biblical texts (e.g., Matthew 5:28)?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/songs/1.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(16) <span class= "bld">Our bed is green.</span>--The heroine replies in similar terms of admiration, and recalls "the happy woodland places" in which they were wont to meet.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/songs/1.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 16-ch. 2:1.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our couch is green. The beams of our house are cedars, and our rafters are firs. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley.</span> We take these three verses together as being, in all probability, the address of the bride to her royal husband. This was the view taken by the Masoretic editors and preserved in our present pointing of the Hebrew, as we see in the masculine form of the first word, <span class="hebrew">הִגֶּך</span>, which replies to the feminine form in ver. 15, <span class="hebrew">הִגָּך</span>. The seventeenth verse is apparently abrupt. Why should the bride pass so suddenly from the general address of affection, "Thou art fair, thou art pleasant," to a particular description of a rural scene? The explanation suggested by some of the critics is not farfetched, that Solomon whispers to her that she shall go back with him to her country life if she pleases, or she reminds him of his promise made at some other time. Undoubtedly the point of Shulamith's response lies in ch. 2:1, "I am not at ease in this palatial splendour; I am by nature a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley. Take me to the green couch, and let me lie under the cedars and the firs." The couch is the divan (cf. <a href="/amos/6-4.htm">Amos 6:4</a>), from a root "to cover over" (like "canopy" in Greek, <span class="greek">κωνωπεῖον</span>, so called from its protecting the person under it from the <span class="greek">κώνεπες</span>, or "gnats). It is not that the nuptial bed is particularly intended, or even the bridal bower, but the home itself as a bowery resting place. "Our home is a sweet country home; take me, there, beloved one." The word "green" is very suggestive in the Hebrew. It is said to "combine in itself the ideas of softness and juicy freshness, perhaps of bending and elasticity, of looseness and thus of overhanging ramification, like weeping willow." <span class="accented">Beams</span>, from a root "to meet," "to lay crosswise," "to hold together." But the meaning depends upon the idea of the whole description. Some would render "fretted ceilings," or "galleries;" but Dr. Ginsburg gives it, "our bower is of cedar arches," which excludes the idea of a formal structure made of cedar beams. The same meaning is conveyed in the last clause, "our rafters are firs." The word rendered "rafters" (<span class="hebrew">יָחִיט</span>) literally signifies "a place upon which one runs" (like <span class="hebrew">שׁוּק</span>, a "street"), <span class="accented">i.e.</span> a charming or pleasant spot. The <span class="accented">beroth</span> is the cypress tree, an Aramaic word, or one used in the north of Palestine. The meaning is, "our pleasant retreat is cypresses" - is beautiful and fragrant with the cypress tree. Delitzsch, however, and others would take it differently as describing the panels or hollows of a wainscoted ceiling, like <span class="greek">φατναί</span>, <span class="accented">lacunae</span>, <span class="accented">lacunaria</span>, and the LXX., <span class="greek">φατνωμάτα</span>: Symmachus, <span class="greek">φατνωσεῖς</span>: Jerome, <span class="accented">laquearii</span> (cf. <a href="/isaiah/60-13.htm">Isaiah 60:13</a>). But the concluding words would then be unfitting. The bride is not describing a splendid palace, but a country home. "I am a tender maiden," she says, "who has been brought up in retirement; take me to a forest palace and to the green, fragrant surroundings, where the meadow flower, the valley lily will be happy." We are so accustomed to the rendering of <a href="/songs/2-1.htm">Song of Solomon 2:1</a>, which our Revised Version has adopted from the Authorized, that it would be wrong to destroy the effect which it borrows from long familiarity unless it were absolutely necessary. The word <span class="accented">chavatseleth</span>, however, has been differently translated; it is literally any wild flower - rose, saffron crocus (<span class="accented">Colchieum autumnale</span>), tulip, narcissus, lily. The crocus is, perhaps, nearest . to the meaning, as the name is probably derived from a root "to form bulbs" or bulbous knolls. It occurs only once again, in <a href="/isaiah/35-1.htm">Isaiah 35:1</a>, where it is rendered "rose" in the Authorized Version; LXX., <span class="greek">ἄνθος</span>: Vulgate, <span class="accented">flos</span>. Some derive it from the root <span class="accented">chavaz</span>, "to be bright," with <span class="hebrew">ל</span> as termination. <span class="accented">Sharon</span> may be here a general denomination of the open field or plain, from <span class="hebrew">יָרַשׁ</span>, "to be straight, plain." There was a district called Sharon on the coast from Joppa to Caesarea. There was another Sharon beyond the Jordan (see <a href="/1_chronicles/5-16.htm">1 Chronicles 5:16</a>). According to Eusebius and Jerome, there was yet another, between Tabor and Tiberias, and this, as being in the north, may be referred to. Aquila renders "a rosebud of Sharon." The lily (<span class="accented">shoshannah</span>) is only found as here in the feminine form in the Apocrypha. The red and white lily were both known. Some would derive the word from the numeral (<span class="accented">shesh</span>) "six," because the liliaceae are six-leaved, while the rosaceae are five-leaved; but it is probably akin to <span class="accented">shesh</span>, "byssus," <span class="accented">shayish</span>, "white marbles" (cf. <a href="/hosea/14-5.htm">Hosea 14:5</a>, "He shall bloom as a lily"). Our Lord's reference to "the lilies of the field" reminds us that they were in Palestine both very beautiful and very abundant. Zockler thinks it is not the strongly scented white lily (<span class="accented">Lilium candidam</span>) to which reference is made, but the red lily (<span class="accented">Lilium rubens</span>); but either will convey the same idea of a flower of the field which is meant. "My beauty is the beauty of nature - artless and pure." <p> <p> <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/songs/1-16.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">How</span><br /><span class="heb">הִנְּךָ֨</span> <span class="translit">(hin·nə·ḵā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interjection | second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2005.htm">Strong's 2005: </a> </span><span class="str2">Lo! behold!</span><br /><br /><span class="word">handsome [you are],</span><br /><span class="heb">יָפֶ֤ה</span> <span class="translit">(yā·p̄eh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3303.htm">Strong's 3303: </a> </span><span class="str2">Fair, beautiful</span><br /><br /><span class="word">my beloved!</span><br /><span class="heb">דוֹדִי֙</span> <span class="translit">(ḏō·w·ḏî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1730.htm">Strong's 1730: </a> </span><span class="str2">To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Oh, how</span><br /><span class="heb">אַ֣ף</span> <span class="translit">(’ap̄)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_637.htm">Strong's 637: </a> </span><span class="str2">Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though</span><br /><br /><span class="word">delightful!</span><br /><span class="heb">נָעִ֔ים</span> <span class="translit">(nā·‘îm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5273.htm">Strong's 5273: </a> </span><span class="str2">Pleasant, delightful</span><br /><br /><span class="word">The soft grass</span><br /><span class="heb">רַעֲנָנָֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(ra·‘ă·nā·nāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7488.htm">Strong's 7488: </a> </span><span class="str2">Verdant, new, prosperous</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[is] our bed.</span><br /><span class="heb">עַרְשֵׂ֖נוּ</span> <span class="translit">(‘ar·śê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6210.htm">Strong's 6210: </a> </span><span class="str2">A couch, divan</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/songs/1-16.htm">Song of Solomon 1:16 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/songs/1-16.htm">OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 1:16 Behold you are beautiful my beloved yes (Song Songs SS So Can)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/songs/1-15.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Song of Solomon 1:15"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Song of Solomon 1:15" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/songs/1-17.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Song of Solomon 1:17"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Song of Solomon 1:17" /></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>