My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
Parallel translations
- WEB My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.
- BSB My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
- NKJV My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms In the vineyards of En Gedi. The Beloved
- NASB “My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms In the vineyards of Engedi.”
- NLT He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-gedi.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
She likens her beloved to fragrant henna blossoms from En Gedi. It is another picture of his preciousness and delight to her.
Overview
The henna of En Gedi, an oasis by the Dead Sea, was prized for its blossoms' fragrance. Comparing him to such beauty in a barren land magnifies his worth to her. The Lord likewise is the believer's joy and fragrance, a refreshing presence amid the wilderness of this world (Ps. 73:25).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Song 1:13A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
- Josh 15:62And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.
- 1 Sam 23:29And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
- Song 2:3As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
- Song 4:13–14Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
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Christ at the center
The poetry of covenant love between bride and bridegroom pictures, at its highest, the love of Christ for his church — the Bridegroom who gave himself for his bride.
How Song of Songs 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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