My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
Parallel translations
- WEB My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand.
- BSB My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
- NKJV My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand.
- NASB ¶“My beloved is dazzling and reddish, Outstanding among ten thousand.
- NLT My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others!
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
The bride answers the daughters of Jerusalem by praising her beloved as radiant and surpassing all others. Her love treasures him above everyone.
Overview
Having been asked what makes her beloved special (5:9), the bride begins an extended description of his beauty. 'White and ruddy' suggests health and vigor, and 'best among ten thousand' (or 'chiefest') marks him as unique. Christians have long heard in such language a foretaste of the church's praise of Christ, who alone is 'altogether lovely' (5:16) and chief above all.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 45:2Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
- Song 2:1I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
- Ps 45:17I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
- Phil 2:9–11Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
- Deut 32:31For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
- Col 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Heb 7:26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Heb 2:10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
- 1 Sam 16:12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
- Isa 59:19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
- Isa 10:18And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.
- Isa 66:19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
- Rom 9:5Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 5:10 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.