My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand.
Parallel translations
- WEB My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand.
- KJV My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
- BSB My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding 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 45:2You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.
- Song 2:1I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
- Ps 45:17I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore the peoples shall give you thanks forever and ever.
- Phil 2:9–11Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
- Deut 32:31For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves concede.
- Col 1:18He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Heb 7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Heb 2:10For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
- 1 Sam 16:12He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
- Isa 59:19So shall they fear Yahweh’s name from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which Yahweh’s breath drives.
- Isa 10:18He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.
- Isa 66:19“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
- Rom 9:5of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
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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.