His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars.
Parallel translations
- WEB His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
- KJV His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
- NKJV His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars.
- NASB “His thighs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon, Choice as the cedars.
- NLT His legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of finest gold. His posture is stately, like the noble cedars of Lebanon.
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
His legs are like marble pillars on gold, and his whole bearing is majestic as Lebanon and its cedars. He is strong, stable, and impressively grand.
Overview
Marble pillars suggest firmness and reliability, while Lebanon and its towering cedars were proverbial for grandeur and strength. The bride praises her beloved as both stable and majestic. Christians have often heard in this stately picture a fitting reflection of Christ, the unshakable foundation and glorious head of his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Kgs 4:33He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
- Rev 1:15–16His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
- Song 4:11Your 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.
- Song 2:14O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
- Song 7:4Your neck is like a tower made of ivory; your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, facing toward Damascus.
- Hos 14:7They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
- Exod 26:19with forty silver bases under the twenty frames—two bases for each frame, one under each tenon.
- Acts 2:28You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
- 1 Tim 3:16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
- Ps 92:12The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
- Matt 28:3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
- Matt 17:2There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
- Zech 9:17How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.
- Judg 13:6So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 5:15 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.