A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

SONG OF SOLOMON 4:12KJV
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Song of Solomon 4:12 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 4:12 mean?

Song of Solomon 4:12 describes the beloved woman as a private, protected garden and a sealed spring or fountain, highlighting her purity, exclusivity, and the care taken to keep her set apart. The verse uses poetic imagery to express that she is reserved and not freely accessible to others.

In this verse, the man (often called the bridegroom) is speaking to the woman he loves, calling her both his sister and his spouse. The setting is a romantic exchange where he praises her character and virtue. The language of a "garden inclosed" and "fountain sealed" paints a picture of something beautiful and valuable that is carefully guarded, emphasizing her dignity and the special nature of their relationship.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 4:12

  • גַּן (gan, "garden"): This word refers to a cultivated, enclosed space, often lush and well-tended. The image suggests beauty, order, and intentional care.
  • נָעַל (na‘al, "inclosed" or "shut up"): This word means locked or barred, stressing that the "garden" is not open to just anyone but is protected and private.
  • מַעְיָן (ma‘yan, "spring"): This refers to a source of fresh water, often seen as precious in a dry land. The spring is described as "shut up," reinforcing the idea of something valuable kept safe.
  • חָתוּם (ḥatum, "sealed"): This word means sealed or closed with a seal, making the "fountain" inaccessible except to the rightful person. It adds to the sense of exclusivity and security.

Why Song of Solomon 4:12 matters

  • The verse helps clear up the meaning of the woman's "inaccessibility"—it is not about coldness or distance, but about being reserved for a special relationship, which is celebrated in the context of love and marriage.
  • The imagery connects to the wider theme of the Song of Solomon, where love is described as precious, exclusive, and worthy of protection, not something to be given away lightly.
  • Understanding these metaphors in their ancient context helps modern readers appreciate the high value placed on personal dignity and the beauty of a committed relationship.

Where else these words appear

“inclosed” Hebrew H5274 · used in 7 verses

  • Judges 3:23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
  • 2 Samuel 13:17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

“fountain” Hebrew H4599 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
  • 2 Kings 3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
  • Proverbs 5:16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

“sealed” Hebrew H2856 · used in 24 verses

  • Leviticus 15:3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.
  • Esther 8:10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
  • Jeremiah 32:10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

“spring” Hebrew H1530 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
  • Job 38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
  • Isaiah 51:15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.