Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

SONG OF SOLOMON 4:16KJV
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Song of Solomon 4:16 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 4:16 mean?

Song of Solomon 4:16 is a poetic invitation from the woman, asking for the winds to blow on her garden so that its fragrances will spread, and inviting her beloved to enter and enjoy its fruits. The verse uses garden imagery to express longing for closeness and shared delight between the lovers.

The speaker is the woman, addressing both the winds and her beloved. She calls for the north and south winds to "blow upon my garden," using the garden as a symbol for herself and her love. The invitation for her beloved to "come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits" is a vivid way of expressing her desire for intimacy and mutual enjoyment in their relationship.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 4:16

  • "Garden" (גַּן, gan): This word is used twice and refers to a cultivated, enclosed space. In the Song of Solomon, it often symbolizes the woman's person or her love, suggesting beauty, care, and exclusivity.
  • "Spices" (בֶּשֶׂם, besem): The Hebrew word refers to fragrant plants or perfumes. The mention of spices highlights the richness and attractiveness of what the garden (the woman) offers.
  • "Blow" (פָּחַ, pakh): This verb means to cause to move by blowing, as the wind does. The request for the winds to blow suggests awakening or stirring up feelings and experiences that have been kept private or hidden.

Why Song of Solomon 4:16 matters

  • The verse clears up that the garden imagery is not about agriculture, but about the woman's own self and her invitation to intimacy, using poetic language that would have been understood as romantic and personal in its original setting.
  • Song of Solomon 4:16 connects to the wider passage by responding to the earlier description of the garden by the beloved (the man), showing the woman's active role in the relationship and her own longing.
  • The verse emphasizes mutual desire and invitation, showing that both partners in the poem express longing and delight, which is a key theme throughout the Song of Solomon.

Where else these words appear

“pleasant” Hebrew H4022 · used in 7 verses

  • Deuteronomy 33:13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
  • Deuteronomy 33:15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
  • Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

“blow” Hebrew H6315 · used in 14 verses

  • Psalms 10:5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
  • Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
  • Proverbs 29:8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.

“out” Hebrew H5140 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
  • Psalms 78:16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
  • Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

“south” Hebrew H8486 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 26:18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
  • Numbers 10:6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
  • Psalms 78:26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.