Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

SONG OF SOLOMON 4:3KJV
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Song of Solomon 4:3 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 4:3 mean?

Song of Solomon 4:3 is a poetic description of a woman's beauty, comparing her lips to a thread of scarlet, her speech as lovely, and her temples behind her veil to a slice of pomegranate. The verse uses vivid, colorful imagery to express admiration and affection from the speaker to the beloved.

In this verse, the man is speaking to the woman, praising her physical features in a way that highlights both her attractiveness and the delicacy of her appearance. The comparisons to scarlet thread and pomegranate emphasize vibrant color and freshness, while the mention of her speech being "comely" points to the pleasing nature of her words and presence.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 4:3

  • "lips" (שָׂפָה, safah): This word refers to the physical lips, which are described as delicate and colorful, emphasizing beauty and sensuality.
  • "thread" (חוּט, chut): The comparison to a "thread" suggests something fine and slender, highlighting the daintiness and elegance of the woman's lips.
  • "scarlet" (שָׁנִי, shani): This is a bright red color, often associated with richness and vibrancy, underlining the striking appearance of her lips.
  • "temples" (רַקָּה, raqqah): This refers to the area of the face between the eyes and ears, often seen as a sign of health and youth, and here compared to a pomegranate for its color and freshness.
  • "piece" (פֶּלַח, pelach): This word means a slice or segment, suggesting the rosy, lively look of the woman's temples as seen through her hair or veil.
  • "pomegranate" (רִמּוֹן, rimmon): The pomegranate is a fruit with a rich red color and many seeds, symbolizing beauty, abundance, and perhaps even mystery.

Why Song of Solomon 4:3 matters

  • This verse helps readers see the Song of Solomon as a celebration of physical beauty and romantic love, using everyday imagery from the ancient world to express deep affection.
  • The detailed comparisons show how the speaker values not just outward appearance but also the beloved's speech and presence, suggesting a holistic appreciation.
  • Understanding the original Hebrew words and their imagery reveals the artistry of the poetry and the cultural context, making the verse's praise more vivid and meaningful.

Where else these words appear

“locks” Hebrew H6777 · used in 4 verses

  • Song of Solomon 4:1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
  • Song of Solomon 6:7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
  • Isaiah 47:2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

“temples” Hebrew H7541 · used in 5 verses

  • Judges 4:21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
  • Judges 4:22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
  • Judges 5:26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

“piece” Hebrew H6400 · used in 6 verses

  • Judges 9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
  • 1 Samuel 30:12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
  • Job 41:24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

“thread” Hebrew H2339 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
  • Judges 16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
  • Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.