I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

SONG OF SOLOMON 5:1KJV
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Song of Solomon 5:1 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 5:1 mean?

Song of Solomon 5:1 describes the lover entering his garden, enjoying its delights, and inviting friends to join in celebration. The verse uses rich, sensory language to picture the fulfillment of love and the joy it brings, with the beloved addressing both his "sister" (a term of affection) and "spouse."

In this verse, the speaker is the male lover, likely Solomon, who speaks to his beloved and then to a group of friends. The "garden" is a poetic image for the beloved herself or their shared intimacy. The verse shifts from private enjoyment ("I have come into my garden...") to a public invitation for others to rejoice with them, highlighting both personal fulfillment and communal joy.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 5:1

  • "garden" (גַּן, gan): This word often symbolizes a place of delight or intimacy. Here, it likely represents the beloved or the relationship itself, emphasizing beauty and privacy.
  • "myrrh" (מֹר, mor) and "spice" (בֹּשֶׂם, bosem): These fragrant substances were valuable and associated with love and celebration. Their mention underlines the richness and pleasure of the scene.
  • "eat" (אָכַל, akhal) and "drink" (שָׁתָה, shatah): These verbs are commands to the friends, inviting them to share in the joy. The language suggests abundance and wholehearted celebration.

Why Song of Solomon 5:1 matters

  • Song of Solomon 5:1 clears up that the love described in this book is not only private but also something to be celebrated openly, as shown by the invitation to friends.
  • The verse emphasizes the fullness and satisfaction of love, using sensory images that connect to the wider theme of mutual delight and honor in the relationship.
  • This verse marks a transition in the poem, moving from the lovers' private union to a communal affirmation, which helps the reader see the value of love in both personal and social dimensions.

Where else these words appear

“gathered” Hebrew H717 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 80:12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

“myrrh” Hebrew H4753 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
  • Proverbs 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
  • Song of Solomon 4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

“abundantly” Hebrew H7937 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
  • Isaiah 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
  • Jeremiah 51:39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

“spouse” Hebrew H3618 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
  • Ruth 2:22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
  • Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.