I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

SONG OF SOLOMON 5:3KJV
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Song of Solomon 5:3 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 5:3 mean?

Song of Solomon 5:3 shows the woman hesitating to open the door for her beloved because she has already taken off her coat and washed her feet, and she is reluctant to get up and become unclean again. The verse captures a moment of hesitation and inconvenience, revealing her inner thoughts as she considers whether to respond to her beloved’s request.

In this scene, the woman (the Shulammite) is speaking to herself as her beloved knocks at the door late at night. She has already prepared for bed, having removed her outer garment and washed her feet, which in her culture would make her reluctant to get up and dirty herself again. The verse gives a glimpse into her private reasoning and the small barriers that can come between loved ones, even when the desire to be together is strong.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 5:3

  • "off" (פָּשַׁט, pāshaṭ): This word means to take off or strip off, especially clothing. The woman’s use of this word emphasizes that she has already settled in for the night, making her reluctance more understandable.
  • "coat" (כֻּתֹּנֶת, kuttōnet): This refers to an inner garment or tunic, not just an outer coat. It shows she is not simply inconvenienced, but has made herself comfortable and is not dressed to receive visitors.
  • "defile" (טָפַר, tāpar): This word means to soil or make dirty. Her concern about defiling her feet after washing them highlights the practical, everyday reasons for her hesitation, not just emotional ones.

Why Song of Solomon 5:3 matters

  • The verse clears up the idea that the woman is being cold or rejecting her beloved; instead, it shows a very human moment of hesitation due to comfort and routine.
  • Song of Solomon 5:3 adds realism to the relationship, showing that even deep affection can be interrupted by small, relatable obstacles.
  • This moment of hesitation sets up the tension in the following verses, where the woman’s delay leads to a missed opportunity and longing, which is a key theme in the wider passage.

Where else these words appear

“how” Hebrew H349 · used in 9 verses

  • Genesis 44:34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
  • Deuteronomy 7:17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
  • Esther 8:6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

“coat” Hebrew H3801 · used in 26 verses

  • Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
  • Exodus 28:40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
  • Leviticus 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

“off” Hebrew H6584 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
  • 1 Samuel 27:10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
  • Nehemiah 4:23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

“washed” Hebrew H7364 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • Leviticus 15:5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 23:11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.