Song of Solomon 5:7 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 5:7 mean?

Song of Solomon 5:7 describes a woman meeting violence from the city’s night watchmen as she searches for her beloved. The men who guard the city strike her and take her veil, turning her search into an encounter with danger.

The woman speaks in the first person, continuing her account of seeking the man she loves. The “keepers of the walls” are stationed to guard the city, yet they become the people who hurt her. The loss of her veil adds to her distress by leaving her without a covering she was wearing.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 5:7

• “watchmen” — שָׁמַר (shamar): This word carries the sense of guarding or keeping watch. The same Hebrew word lies behind “keepers,” linking the men patrolling the city with those guarding its walls.
• “veil” — רָדִיד (radid): This word refers to a covering or wrap. It suggests a garment worn over the body, though the KJV calls it a veil.

Why Song of Solomon 5:7 matters

• The woman’s search has become dangerous, not merely frustrating. In verse 6, she calls for her beloved without an answer; in verse 7, the watchmen find and wound her.
• The woman continues to seek her beloved after the encounter. In verse 8, she asks the “daughters of Jerusalem” to tell him she is “sick of love” if they find him.
• The watchmen’s response contrasts with an earlier search in the song. In Song of Solomon 3:3, the woman asks the watchmen whether they have seen her beloved; here, their encounter with her turns violent.