Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

SONG OF SOLOMON 8:6KJV
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Song of Solomon 8:6 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 8:6 mean?

Song of Solomon 8:6 describes a passionate request for lasting love and commitment, using the image of a seal to show how deeply the speaker wants to be bound to their beloved. The verse compares love’s strength to death and its intensity to fire, highlighting how powerful and unyielding true love can be.

In this verse, the woman speaks to her beloved, asking him to “set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm.” In ancient times, a seal was a mark of ownership or protection. She wants to be permanently and publicly connected to him, both inwardly (heart) and outwardly (arm). The verse goes on to describe love as strong as death and jealousy as relentless as the grave, using vivid language to show that real love is fierce, consuming, and enduring.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 8:6

  • The word for “seal” (חוֹתָם, ḥotam) refers to a signet or stamp used to mark something as belonging to someone. This shows the desire for an unbreakable, personal bond.
  • The word for “love” (אַהֲבָה, ahavah) is the same word used throughout the book for romantic and committed love, emphasizing the depth of feeling.
  • The word for “jealousy” (קִנְאָה, qin’ah) can mean both passionate zeal and possessive jealousy, suggesting that love’s intensity can be both beautiful and dangerous.
  • The word for “grave” (שְׁאוֹל, sheol) refers to the realm of the dead, making the comparison to death’s power even more striking.

Why Song of Solomon 8:6 matters

  • Song of Solomon 8:6 clears up the idea that love in the Bible is only gentle or sentimental; here, love is described as fierce, powerful, and even dangerous.
  • The verse emphasizes that true love involves both inward devotion (“heart”) and outward loyalty (“arm”), showing that love is meant to be both private and public.
  • This verse ties together the themes of longing, commitment, and the overwhelming force of love that run through the entire book, making it a key statement about the nature of love in the Song of Solomon.

Where else these words appear

“flame” Hebrew H7957 · used in 3 verses

  • Job 15:30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
  • Ezekiel 20:47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

“coals” Hebrew H7565 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
  • Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
  • Psalms 78:48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

“seal” Hebrew H2368 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
  • Exodus 39:6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
  • Job 38:14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

“strong” Hebrew H5794 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
  • Judges 14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
  • Proverbs 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;