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Contemporary English Version

Song of Solomon 7:5

Your head is held high like Mount Carmel; your hair is so lovely it holds a king prisoner.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Carmel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Head, Headship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Colour;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Galleries;   Hair;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Song of Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Carmel;   Hair;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Carmel ;   Gallery;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Bath-Rab'bim;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Black;   Carmel;   Hair;   Head;   Purple;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Carmel;   Color;   Gallery;   Hair;   Purple;   Song of Songs;   Thrum;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Carmel, Mount;   Eschatology;   Hair;   Heshbon;   Lebanon;   Repentance;   Zakkai;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,the hair of your head like purple cloth—a king could be held captive in your tresses.
Hebrew Names Version
Your head on you is like Karmel, The hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in its tresses.
King James Version
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
English Standard Version
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
New American Standard Bible
"Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing hair of your head is like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses.
New Century Version
Your head is like Mount Carmel, and your hair is like purple cloth; the king is captured in its folds.
Amplified Bible
"Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the flowing hair of your head like purple threads; I, the king, am held captive by your tresses.
World English Bible
Your head on you is like Carmel, The hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in its tresses.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thine head vpon thee is as skarlet, and the bush of thine head like purple: the King is tyed in the rafters.
Legacy Standard Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel,And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads;The king is captivated by your tresses.
Berean Standard Bible
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple threads; the king is captured in your tresses.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your neck is like a tower of ivory, your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bat-Rabbim, your nose like a tower in the L'vanon overlooking Dammesek.
Darby Translation
Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the locks of thy head like purple; The king is fettered by [thy] ringlets!
Easy-to-Read Version
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair on your head is like silk. Your long flowing hair captures even a king.
George Lamsa Translation
Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the braiding of your hair is like royal purple bound with rows of stitching.
Good News Translation
Your head is held high like Mount Carmel. Your braided hair shines like the finest satin; its beauty could hold a king captive.
Lexham English Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel; the flowing locks of your head are like purple tapestry; a king is held captive in the tresses!
Literal Translation
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple cloth; the King is held captive in its tresses.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That heade that stondeth vpon the is like Carmel: The hayre of thy heade is like the kynges purple folden vp in plates.
American Standard Version
Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the hair of thy head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses thereof.
Bible in Basic English
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple, in whose net the king is prisoner.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim; thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
King James Version (1611)
Thine head vpon thee is like Carmel, and the haire of thine head like purple, the king is held in the galleries.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That head that standeth vpon thee is lyke Carmel: and the heere of thy head is like purple, and like a kyng dwellyng among many water conduites.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thy head upon thee is as Carmel, and the curls of thy hair like scarlet; the king is bound in the galleries.
English Revised Version
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held captive in the tresses [thereof].
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thin heed is as Carmele; and the heeres of thin heed ben as the kyngis purpur, ioyned to trowyis.
Update Bible Version
Your head on you is like Carmel, And the hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses [thereof].
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy head upon thee [is] like Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king [is] held in the galleries.
New English Translation
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. The locks of your hair are like royal tapestries— the king is held captive in its tresses!
New King James Version
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses.
New Living Translation
Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. The king is held captive by its tresses.
New Life Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel. Your flowing hair is like strings of purple. The king is held by the beauty of your hair.
New Revised Standard
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thy head upon thee, is like Carmel, And, the hair of thy head, is like purple, - The king, is held captive by the ringlets!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy head is like Carmel: and the hairs of thy head as the purple of the king bound in the channels.
Revised Standard Version
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
Young's Literal Translation
Thy head upon thee as Carmel, And the locks of thy head as purple, The king is bound with the flowings!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses.

Contextual Overview

1 He Speaks: You are a princess, and your feet are graceful in their sandals. Your thighs are works of art, each one a jewel; 2 your navel is a wine glass filled to overflowing. Your body is full and slender like a bundle of wheat bound together by lilies. 3 Your breasts are like twins of a deer. 4 Your neck is like ivory, and your eyes sparkle like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-Rabbim. Your nose is beautiful like Mount Lebanon above the city of Damascus. 5 Your head is held high like Mount Carmel; your hair is so lovely it holds a king prisoner. 6 You are beautiful, so very desirable! 7 You are tall and slender like a palm tree, and your breasts are full. 8 I will climb that tree and cling to its branches. I will discover that your breasts are clusters of grapes, and that your breath is the aroma of apples. 9 Kissing you is more delicious than drinking the finest wine. How wonderful and tasty!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

head: Isaiah 35:2, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 2:19

Carmel: or, crimson, Micah 7:14

the hair: Song of Solomon 4:1, Song of Solomon 5:11, Revelation 1:14

the king: Song of Solomon 1:17, *marg. Genesis 32:26, Psalms 68:24, Psalms 87:2, Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20

held: Heb. bound

Reciprocal: Joshua 19:26 - Carmel Song of Solomon 1:12 - the king Song of Solomon 3:4 - I held Song of Solomon 4:9 - thou hast Song of Solomon 7:10 - his Ezekiel 41:15 - galleries Ezekiel 42:3 - gallery against

Cross-References

Genesis 6:22
Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.
Exodus 39:32
So the people of Israel finished making everything the Lord had told Moses to make.
Exodus 40:16
Moses followed the Lord 's instructions.
Psalms 119:6
Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing.
Matthew 3:15
Jesus answered, "For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do." Then John agreed.
Luke 8:21
Jesus answered, "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message."
John 2:5
Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do."
John 13:17
You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them.
Philippians 2:8
Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.
Hebrews 5:8
Jesus is God's own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thine head upon thee [is] like Carmel,.... Set with hair, thick and long, as Carmel with plants and trees. Now Christ is the church's Head in various senses; he is her federal and representative Head in eternity and time; her political Head, as a King to his subjects; an economical Head, as the husband to the wife, as parents to their children, and a master to servants; and, as such, may be compared to Carmel; for the multitude dependent on him, whom he represents, and is connected with under various relations; for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth, and all other heads; and for fruitfulness, all the fruits of the church, and of all true believers, coming from him. Some render the word, "as crimson", or "scarlet" b; which may set forth his royal dignity and majesty, this colour being wore by kings and great personages; or the ardent love of Christ to his body, the church, and the members of it; or his bloody sufferings for them;

and the hair of thine head like purple; purple coloured hair has been in great esteem. Of this colour was the hair of King Nysus, according to the fable c; and so the hair of Evadne, and of the Muses d, were of a violet colour; the hair of Ulysses is said e to be like to the hyacinth flower, which is of a purple or violet colour; and Milton f calls the first Adam's hair hyacinthine locks; and here, in a figurative sense, the second Adam's hair is said to be like purple. By which believers that grow on Christ, the Head of the church, nay be meant, who have their dependence on him, and their strength and nourishment from him; see Song of Solomon 4:1; and these may be said to be like "purple", because of their royal dignity, being made kings unto God by Christ; and because of their being washed in the purple blood of Christ; and because of the sufferings they endure for his sake; and especially such may be so compared, who have spilt their blood and laid down their lives on his account;

the king [is] held in the galleries; the same with the Head of the church, the King of Zion, and King of saints, whose kingdom is a spiritual and everlasting one: and by the "galleries" in which he is held may be meant the ordinances of the Gospel; where Christ and his people walk and converse together; where he discloses the secrets of his heart to them, leads them into a further acquaintance with his covenant, and the blessings and promises of it; and from whence they have delightful views of his person and fulness; see the King in his beauty, and behold the good land which is afar off: the same word as here is rendered "rafters", and by some "canals", in Song of Solomon 1:17;

Song of Solomon 1:17- :. Now Christ being said to be "held in [these] galleries" may signify his fixed habitation in his house and ordinances; where he has promised to dwell, and delights to be; and where he is as it were fastened to them, and hatred in them.

b ככרמל "veluti coccinum", Pagninus, Vatablus, Mercerus; "simile est coccineo", Junius Tremellius "est ut coccus", Piscator; so Ainsworth; "sicut carmesinum", Schindler. c Ovid. Metamorph. l. 8. Fab. 1. v. 301. De Arte Amandi, l. 1. & de Remed. Amor. l. 1. v. 68. Hygin. Fab. 198. Pausan. Attica, p. 33. d Pindar. Olymp. Ode 6. Pyth. Ode 1. v. 2. e Homer. Odyss. 6. v. 231. & 23. v. 155. f Paradise Lost, Book 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare and contrast with Song of Solomon 5:15. The rendering in the margin takes “Carmel” as the name of a color, equivalent to “carmine” (rendered “crimson” in 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14; 2 Chronicles 3:14). This interpretation is favored by the parallelism with “purple,” but removes a beautiful image.

Purple - A deep violet black.

The king ... - Rather, “A king is bound in the tresses or windings of thy hair.” These last words indicate the king’s approach.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Song of Solomon 7:5. Thine head - like Carmel — Rising majestically upon thy neck, and above thy shoulders, as Mount Carmel does in its district. Carmel was the name of the mountain where Elijah had his contest with the prophets of Baal. See 1 Kings 18:19, &c.

The hair of thine head like purple — Ornamented with ribbons and jewellery of this tint.

The king is held in the galleries. — Or is detained in the antechamber. His heart is captivated by thy person and conduct. Some understand the ringlets of the bride's hair.


 
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