Song of Solomon 5:3

New King James Version

I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
But I responded, "I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?"

Update Bible Version
I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

New Century Version
I have taken off my garment and don't want to put it on again. I have washed my feet and don't want to get them dirty again.

New English Translation

The Beloved to Her Lover:

"I have already taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have already washed my feet—must I soil them again?"

Webster's Bible Translation
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

World English Bible
I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?

Amplified Bible
"I had taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I had washed my feet, How could I get them dirty again?

English Standard Version
I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I have vnclothid me of my coote; hou schal Y be clothid ther ynne? I haue waische my feet; hou schal Y defoule tho?

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

Berean Standard Bible
I have taken off my robe-must I put it back on? I have washed my feet-must I soil them again?

Contemporary English Version
But I had already undressed and bathed my feet. Should I dress again and get my feet dirty?

American Standard Version
I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

Bible in Basic English
I have put off my coat; how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean?

Complete Jewish Bible

[She]

I've removed my coat; must I put it back on? I've washed my feet; must I dirty them again?

Darby Translation
—I have put off my tunic, how should I put it on? I have washed my feet, how should I pollute them?—

Easy-to-Read Version
"I have taken off my robe. I don't want to put it on again. I have washed my feet. I don't want to get them dirty again."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

King James Version (1611)
I haue put off my coate, how shall I put it on? I haue washed my feete, how shall I defile them?

New Life Bible
I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again?

New Revised Standard
I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue put off my coate, howe shall I put it on? I haue washed my feete, howe shall I defile them?

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

Good News Translation

The Woman

I have already undressed; why should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet; why should I get them dirty again?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I have put off my tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them?

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

Revised Standard Version
I had put off my garment, how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I haue put of my coate, howe can I do it on agayne? I haue washed my feete, howe shall I fyle them agayne?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

Christian Standard Bible®
I have taken off my clothing.How can I put it back on?I have washed my feet.How can I get them dirty?

Hebrew Names Version
I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?

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

Lexham English Bible
I have taken off my tunic, must I put it on? I have bathed my feet, must I soil them?

Literal Translation
I have stripped off My coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed My feet; how shall I soil them?

Young's Literal Translation
I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I haue put off my cote, how ca I do it on agayne? I haue washed my fete, how shal I fyle them agayne?

THE MESSAGE

The Woman

"But I'm in my nightgown—do you expect me to get dressed? I'm bathed and in bed—do you want me to get dirty?"

New American Standard Bible
"I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?

Legacy Standard Bible
I have taken off my long‑sleeved garment,How can I put it on again?I have washed my feet,How can I dirty them again?

Contextual Overview

² I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night." ³ I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him. ⁵ I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

have put: Proverbs 3:28, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 22:13, Matthew 25:5, Matthew 26:38-43, Luke 11:7, Romans 7:22, Romans 7:23

I have washed: As the Orientals only wear sandals, they are obliged to wash their feet previously to their lying down. Hence a Hindoo, if called from his bed, often makes his excuse that he shall daub his feet.

Reciprocal: Haggai 1:2 - This

Cross-References

Genesis 4:25
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."

Genesis 5:2
He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.

Genesis 5:3
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

Genesis 5:14
So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.

Genesis 5:16
After he begot Jared, Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and had sons and daughters.

Job 14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!

Job 25:4
How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?

Psalms 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have put off my coat,.... In order to lie down on her bed at night, and take her ease; meaning her conversation garments, which she had not been careful of to keep, but had betook herself to carnal ease and rest, and was off her watch and guard, Nehemiah 4:23; and being at ease, and free from trouble, affliction, and persecution, was unwilling to arise and go with her beloved, lest she should meet with the same trials and sufferings as before, for the sake of him and his Gospel; which may be greatly the sense of her next words;

how shall I put it on? which suggests an apprehension of difficulty in doing it, it being easier to drop the performance of duty than to take it up again; and shows slothfulness and sluggishness, being loath and not knowing how to bring herself to it; and an aversion of the carnal and fleshly part unto it; yea, as if she thought it was unreasonable in Christ to desire it of her, when it was but her reasonable service; or as if she imagined it was dangerous, and would be detrimental to her rest, and prejudicial to her health;

I have washed my feet; as persons used to do when come off of a journey, and about to go to bed e, being weary; as she was of spiritual exercises, and of the observance of ordinances and duties, and so betook herself to carnal ease, and from which being called argues,

how shall I defile them? by rising out of bed, and treading on the floor, and going to the door to let her beloved in; as if hearkening to the voice of Christ, obeying his commands, and taking every proper step to enjoy communion with him, would be a defiling her; whereas it was the reverse of these that did it: from the whole it appears, that not only these excuses were idle and frivolous, but sinful; she slighted the means Christ made use of to awaken her, by calling and knocking; she sinned against light and knowledge, sleeping on, when she knew it was the voice of her beloved; she acted a disingenuous part in inviting Christ into his garden, and then presently fell asleep; and then endeavoured to shift the blame from herself, as if she was no ways culpable, but what was desired was either difficult, or unreasonable, or unlawful; she appears guilty of great ingratitude, and discovers the height of folly in preferring her present ease to the company of Christ.

e Homer. Odyss. 19. v. 317.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

She makes trivial excuses, as one in a dream.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Song of Solomon 5:3. I have put off my coat — The bride must have been in a dream or in much disorder of mind to have made the frivolous excuses here mentioned. The words relate to the case of a person who had gone to take rest on his bed. As they wore nothing but sandals, they were obliged to wash their feet previously to their lying down. I have washed my feet, taken off my clothes, and am gone to bed: I cannot therefore be disturbed. A Hindoo always washes his feet before he goes to bed. If called from his bed, he often makes this excuse, I shall daub my feet; and the excuse is reasonable, as the floors are of earth; and they do not wear shoes in the house. - WARD.