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Saturday, September 28th, 2024
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Updated Bible Version

Song of Solomon 4:5

Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Roe, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Lily;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Roe;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Song of Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Roe, Roebuck;   Song of Songs;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lily,;   Roe, Roebuck;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Scriptures;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lily;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Breast;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Lily;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deer;   Gazelle;   Lily;   Song of Songs;   Wisdom of Solomon, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Eschatology;   Roe;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns,Twins of a gazelleWhich feed among the lilies.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thy two breastes are lyke two twinnes of young Roes, whiche feede among roses.
Darby Translation
Thy two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
New King James Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
Literal Translation
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
Easy-to-Read Version
Your breasts are like twin fawns, like twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
World English Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
King James Version (1611)
Thy two breasts, are like two yong Roes, that are twinnes, which feed among the lillies.
King James Version
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thy two brestes are like two twyns of yonge roes, which fede amoge the lilies.
Amplified Bible
"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.
American Standard Version
Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
Bible in Basic English
Your two breasts are like two young roes of the same birth, which take their food among the lilies.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
New English Translation
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of the gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Contemporary English Version
Your breasts are perfect; they are twin deer feeding among lilies.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among lilies.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thy two breastes are as two young roes that are twinnes, feeding among the lilies.
George Lamsa Translation
Your two breasts are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
Hebrew Names Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
New Living Translation
Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
New Life Bible
Your two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle, that eat among the lilies.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thy two breasts are as two twin fawns, that feed among the lilies.
English Revised Version
Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.
Berean Standard Bible
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
New Revised Standard
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thy two breasts, are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle, - which pasture among lilies.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Lexham English Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies.
English Standard Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies.
New American Standard Bible
"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle That graze among the lilies.
New Century Version
Your breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
Good News Translation
Your breasts are like gazelles, twin deer feeding among lilies.
Christian Standard Bible®
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi twei tetis ben as twey kidis, twynnes of a capret, that ben fed in lilies,
Revised Standard Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
Young's Literal Translation
Thy two breasts [are] as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies.

Contextual Overview

1 Look, you are fair, my love; look, you are fair; Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 2 Your teeth are like a flock [of ewes] that are [newly] shorn, Which have come up from the washing, Whereof every one has twins, And none is bereaved among them. 3 Your lips are like a thread of scarlet, And your mouth is comely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind your veil. 4 Your neck is like the tower of David built for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. 5 Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get myself to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense. 7 You are all fair, my love; And there is no spot in you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two breasts: Song of Solomon 1:13, Song of Solomon 7:3, Song of Solomon 7:7, Song of Solomon 8:1, Song of Solomon 8:10, Proverbs 5:19, Isaiah 66:10-12, 1 Peter 2:2

feed: Song of Solomon 2:16, Song of Solomon 6:3

Reciprocal: Song of Solomon 8:8 - she hath Ezekiel 16:7 - whereas Hosea 14:5 - he shall

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.
Genesis 4:11
And now cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand;
Genesis 31:2
And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and, look, it was not toward him as formerly.
Genesis 31:5
and said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as formerly; but the God of my father has been with me.
Numbers 16:15
And Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, Don't respect their offering: I haven't taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
Job 5:2
For vexation kills the foolish man, And jealousy slays the silly one.
Psalms 20:3
Remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt-sacrifice; Selah.
Matthew 20:15
Or is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? or is your eye evil, because I am good?
Acts 13:45
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaks.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins,.... Or, "two fawns, the twins of a doe": Providence, as Plutarch observes p, has given to women two breasts, that, should they have twins, both might have a fountain of nourishment; and are fitly compared to twins of the doe. The hind, for the most part, brings but one roe at a time; but there are some, the philosopher says q, bring twins; by which the beauty of the breasts is expressed: "young roes" may point at the smallness of them, large breasts are not accounted handsome; and "twins", at their equal size and shape, not one larger nor higher than the other, that would be a deformity; twins are generally alike;

which feed among the lilies; and are fat and plump: the allusion may be to the putting of lilies in the bosom, between the breasts, as other flowers; lilies are reckoned among the decorations of women, in the Apocryha:

"And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire upon it, and put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of Manasses her husband.'' (Judith 10:3)

or rather to the creatures mentioned, the roes and hinds, which feed among lilies, in fields where lilies grow; for these grow in fields as well as in gardens, and are called the "lilies of the field", Matthew 6:28; and we read r sometimes of harts and hinds among lilies. By "breasts" may be meant, either the ministers of the word, who impart "the sincere milk of the word", and who deliver out the nourishing doctrines of grace, like milk out of the breast, 1 Corinthians 3:2; and may be like to "roes" for their affection to those who are under their ministry; and pleasant to them, to whom they are made useful; and for their sharp sightedness and penetration into the mysteries of grace; and for their quick dispatch in doing their work, though through many difficulties, which, like young roes, they leap and skip over: and "two" of them show a sufficient number of them Christ provides for his church; and being "twins" express their equal authority, and harmony of doctrine; and feeding "among lilies" is where Christ himself feeds, Song of Solomon 2:16; where Christ feeds they feed, and where they feed Christ feeds, even among his saints, comparable to lilies, Song of Solomon 2:2; or these "breasts" may design the two Testaments, the Old and New, which contain the whole sincere milk of the word; are like "young roes", pleasant and delightful to believers; and, as "twins", are alike, agree in their doctrines concerning Christ, and the blessings of grace through him; the types, figures, prophecies, and promises of the one, have their completion in the other; and both abound with the lilies of Gospel doctrines and promises: though rather these "breasts" may point at the two ordinances of the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's supper; which are breasts of consolation to believers, out of which they suck, and are satisfied; and through feeding on Christ in both, they receive much nourishment and strength; and are very amiable and lovely to the saints, when they enjoy the presence of Christ in them, and have the discoveries of his love to them; and may be said to be "twins", being both instituted by Christ, and both lead unto him, and require the same subjects; and are received and submitted to by saints, comparable to lilies, as before.

p De Liberis Educand. vol. 2. p. 3. q Aristot. de Animal. l. 6. c. 29. r "En aspicis ilium, candida qui medius cubat inter lilia, cervum?" Calphurnius apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 24. col. 924.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Song of Solomon 4:5. Thy two breasts are like two young roes — I have met with many attempts to support this similitude, or rather to show that there is a similitude; but I judge them unworthy of citation. The poet speaks the language of nature; and in a case of this kind, where the impassioned lover attempts to describe the different perfections of his bride, language often fails him, and his comparisons and similitudes are often without strict correctness. In love songs we have heard ladies' necks compared to that of the swan, not only for its whiteness, but also for its length! The description here shows more of nature than of art, which I consider a high recommendation.

Feed among the lilies. — It may be the nipples especially, which the poet compares to the two young roes; and the lilies may refer to the whiteness of the breasts themselves.


 
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