the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Updated Bible Version
Song of Solomon 5:13
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His cheeks are like a bed of spices,Towers of sweet‑scented herbs;His lips are liliesDripping with liquid myrrh.
"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh.
His cheekes are lyke a garden bed, wherin the Apothecaries plant all maner of sweete thynges. His lippes are lyke lilies that droppe sweete smellyng Myrre:
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, raised beds of sweet plants; His lips lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, Dripping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices, a raised bed of aromatic herbs. His lips are like lilies dropping flowing myrrh.
His cheeks are like a garden of spices, like flowers used for perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His cheekes are as a bed of spices, as sweete flowers: his lippes like lillies, dropping sweete smelling myrrhe.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
His chekes are like a garden bedd, where in the Apotecaryes plate all maner of swete thinges: His lippes droppe as the floures of the most pryncipall Myrre,
"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet, fragrant herbs. His lips are lilies Dripping sweet-scented myrrh.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, As banks of sweet herbs: His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His face is as beds of spices, giving out perfumes of every sort; his lips like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.
His cheeks are like garden beds full of balsam trees yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with drops of myrrh.
His face is a garden of sweet-smelling spices; his lips are lilies dripping with perfume.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, like banks of fragrant herbs. His lips are like lilies dripping with sweet myrrh.
His cheekes are as a bedde of spices, and as sweete flowres, and his lippes like lilies dropping downe pure myrrhe.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, like sweet flowers; his lips like lilies, dropping myrrh and spikenard.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs; his lips are as lilies, dropping with flowing myrrh.
His cheeks are like gardens of spices giving off fragrance. His lips are like lilies, perfumed with myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume.
His cheeks are as bowls of spices pouring forth perfumes: his lips are lilies, dropping choice myrrh.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs: his lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies, distilling liquid myrrh.
His cheeks, like a raised bed of balsam, growing plants of perfume, - His lips, lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling:
His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spice, a tower of fragrances; his lips are lilies dripping liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.
"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of herbal spices; His lips are lilies Dripping with drops of myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spices; they smell like mounds of perfume. His lips are like lilies flowing with myrrh.
His cheeks are as lovely as a garden that is full of herbs and spices. His lips are like lilies, wet with liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.
Hise chekis ben as gardyns of swete smellynge spices, set of oynement makeris; hise lippis ben lilies, droppynge doun the best myrre.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies, distilling liquid myrrh.
His cheeks as a bed of the spice, towers of perfumes, His lips [are] lilies, dropping flowing myrrh,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
cheeks: Song of Solomon 1:10, Isaiah 50:6
as a: Psalms 4:6, Psalms 4:7, Psalms 27:4, Psalms 89:15, Revelation 21:23
sweet flowers: or, towers of perfumes, Song of Solomon 3:6
his lips: Song of Solomon 4:11, Psalms 45:2, Isaiah 50:4, Luke 4:22
dropping: Song of Solomon 5:5
Reciprocal: Psalms 45:8 - All Song of Solomon 1:3 - the savour Song of Solomon 1:13 - bundle Song of Solomon 4:3 - lips Song of Solomon 6:2 - the beds
Gill's Notes on the Bible
His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers,.... Which may intend the presence of Christ with his people in his word and ordinances; often called his "face", which he shows, and they seek after, than which nothing is more desirable; walking in the light of his countenance is preferable to walking among spicy beds, where fragrant plants and odoriferous flowers grow: or the cheeks, being the seat of modesty and blushing, may denote the great humility of Christ, seen in his assumption of our nature, throughout the whole course of his life, and especially at his death, and which renders him very delightful to his people; how lovely does the meek and lowly Jesus look! how beautiful are those blushing cheeks of his, who, being equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant! The cheeks may intend not bare cheeks, but with the hair growing upon them, the hair of the beard; which puts forth itself, and grows upon the cheeks or "jaws" o, as it may be rendered, which makes a man look graceful and majestic; so Aben Ezra interprets the word of the beard, and so many Christian p interpreters, which puts out like aromatic plants on spicy beds. This was literally true of Christ, who was a grown man when he suffered, and gave his cheeks to the smiters, and who plucked off the hair of his beard: and in a mystical sense it may intend either believers in Christ, who are the hair of his cheeks, as well as of his head; and who, like spicy beds and fragrant flowers, are odoriferous to Christ and to one another; or "[as] towers of perfumes" q as some, which ascend upwards in the exercise of faith, hope, and love: or rather the graces of the Spirit in Christ, as man and Mediator; which, like the hair of the beard, are in Christ, in great numbers, without measure, and make him very lovely and graceful; and are like beds of spices and sweet flowers, for the variety and sweet smelling savour of them. Though it seems, best of all, to be expressive of the manliness, courage, prudence, gravity, and majesty of Christ; of which the beard, thick set and well grown, is an indication; all which appeared in the whole conduct and deportment of Christ among men; in his ministry, in his life and conversation, at his apprehension, arraignment, condemnation, sufferings, and death. The cheeks rising, and being a little elevated, are fitly described by beds in a garden, by "towers of perfumes", or fragrant flowers and fruit trees, reared up in the form of towers, or pyramids; or by a dish of fruit preserves, placed in such a figure: and the hair of the cheeks, or beard, are aptly represented by spices, rising up from a bed of them; and all denote the beauty, savour, and majesty of Christ. Or, as the Vulgate Latin version, "as beds of spices set by confectioners"; not as aromatic plants, set in rows by the gardener; but the spices themselves, set in rows by the confectioner in vessels r, placed in his shop in rows to be sold; which being of various colours, especially white and red, the cheeks, for colour and eminence, are compared unto them;
his lips [like] lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh; by which are meant the words of Christ, which drop from his lips; which are like lilies, for their purity, thinness, and beautiful colour: the words of Christ are pure words, free from all pollution, deceit, and human mixtures; nor are his lips big with his own praises, but with expressions of regard for his Father's glory; and are very pleasant, gracious, and graceful. But then the comparison is not between them and white lilies, for not white, but red lips, are accounted the most beautiful; see Song of Solomon 4:3; wherefore rather red or purple lilies are respected, such as Pliny s, and other writers t, speak of; such as grew in Syria u, a neighbouring country; and also in Egypt w grew lilies like to roses. Some x think the allusion is to crowns, made of red or purple lilies, wore at nuptial festivals, on which were poured oil of myrrh, and so dropped from them; but the phrase, "dropping sweet smelling myrrh", is not in construction with "lilies", but with "lips": signifying, that the lips or words of Christ were like to lilies; not so much or not only for their thinness and colour, as for the sweet smell of them, very odorous, grateful, and acceptable; as are the doctrines of peace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation, to sensible souls, delivered in the ministry of the word: the manner of which delivery of them is expressed by "dropping"; gradually, by little and little, as Christ's church and people can bear them; seasonably, and at proper times, as their wants require constantly, as while Christ was here or, earth, so now he is in heaven, by his ministers, in all ages, to the end of the world; and yet sweetly and gently refreshing, and making fruitful; see Deuteronomy 32:2. Moreover, the kisses of Christ's lips, or the manifestations of his love, may be taken into the sense of this clause; which together with the grateful matter and graceful manner of his words, render him very acceptable to his church; see Song of Solomon 1:2; and such a sentiment is expressed, in much the same language, by others y.
o לחייו "maxillae ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Marckius, Michaelis. p Sanctius, Cocceius, Ainsworth, Marckius, Michaelis. q מגדלות מרקחים "turribus pigmentorum", Marckius; "condimentorum", Schmidt, Michaelis. r Vid. Fortunat. Scacchi Eleochrys. Sacr. l. 1. c. 18. p. 90. s Nat. Hist. l. 21. c. 5. t Theophrast. apud Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 15. c. 8. p. 681. Maimon. in Misn. Sheviith, c. 7. s. 6. & Alshech in loc. Midrash Esther, s. 4. fol. 91. 1. u Dioscorides, l. 1. c. 163. Apud Fortunat. Scacch. ut supra, (Eleochrys. Sacr.) l. 1. c. 27. p. 134. w Herodot. Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 92. x Scacch. ibid. l. 1. c. 28. p. 138, 139. y "Olent tua basia myrrham", Martial. Epigr. l. 2. Ep. 10.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Sweet flowers - Better as in the margin, i. e., plants with fragrant leaves and flowers trained on trellis-work.
Like lilies - Are lilies dropping liquid myrrh (see the Song of Solomon 5:5 note). Perhaps the fragrance of the flowers, or the delicate curl of the lip-like petals, is here the point of comparison, rather than the color.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices — Possibly meaning a bed in the garden, where odoriferous herbs grew. But it has been supposed to refer to his beard, which in a young well-made man is exceedingly beautiful. I have seen young Turks, who had taken much care of their beards, mustachios, c., look majestic. Scarcely any thing serves to set off the human face to greater advantage than the beard, when kept in proper order. Females admire it in their suitors and husbands. I have known cases, where they not only despised but execrated Europeans, whose faces were close shaved. The men perfume their beards often and this may be what is intended by spices and sweet-smelling myrrh.
His lips like lilies — The שושנם shoshannim may mean any flower of the lily kind, such as the rubens lilium, mentioned by Pliny, or something of the tulip kind. There are tints in such flowers that bear a very near resemblance to a fine ruby lip.
