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the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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World English Bible

Song of Solomon 5:11

His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Raven;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hair, the;   Love to Christ;   Preciousness of Christ;   Raven, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Head, Headship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Black;   Colour;   Raven;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Canticles;   ;   Hair;   Raven;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Birds;   Black;   Dates;   Hair;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Colours;   Hair;   Raven;   Song of Songs;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Raven;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Gold;   Raven;   Uphaz;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hair;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Black;   Hair;   Head;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ravels;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Beard;   Bushy;   Color;   Fine;   Gold;   Hair;   Locks;   Raven;   Song of Songs;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Color;   Gold;   Hair;   Raven;   Ṭaharah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for September 22;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
His head is like gold, fine gold;His locks are like clusters of datesAnd black as a raven.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
His head is as the most fine golde, the lockes of his heere are busshed, & blacke as a crowe.
Darby Translation
His head is [as] the finest gold; His locks are flowing, black as the raven;
New King James Version
His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven.
Literal Translation
His head is like refined gold; His locks are bushy and black as a raven.
Easy-to-Read Version
His head is like the purest gold. His hair is curly and as black as a raven.
King James Version (1611)
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and blacke as a Rauen.
King James Version
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
his heade is the most fyne golde, the lockes of his hayre are bu?shed, browne as the euenynge:
Amplified Bible
"His head is like [precious] gold, pure gold; His hair is [curly] like clusters of dates And black as a raven.
American Standard Version
His head is as the most fine gold; His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
Bible in Basic English
His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.
Update Bible Version
His head is the most fine gold; His locks are bushy, [and] black as a raven.
Webster's Bible Translation
His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
New English Translation
His head is like the purest gold. His hair is curly—black like a raven.
Contemporary English Version
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy, black as a raven.
Complete Jewish Bible
His head is like the finest gold; his locks are wavy and black as a raven.
Geneva Bible (1587)
His head is as fine golde, his lockes curled, and blacke as a rauen.
George Lamsa Translation
His head is like the finest gold, his locks straight and black as a raven.
Hebrew Names Version
His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.
New Living Translation
His head is finest gold, his wavy hair is black as a raven.
New Life Bible
His head is like gold, pure gold. His hair has waves and is black as a raven.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
His head is as very fine gold, his locks are flowing, black as a raven.
English Revised Version
His head is [as] the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, [and] black as a raven.
Berean Standard Bible
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
New Revised Standard
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
His head, is pure gold, - his locks, are bushy, black as a raven;
Douay-Rheims Bible
His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.
Lexham English Bible
His head is gold, refined gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
English Standard Version
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
New American Standard Bible
"His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.
New Century Version
His head is like the finest gold; his hair is wavy and black like a raven.
Good News Translation
His face is bronzed and smooth; his hair is wavy, black as a raven.
Christian Standard Bible®
His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
His heed is best gold; hise heeris ben as the bowis of palm trees, and ben blake as a crowe.
Revised Standard Version
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
Young's Literal Translation
His head [is] pure gold -- fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

Contextual Overview

9 How is your beloved better than another beloved, You fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, That you do so adjure us? Beloved 10 My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand. 11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, Washed with milk, mounted like jewels. 13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires. 15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16 His mouth is sweetness; Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, Daughters of Jerusalem. Friends

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

head: Daniel 2:37, Daniel 2:38, Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 1:22

his locks: Song of Solomon 7:5, Daniel 7:9, Revelation 1:14

bushy: or, curled

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:40 - hair is fallen off his head Song of Solomon 4:1 - thy hair

Gill's Notes on the Bible

His head [is as] the most fine gold,.... Here the church enters into a particular description and commendation of her beloved, which continues to the end of the chapter; and she begins with his "head", which she compares to the most fine gold. Some think that some ornament of the head is meant, as a diadem or crown of gold; or else the hair of the head, which, though afterwards said to be black, yet being powdered with gold dust, looked of the colour of gold, especially in the rays of the sun upon it; as did the hair of Solomon's youths that attended him, being thus decorated, as Josephus u relates; and which custom of powdering the hair with gold dust was used by some of the Roman emperors w. The gold here is called "gold of Phaz", or "Uphaz", as in Daniel 10:5. "Fez", with the Arabs, signifies gold; the city of Fez had its name from hence; in a place where it was built, a quantity of gold was found in it, which gave it its name x: according to Schultens y, gold is called "phaz", from its leaping as it were out of the clods of the earth, and shining forth and glistering after a shower of rain falling on the earth, where there is a mine of it, by which means it is discovered; and of such gold, as the finest and purest, Diodorus Siculus z speaks, as found in Arabia; and which, from the purity of it, was called "apyron", because it needed no purifying by fire: and this being the best and finest, is used to express the superlative excellence of Christ; for it may be rendered, "the gold of gold" a, there is none like it. By Christ's "head" some understand the Father of Christ, said to be the Head of Christ,

1 Corinthians 11:3 not as Christ is a divine Person, but as man and Mediator; who, as such, was subject to his Father, supported and upheld by him; and who, for his excellent glory, is compared to the most fine gold, there being no glory like his. Or else the divine nature in Christ may be meant, which is the head, the chief and principal nature in him; which puts a glory on him, and an efficacy in all he did and suffered; and which is like pure, fine, shining gold, in which all the perfections of deity shine resplendently. Or rather the headship of Christ over his church is meant; as Nebuchadnezzar's monarchy is represented by a head of gold, Daniel 2:32; so Christ's, because his kingdom is great and glorious, pure and spiritual, solid and substantial, lasting and durable, yea, everlasting;

his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven; which figures are used to set forth the beauty and comeliness of Christ: thick, bushy, well set hair, or "pendulous" b, as some render the word, hanging down upon the forehead and cheeks in a beautiful manner, makes very comely; and black hair was reckoned comely c; and the blackness of a raven is accounted a very fine black: and naturalists d say, that the eggs, brains, and blood of ravens, have been used to make the hair black. By these "bushy [and] black locks" of Christ some understand the thoughts and purposes of God, the Head of Christ; which, like hair, and like black bushy hair, are intricate, dark, and obscure, unsearchable and incomprehensible; and yet, so far as known, are beautiful and delightful; especially as they appear in the scheme of salvation, drawn in the eternal mind: or rather, as by others, believers in Christ are meant, for their numbers, dependence on Christ, and nourishment from him; Daniel 2:32- :; and, being like "locks" of hair beautifully set, as when congregated and united together in Gospel order, are an ornament to Christ the Head, and afford a delightful sight to spectators, Colossians 2:5; and these being like "crisped" or "curled" hair e, as some render the word, may denote the hardiness and strength of believers, to perform duty, withstand enemies, and endure hardness, as good soldiers of Christ; curled hair being the hardest and strongest f. But it seems best to understand by them the administrations of Christ's kingly office; which are executed with the utmost prudence, vigour, and strength; for curled hair is a sign of a dry brain g, which produces acuteness and sharpness of wit, as well as of vigour, strength, and courage; and which, how dark and obscure they may seem to be, and to carry in them severity to enemies; yet being managed with wisdom, as before observed, and also according to the rules of justice and equity, look very beautiful when made manifest, and are admired by the saints, Revelation 15:3.

u Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. s. 3. w Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 9. col. 154. x Leo African. Descript. Africae, l. 3. p. 273. y Comment. in Prov. viii. 19. xxi. 5. z Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 133. & l. 3. p. 179. a כתם פז "aurum auri", Mercerus. b תלתלים "penduli", Arabic, Bochart, so Jarchi. c "Spectandum----nigroque capillo", Horat. de Arte Poet. v. 37, "nigroque crine decorum", ib. Sermon. l. 1. Ode 32. v. 11. d Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 6. Aelian de Animal. l. 1. c. 48. e "Crispi", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius "crispaturae", Buxtorf. Marckius. f Aristot. de Gen. Animal. l. 5. c. 3. g Ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His head is as the most fine gold - Perhaps in the sense of noble and precious as the finest gold. Lamentations 4:2.

Bushy - Waving like branches of the palm.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. His head is as the most fine gold — He has the most beautiful head, fine and majestic. Gold is here used to express excellence.

His locks are bushyCrisped or curled. This may refer to his mustachios.

Black as a raven. — His hair is black and glossy.


 
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