Song of Songs · 11 verses
Song of Songs 3
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
He disappears twice, and is found the instant she has passed the watchmen.
The search through the cityvv. 1–4
The beloved begins in bed, then takes to the city’s streets and squares, searching with admirable determination and no success whatsoever. Even the watchmen are recruited, though they have nothing useful to report. Then, immediately after she passes them, the search ends; the text offers no explanation for the change, only the splendidly sudden discovery. She holds him fast and brings him to her mother’s house, to the chamber of the one who conceived her.
Love, at its proper hourv. 5
The daughters of Jerusalem are solemnly adjured not to stir love before its time. The oath invokes gazelles and does of the field, which gives the warning a charmingly pastoral court of appeal.
The carriage in the nightvv. 6–11
A scented procession rises from the wilderness: Solomon’s carriage, surrounded by sixty of Israel’s mightiest men, all trained with swords and prepared for the terror of the night. The carriage itself is a little palace of Lebanon timber, silver, gold, purple fabric, and an interior inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. Solomon appears wearing a crown his mother placed on him at his wedding, and the daughters of Zion are invited out to look at him on the day his heart rejoices.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Song 3:1On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.
Song 3:2I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and squares. I will seek the one I love. So I sought him but did not find him.
Song 3:3I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city: “Have you seen the one I love?”
Song 3:4I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
Song 3:5O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
Song 3:6Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?
Song 3:7Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.
Song 3:8All are skilled with the sword, experienced in warfare. Each has his sword at his side prepared for the terror of the night.
Song 3:9King Solomon has made his carriage out of the timber of Lebanon.
Song 3:10He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.
Song 3:11Come out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding—the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 139 passages were voted onto 11 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 11 Peter 1:8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
- 1Song of Songs 5:6I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer.
- 1Song of Songs 1:7Tell me, O one I love, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest them at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?
- 1Isaiah 26:9My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
- 5Song of Songs 2:7O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
- 1Isaiah 55:6Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- 5Song of Songs 8:4O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
- 6Song of Songs 8:5Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.
- 11Isaiah 62:5For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
- 1Psalms 22:2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.
- 1Song of Songs 5:8O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
- 1Psalms 130:1–2A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
- 3Song of Songs 5:7I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls.
- 4Proverbs 8:17I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
- 1Psalms 63:6–8When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.
- 4Song of Songs 6:12Before I realized it, my desire had set me among the royal chariots of my people.
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