God’s Word Translation
Song of Songs 5:9
9Most beautiful of women, what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? What makes your beloved better than any other beloved that you make us swear this way?
Song of Songs 5:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
- New International Version (NIV)How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us?
- English Standard Version (ESV)What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
- New King James Version (NKJV)What is your beloved More than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved More than another beloved, That you so charge us?
Context of Song of Songs 5:9
7The watchmen making their rounds in the city found me. They struck me! They wounded me! Those watchmen on the walls took my robe from me! 8Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me that if you find my beloved you will tell him I am hopelessly lovesick. Most beautiful of women, what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? What makes your beloved better than any other beloved that you make us swear this way? 10My beloved is dazzling yet ruddy. He stands out among 10,000 men. 11His head is the finest gold. His hair is wavy, black as a raven.
Read all of Song of Songs 5Song of Songs 5:9 word by word
מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד שֶׁכָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Commentaries on Song of Songs 5:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9What is thy beloved more than another beloved - This question gives the bride an opportunity to break out into a highly wrought description of the beauty and perfections of her spouse.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections. Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should do all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory makes him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discern spiritual things. He is white in the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9The woman asks the young women of Jerusalem to help find her lover. They ask her to describe him, leading to the second descriptive poem (wasf) of the Song (see study note on Song of Solomon 4:1–5:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Her own beauty (Eze 16:14), and lovesickness for Him, elicit now their enquiry (Mt 5:16); heretofore "other lords besides Him had dominion over them"; thus they had seen "no beauty in Him" (Is 26:13; 53:2).Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 9What is your beloved more than another beloved This is what the nations were asking Israel, “What is it about your God more than all the other gods, that you allow yourselves to be burned and hanged because of Him?”Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Song of Songs 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries