King James Version

What Does Song of Solomon 1:4 Mean?

“Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. the upright: or, they love thee uprightly”

Context

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. thy: Heb. thy loves

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. the upright: or, they love thee uprightly

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

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Topics in This Verse

Love

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **The king hath brought me.**—The dramatic theory of the poem (see *Excursus *II.) has been in a great measure built up on interpretations given to this verse. We understand it as a repetition, in another form, of the protestation of love made in Song of Solomon 1:1-3. Like them, it forms a stanza of five lines. The clause, “the king hath brought,” &c, is—in accordance with a common Hebrew idiom, where an hypothesis is expressed by a simple perfect or future without a particle (comp. Proverbs 22:29; Proverbs 25:16)—to be understood, “Even should the king have brought me into his chambers, yet our transport and our joys are for *thee *alone; even then we would recall thy caresses, those caresses which are sweeter than wine.” **The upright love thee.**—Marg., *they love thee uprightly; *Heb., *meysharîm, *used in other places either (1) in the abstract, “righteousness,” &c, Psalm 17:2; Psalm 99:4; Proverbs 8:6 (so LXX. here); or (2) adverbially, Psalm 58:2; Psalm 75:3 (and Song of Solomon 7:9 below; but there the *Lamed *prefixed fixes the adverbial use). The Authorised Version follows the Vulg., *Recti diligunt te, *and is to be preferred, as bringing the clause into parallelism with the concluding clause of Song of Solomon 1:3 : “Thou who hast won the love of all maidens by thy personal attractions, hast gained that of the sincere and upright ones by thy character and thy great name.”

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Song of Solomon. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Song of Solomon 1:4 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.