Song of Solomon 5:12 His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels.

◄ Song of Solomon 5:12 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels.

English Standard Version
His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.

New American Standard Bible
"His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, And reposed in their setting.

King James Bible
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, washed in milk and set like jewels.

International Standard Version
His eyes are like doves by streams of water, bathed in milk, mounted like jewels.

American Standard Version
His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.

Douay-Rheims Bible
His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.

Darby Bible Translation
His eyes are like doves by the water-brooks, Washed with milk, fitly set;

Young's Literal Translation
His eyes as doves by streams of water, Washing in milk, sitting in fulness.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

5:9-16 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 spotless innocence of his life, ruddy in the bleeding sufferings he went through at his death. This description of the person of the Beloved, would form, in the figurative language of those times, a portrait of beauty of person and of grace of manners; but the aptness of some of the allusions may not appear to us. He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. May his love constrain us to live to his glory.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

12. as the eyes of doves—rather, "as doves" (Ps 68:13); bathing in "the rivers"; so combining in their "silver" feathers the whiteness of milk with the sparkling brightness of the water trickling over them (Mt 3:16). The "milk" may allude to the white around the pupil of the eye. The "waters" refer to the eye as the fountain of tears of sympathy (Eze 16:5, 6; Lu 19:41). Vivacity, purity, and love, are the three features typified.

fitly set—as a gem in a ring; as the precious stones in the high priest's breastplate. Rather, translate as Vulgate (the doves), sitting at the fulness of the stream; by the full stream; or, as Maurer (the eyes) set in fulness, not sunk in their sockets (Re 5:6), ("seven," expressing full perfection), (Zec 3:9; 4:10).