Song of Solomon 4:16
New International Version
Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.

New Living Translation
Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits.

English Standard Version
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.

Berean Standard Bible
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

King James Bible
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

New King James Version
Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.

New American Standard Bible
“Awake, north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, May its balsam oils flow. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its delicious fruits!”

NASB 1995
“Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!”

NASB 1977
“Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices flow forth. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!”

Amplified Bible
“Awake, O north wind, And come, south wind [blow softly upon my garden]; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, [for the one in whom my soul delights], Let its spices flow forth. Let my beloved come into his garden And eat its choicest fruits.”

Christian Standard Bible
Awaken, north wind; come, south wind. Blow on my garden, and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my love come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Awaken, north wind— come, south wind. Blow on my garden, and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my love come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.

American Standard Version
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

Contemporary English Version
Let the north wind blow, the south wind too! Let them spread the aroma of my garden, so the one I love may enter and taste its delicious fruits.

English Revised Version
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious fruits.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden! Let its spices flow from it. Let my beloved come to his garden, and let him eat his own precious fruit.

Good News Translation
Wake up, North Wind. South Wind, blow on my garden; fill the air with fragrance. Let my lover come to his garden and eat the best of its fruits.

International Standard Version
Awake, north wind, and come, south wind. Make my garden breathe out, let its fragrance flow. Let my beloved come into his garden, and let him eat its choicest fruits.

Majority Standard Bible
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

NET Bible
Awake, O north wind; come, O south wind! Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell. May my beloved come into his garden and eat its delightful fruit!

New Heart English Bible
Awake, north wind; and come, you south. Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.

Webster's Bible Translation
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

World English Bible
Awake, north wind, and come, you south! Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, "" Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, "" Let my beloved come to his garden, "" And eat its pleasant fruits!

Young's Literal Translation
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, Let my beloved come to his garden, And eat its pleasant fruits!

Smith's Literal Translation
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south, blow upon my garden; its spices shall flow out. My beloved shall come to his garden, and he shall eat his most precious fruits.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof flow.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Rise up, north wind, and advance, south wind. Send a breeze through my garden, and carry its aromatic scents.

New American Bible
Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow upon my garden that its perfumes may spread abroad. Let my lover come to his garden and eat its fruits of choicest yield.

New Revised Standard Version
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Awake, O north wind, and come, O you south wind; blow upon my garden that the perfume may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Awaken, oh North, and come south wind! Blow in my garden! My sweet fragrances shall flow, and my beloved shall come to his garden, and he will eat from the fruit of his produce
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Awake, O north wind; And come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, That the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Awake, O north wind; and come, O south; and blow through my garden, and let my spices flow out.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Solomon Admires His Bride
15You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon. 16Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

Cross References
Genesis 2:8-10
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. / Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. / Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:

Psalm 104:16
The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,

Isaiah 5:1-2
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour!

Isaiah 27:2-3
In that day: “Sing about a fruitful vineyard. / I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it continually. I guard it night and day so no one can disturb it;

Isaiah 35:1-2
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. / It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Isaiah 61:11
For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Hosea 14:5-7
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon. / His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. / They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Joel 2:21-22
Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things. / Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best.

Amos 9:13
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, with which all the hills will flow.

John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” / He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16
But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. / For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. / To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her / to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, / and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

Philippians 4:18
I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.


Treasury of Scripture

Awake, O north wind; and come, you south; blow on my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

awake

Song of Solomon 1:4
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.

Ecclesiastes 1:6
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

Isaiah 51:9-11
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? …

the spices

Song of Solomon 4:13,14
Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, …

Song of Solomon 7:12,13
Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves…

2 Corinthians 9:10-15
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) …

let

Song of Solomon 5:1
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Song of Solomon 8:12
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

Matthew 26:10,12
When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me…

Jump to Previous
Abroad Awake Beloved Blow Blowing Breathe Choice Eat Flow Fragrance Fruits Garden Good Lover North Pleasant Precious South Spices Spread Taste Thereof Wind
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Abroad Awake Beloved Blow Blowing Breathe Choice Eat Flow Fragrance Fruits Garden Good Lover North Pleasant Precious South Spices Spread Taste Thereof Wind
Song of Solomon 4
1. Christ sets forth the graces of the church
8. He shows forth his love to her
16. The church prays to be made fit for his presence














Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind
This phrase poetically invokes the winds from the north and south, symbolizing a call for divine intervention and blessing. In the Hebrew context, the north wind often represents cold and harsh conditions, while the south wind is warm and gentle. The bride's invitation to both winds suggests a desire for a full range of experiences and influences, reflecting a readiness to embrace all aspects of life and love. This duality can be seen as a metaphor for the trials and blessings that God allows in the believer's life, shaping and refining their character.

Blow upon my garden
The "garden" here is a metaphor for the bride herself, representing her inner life and virtues. In ancient Near Eastern culture, gardens were places of beauty, fertility, and delight, often enclosed and protected. The bride's invitation for the winds to blow upon her garden signifies a willingness to open herself to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, allowing her virtues to be spread and shared. This reflects the Christian's call to be open to God's work in their lives, cultivating the fruits of the Spirit.

that its fragrance may spread abroad
Fragrance in the biblical context often symbolizes the pleasing aroma of a life lived in obedience and devotion to God. The spreading of fragrance suggests the influence and testimony of a believer's life, impacting those around them. This imagery aligns with the New Testament teaching of Christians being the "aroma of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15), emphasizing the importance of living a life that reflects God's love and grace to the world.

Let my beloved come into his garden
The bride's invitation to her beloved to enter "his garden" signifies a deep, intimate relationship. The shift from "my garden" to "his garden" indicates a recognition of mutual belonging and surrender. In the Christian context, this reflects the believer's relationship with Christ, where one's life is fully yielded to Him, acknowledging His lordship and presence. It is an expression of desire for communion and fellowship with the divine.

and taste its choicest fruits
"Taste its choicest fruits" speaks to the enjoyment and satisfaction found in the relationship between the bride and her beloved. In a spiritual sense, it represents the joy and fulfillment that comes from a life dedicated to God, bearing the fruits of righteousness. This aligns with the biblical theme of God delighting in the obedience and faithfulness of His people, as well as the believer finding their ultimate satisfaction in Him. The imagery of tasting suggests an experiential knowledge of God's goodness and the blessings that flow from a life lived in harmony with His will.

(16) Blow upon my garden.--After the description of his beloved's charms under these figures, the poet, under a companion figure, invokes the "airs of love" to blow upon the garden, that its perfumes may "flow out" for him--that the object of his affections may no longer keep herself reserved and denied to him. Tennyson's melodious lines are recalled which describe how, when a breeze of morning moves,

"The woodbine spices are wafted abroad,

And the musk of the roses blown."

Let my beloved . . .--This should form a separate verse, being the reply made to the appeal in the first part of the verse. The maiden yields to her lover's suit.

Verse 16. - Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious fruits. This is the answer of the bride to the lavish praises of her husband. I am all his. She is yet unworthy of the king and of his love until the seasonal changes have developed and unfolded and spread forth her excellences. The north represents cold; the south, heat. Let the various influences from different quarters flow gently over the garden and call forth the fragrance and the fruits (cf. Esther 2:12). There is rich suggestion in such words. Whether we think of the individual soul or of the Church of Christ, the true desire of those who delight in the love of the Saviour is that all the gifts and graces which can be bestowed may make them worthy of him who condescends to call his people his delight. Surely it is no mere romantic idyll that is before us. Such significance cannot be a mere coincidence when it is so transparent and so apt.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Awaken,
ע֤וּרִי (‘ū·rî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

O north wind,
צָפוֹן֙ (ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

and come,
וּב֣וֹאִי (ū·ḇō·w·’î)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

O south wind.
תֵימָ֔ן (ṯê·mān)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8486: South, south wind

Breathe on
הָפִ֥יחִי (hā·p̄î·ḥî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 6315: To puff, blow with the breath, air, to fan, to utter, to kindle, to scoff

my garden,
גַנִּ֖י (ḡan·nî)
Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1588: An enclosure, garden

and spread the fragrance
יִזְּל֣וּ (yiz·zə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5140: To flow, trickle, drop, distill

of its spices.
בְשָׂמָ֑יו (ḇə·śā·māw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1314: Fragrance, spicery, the balsam plant

Let my beloved
דוֹדִי֙ (ḏō·w·ḏî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle

come
יָבֹ֤א (yā·ḇō)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

into his garden
לְגַנּ֔וֹ (lə·ḡan·nōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1588: An enclosure, garden

and taste
וְיֹאכַ֖ל (wə·yō·ḵal)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

its choicest
מְגָדָֽיו׃ (mə·ḡā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4022: A distinguished thing, something valuable, as a, product, fruit

fruits.
פְּרִ֥י (pə·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6529: Fruit


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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 4:16 Awake north wind (Song Songs SS So Can)
Song of Solomon 4:15
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