Song of Solomon 5:9
New International Version
How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us?

New Living Translation
Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this? Young Woman

English Standard Version
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?

Berean Standard Bible
How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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?

New American Standard Bible
“What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That you make us swear in this way?”

NASB 1995
“What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?”

NASB 1977
“<,>What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?”

Legacy Standard Bible
“What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved, That thus you call us to solemnly swear?”

Amplified Bible
“What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, That you should so command us to take an oath?”

Christian Standard Bible
What makes the one you love better than another, most beautiful of women? What makes him better than another, that you would give us this charge? Woman

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What makes the one you love better than another, most beautiful of women? What makes him better than another, that you would give us this charge? W

American Standard Version
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 adjure us?

Contemporary English Version
Most beautiful of women, why is the one you love more special than others? Why do you ask us to tell him how you feel?

English Revised Version
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 adjure us?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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?

Good News Translation
Most beautiful of women, is your lover different from everyone else? What is there so wonderful about him that we should give you our promise?

International Standard Version
What is so special about your beloved, most beautiful of women? What is so special about your beloved, that you charge us like this?

Majority Standard Bible
How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?

NET Bible
Why is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful of women? Why is your beloved better than others, that you would command us in this manner?

New Heart English Bible
How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us?

Webster's Bible Translation
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?

World English Bible
How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved, "" O beautiful among women? What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved, "" That thus you have adjured us?

Young's Literal Translation
What is thy beloved above any beloved, O fair among women? What is thy beloved above any beloved, That thus thou hast adjured us?

Smith's Literal Translation
What is thy beloved above the beloved, O beautiful one among women? What thy beloved above the beloved, that thou didst thus adjure us?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Chorus to Bride: What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, so that you would bind us by oath?

New American Bible
How does your lover differ from any other lover, most beautiful among women? How does your lover differ from any other, that you adjure us so?

New Revised Standard Version
What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so adjure us?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who is your beloved more than a beloved, beautiful among women? Who is your beloved more than a beloved, beautiful among women? Who is your beloved more than a beloved, that thus you have charged us?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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 adjure us?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
What is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, O thou beautiful among women? what is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, that thou hast so charged us?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Bride and Her Beloved
8O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love. 9How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so? 10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.…

Cross References
Psalm 45:2
You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

Proverbs 31:29
“Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”

Isaiah 62:5
For 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.

Hosea 2:19-20
So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. / And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.”

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.

Ezekiel 16:13-14
So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen. / Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect in the splendor I bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.

Genesis 29:20
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

Ruth 3:10-11
Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. / And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.

1 Samuel 25:3
His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

1 Kings 4:30-31
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. / He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.

Matthew 9:15
Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

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.

2 Corinthians 11:2
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Revelation 19:7-8
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. / She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.


Treasury of Scripture

What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women? what is your beloved more than another beloved, that you do so charge us?

what is

Isaiah 53:2
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Matthew 16:13-17
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? …

Matthew 21:10
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

o thou

Song of Solomon 1:8
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

Song of Solomon 6:1,9,10
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee…

Psalm 45:13
The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

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Song of Solomon 5
1. Christ awakes the church with his calling
2. The church having a taste of Christ's love is sick of love
9. A description of Christ by his graces














How is your beloved better than others
This phrase is a question posed by the "daughters of Jerusalem," a recurring group in the Song of Solomon who often serve as a chorus or audience to the dialogue between the bride and the bridegroom. The Hebrew word for "beloved" here is "דּוֹד" (dod), which signifies a deep, intimate love, often used to describe the relationship between God and His people. The question challenges the bride to articulate the unique qualities of her beloved, prompting a reflection on the distinctiveness and superiority of true love. In a broader spiritual context, this can be seen as a call for believers to consider and express the unparalleled nature of Christ's love for the Church.

O most beautiful among women
This phrase acknowledges the bride's exceptional beauty, both physical and spiritual. The Hebrew word "יָפָה" (yafah) means beautiful or fair, and it is used here to denote not just outward appearance but also inner grace and virtue. In the allegorical interpretation, the bride represents the Church or the individual believer, adorned with the righteousness of Christ. This beauty is not self-derived but is a reflection of the divine love and grace bestowed upon her. Historically, beauty in biblical times was often associated with favor and blessing, and here it underscores the bride's esteemed position.

How is your beloved better than others
The repetition of this question emphasizes the importance of the bride's response. It invites a deeper exploration of the beloved's attributes, encouraging the bride to articulate her devotion and admiration. In the context of a believer's relationship with Christ, it serves as a reminder to continually seek and proclaim the unique and incomparable nature of His love and sacrifice. The repetition also serves a poetic function, creating a rhythm and emphasis that draws the reader into the narrative.

that you charge us so?
The word "charge" in Hebrew is "שָׁבַע" (shava), which can mean to adjure or to earnestly request. This indicates a sense of urgency and importance in the bride's request to the daughters of Jerusalem. She is not merely asking them to listen but is imploring them to understand and appreciate the depth of her love for her beloved. In a spiritual sense, this can be seen as a call to witness and testify to the world about the love of Christ, urging others to recognize and respond to His call. The bride's earnestness reflects the passion and commitment that should characterize the believer's witness to the world.

(9) What is thy beloved?--This question, introducing the description of the bridegroom's person, raises almost into certainty the conjecture that the poem was actually sung, or presented as an epithalamium, by alternate choirs (or single voices) of maidens and young men, as in the Carmen Nuptiale of Catullus, vying the one in praise of the bridegroom, the other of the bride. Mere love-poems contain descriptions of the charms of the fair one to whom they are addressed, but not of the poet himself.

Verse 9. - 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 adjure us? This, of course, is poetic artifice in order to give the opportunity to the bride to enter upon a glowing description of the object of her love. She wishes to say that he is perfect, everything that he can be.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

[is] your beloved
דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ (dō·w·ḏêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle

better than [others],
מִדּ֔וֹד (mid·dō·wḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle

O most beautiful
הַיָּפָ֖ה (hay·yā·p̄āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful

among women?
בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים (ban·nā·šîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

How
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

[is] your beloved
דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ (dō·w·ḏêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle

better than another,
מִדּ֔וֹד (mid·dō·wḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle

that you
שֶׁכָּ֖כָה (šek·kā·ḵāh)
Pronoun - relative | Adverb
Strong's 3602: Just so

charge us so?
הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽנוּ׃ (hiš·ba‘·tā·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person feminine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear


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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 5:9 How is your beloved better than another (Song Songs SS So Can)
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