Song of Solomon 1 · Verse 17

Song of Solomon 1:17

The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
Song of Solomon 1:17, King James Version

Song of Solomon 1:17 in other translations

BSBThe beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are fragrant firs.
WEBThe beams of our house are cedars. Our rafters are firs.
ASVThe beams of our house are cedars, And our rafters are firs.
YLTThe beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters are firs, I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys!
DARBYThe beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters are cypresses.
BBECedar-trees are the pillars of our house; and our boards are made of fir-trees.
WebsterThe beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

What does Song of Solomon 1:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. our house--see on So 1:16; but primarily, the kiosk (Is 11:10), "His rest." Cedar is pleasing to the eye and smell, hard, and never eaten by worms. fir--rather, "cypress," which is hard, durable, and fragrant, of a reddish hue [Gesenius, Weiss, and Maurer]. Contrasted with the shifting "tents" (So 1:5), His house is "our house" (Psa 92:13; Ep 2:19; He 3:6). Perfect oneness of Him and the bride (Joh 14:20; 17:21). There is the shelter of a princely roof from the sun (Psa 121:6), without the confinement of walls, and amidst rural beauties. The carved ceiling represents the wondrous excellencies of His divine nature.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The beams of our house are cedar - Perhaps it was under a cedar tree whose vast limbs were interwoven with the ברות beroth, a tree of the cypress kind, where they now sat. And this natural bower recommended itself to the poet's attention by its strength, loftiness, and its affording them a shady cover and cool retreat. How natural to break out into the praise of a bower, by whose branches and foliage we are shielded from the intense heat of the sun! Even the shelter of a great rock to a weary land is celebrated by the pen of the first of prophets and greatest of poets, Isa 32:2. With this chapter the first day of the marriage ceremonies is supposed to end.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 1:9-17

The Bridegroom gives high praises of his spouse. In the sight of Christ believers are the excellent of the earth, fitted to be instruments for promoting his glory. The spiritual gifts and graces which Christ bestows on every true believer, are described by the ornaments then in use, Song 1:10,11. The graces of the saints are many, but there is dependence upon each other. He who is the Author, will be the Finisher of…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 1:9-17 →

Song of Solomon 1:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

קֹר֤וֹתko.Rot[the] beams ofH6982
בָּתֵּ֙ינוּ֙ba.Tei.nuhouses ourH1004
אֲרָזִ֔ים'a.ra.Zim[are] cedar<s>H730
רַהִיטֵ֖נוּra.chi.te.nurafters ourH7351
בְּרוֹתִֽים\׃be.ro.Tim[are] cypress<es>H1266

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Song of Solomon 1:17

  • Hebrews 11:10

    For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

  • Psalms 92:12

    The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

  • 2 Chronicles 2:8-9

    Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

  • 1 Kings 6:9

    So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

  • Song of Solomon 7:5

    Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

  • Ezekiel 41:16

    The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;

  • Ezekiel 42:3

    Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.

  • 1 Timothy 3:15-16

    But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

  • 1 Peter 2:4-5

    To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

  • Song of Solomon 8:9

    If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
beams.
8:9; 2Ch 2:8,9; Ps 92:12; 1Ti 3:15,16; Heb 11:10; 1Pe 2:4,5
rafters. or, galleries.
7:5; Eze 41:16; 42:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Song of Solomon 1:16

    Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

  • Song of Solomon 1:17

    The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

Read all of Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Las vigas de nuestra casa son de cedro, y de ciprés los artesonados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les solives de nos maisons sont des cèdres; nos lambris des cyprès.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Balken unserer Behausung sind Cedern, unser Getäfel Cypressen.