Song of Solomon 3 · Verse 10

Song of Solomon 3:10

He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

Song of Solomon 3:10, King James Version

Song of Solomon 3:10 in other translations

BSB	He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.
WEB	He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.
ASV	He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem.
YLT	Its pillars he made of silver, Its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, Its midst lined with love, By the daughters of Jerusalem.
DARBY	Its pillars he made of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple; The midst thereof was paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem.
BBE	He made its pillars of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it of ebony.
Webster	He made its pillars of silver, the bottom of it of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst of it being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

What does Song of Solomon 3:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

10. pillars--supporting the canopy at the four corners; curtains at the side protect the person within from the sun. Pillars with silver sockets supported the veil that enclosed the holy of holies; emblem of Jesus Christ's strength (1Ki 7:21), Margin, "silver," emblem of His purity (Psa 12:6); so the saints hereafter (Re 3:12). bottom--rather, "the back for resting or reclining on" (Vulgate and Septuagint) [Maurer]. So the floor and mercy seat, the resting-place of God (Psa 132:14) in the temple, was gold (1Ki 6:30). covering--rather, "seat," as in Le 15:9. Hereafter the saints shall share His seat (Re 3:21). purple--the veil of the holiest, partly purple, and the purple robe put on Jesus Christ, accord with English Version, "covering." "Purple" (including scarlet and crimson) is the emblem of royalty, and of His blood; typified by the passover lamb's blood, and the wine when the twelve sat or reclined at the Lord's table. paved--translated, like mosaic pavement, with the various acts and promises of love of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Zep 3:17; 1Jo 4:8, 16), in contrast with the tables of stone in the "midst" of the ark, covered with writings of stern command (compare Joh 19:13); this is all grace and love to believers, who answer to "the daughters of Jerusalem" (Joh 1:17). The exterior silver and gold, cedar, purple, and guards, may deter, but when the bride enters within, she rests on a pavement of love.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 10 The pillars - of silver - The bedposts were made of silver, or cased with wrought silver plates, like the king's chairs brought from Hanover, now, in one of the staterooms in Windsor Castle. The bottom thereof of gold - This may refer to cords made of gold thread, or to the mattress, which was made of cloth ornamented with gold. The covering - of purple - Most probably the canopy. The midst - paved with love - The counterpane, a superb piece of embroidery, wrought by some of the noble maids of Jerusalem, and, as a proof of their affection, respect, and love, presented to the bride and bridegroom, on their nuptial day. This is most likely to be the sense of the passage, though some suppose it to refer to the whole court. A Turkish couch is made of wooden lattices painted and gilded; the inside is painted with baskets of flowers and nosegays, intermixed with little mottoes according to the fancy of the artist. Solomon's couch may have been of the same kind, and decorated in the same way; and the paving with love may refer to the amatory verses worked either on the counterpane, hangings, or embroidered carpet. And as this was done by the daughters of Jerusalem, they might have expressed the most striking parts of such a chaste history of love as Halaly's Leely and Mejnoon on the different parts. I see that Dr. Good is of this opinion. It is sufficiently probable.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 3:6-11

A wilderness is an emblem of the world; the believer comes out of it when he is delivered from the love of its sinful pleasures and pursuits, and refuses to comply with its customs and fashions, to seek happiness in communion with the Saviour. A poor soul shall come up, at last, under the conduct of the Comforter; like a cloud of incense ascending from the altar, or the smoke of the burnt-offerings. This signifies…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 3:6-11 →

Song of Solomon 3:10 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.

עַמּוּדָיו֙'a.mu.Davposts itsH5982

עָ֣שָׂה'A.sahhe madeH6213

כֶ֔סֶףKhe.sefsilverH3701

רְפִידָת֣וֹre.fi.da.Toback itsH7507

זָהָ֔בza.HavgoldH2091

מֶרְכָּב֖וֹmer.ka.Voseat itsH4817

אַרְגָּמָ֑ן'ar.ga.Manpurple woolH713

תּוֹכוֹ֙to.Khomiddle itsH8432

רָצ֣וּףra.Tzuf[was] fitted outH7528

אַהֲבָ֔ה'a.ha.VahleatherH160

מִבְּנ֖וֹתmi.be.Notfrom [the] daughters ofH1323

יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם\׃ye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 3:10

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Ephesians 3:18-19
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Psalms 87:3
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
Song of Solomon 1:5
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
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.
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ps 87:3; 1Ti 3:15,16; Re 3:12
the midst.
Ro 5:8; Eph 3:18,19; Re 1:5

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

Context

Song of Solomon 3:9
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
Song of Solomon 3:10
He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 3:11
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Read all of Song of Solomon 3

Song of Solomon 3:10 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Sus columnas hizo de plata, su respaldo de oro, su cielo de grana, su interior enlosado de amor, por las doncellas de Jerusalem.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Il a fait ses colonnes d’argent, son dossier d’or, son siège de pourpre, son intérieur pavé d’amour par les filles de Jérusalem.
German Elberfelder 1871	Seine Säulen hat er von Silber gemacht, seine Lehne von Gold, seinen Sitz von Purpur; das Innere ist kunstvoll gestickt aus Liebe, von den Töchtern Jerusalems.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	columnas ejus fecit argenteas, reclinatorium aureum, ascensum purpureum; media caritate constravit, propter filias Jerusalem.