Song of Solomon 4 · Verse 3

Song of Solomon 4:3

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
Song of Solomon 4:3, King James Version

Song of Solomon 4:3 in other translations

BSBYour lips are like a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate.
WEBYour lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
ASVThy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.
YLTAs a thread of scarlet are thy lips, And thy speech is comely, As the work of the pomegranate is thy temple behind thy veil,
DARBYThy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy speech is comely; As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples Behind thy veil.
BBEYour red lips are like a bright thread, and your mouth is fair of form; the sides of your head are like pomegranate fruit under your veil.
WebsterThy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.

What does Song of Solomon 4:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. thread--like a delicate fillet. Not thick and white as the leper's lips (type of sin), which were therefore to be "covered," as "unclean" (Le 13:45). scarlet--The blood of Jesus Christ (Is 6:5-9) cleanses the leprosy, and unseals the lips (Is 57:19; Ho 14:2; He 13:15). Rahab's scarlet thread was a type of it (Jos 2:18). speech--not a separate feature from the lips (Zep 3:9; Col 4:6). Contrast "uncircumcised lips" (Ex 6:12). Maurer and Burrowes translate, "thy mouth." temples--rather, the upper part of the cheek next the temples: the seat of shamefacedness; so, "within thy locks," no display (1Co 11:5, 6, 15). Mark of true penitence (Ezr 9:6; Eze 16:63). Contrast Jr 3:3; Eze 3:7. pomegranate--When cut, it displays in rows seeds pellucid, like crystal, tinged with red. Her modesty is not on the surface, but within, which Jesus Christ can see into.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet - Both lips and cheeks were ruddy; sicut fragmen mali punici - Vulgate. Like the section of a pomegranate, that side cut off on which is the finest blush. This is a good and apt metaphor. But the inside may be referred to, as it is finely streaked with red and white melting into each other. She had beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, beautiful cheeks and lips, and a most pleasing and dulcet voice. Within thy locks - See on Sol 4:1 (note), and Sol 4:7 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 4:1-7

Christ sets forth the graces of the church. (Song 4:1-7) Christ's love to the church. (Song 4:8-15) The church desires further influences of Divine grace. (Song 4:16) Verses 1-7 If each of these comparisons has a meaning applicable to the graces of the church, or of the faithful Christian, they are not clearly known; and great mistakes are made by fanciful guesses. The mountain of myrrh appears to mean the mountain…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 4:1-7 →

Song of Solomon 4:3 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.

כְּח֤וּטke.Chut[are] like [the] thread ofH2339
הַשָּׁנִי֙ha.sha.Ni<the> scarletH8144
שִׂפְתֹתַ֔יִךְsif.to.Ta.yikhlips yourH8193
וּמִדְבָּרֵ֖יךְu.mid.ba.Reikhand mouth yourH4057
נָאוֶ֑הna.Veh[is] lovelyH5000
כְּפֶ֤לַחke.Fe.lach[is] like [the] slice ofH6400
הָֽרִמּוֹן֙ha.ri.mOn<the> pomegranateH7416
רַקָּתֵ֔ךְra.ka.Tekhtemple yourH7541
מִבַּ֖עַדmi.Ba.'adfrom behindH1157
לְצַמָּתֵֽךְ\׃le.tza.ma.Tekhto veil yourH6777

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 4:3

  • Song of Solomon 6:7

    As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

  • Song of Solomon 5:16

    His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

  • Joshua 2:18

    Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

  • Psalms 119:13

    With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

  • Proverbs 10:20-21

    The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

  • Hebrews 9:19

    For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

  • Song of Solomon 4:11

    Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

  • Colossians 3:16-17

    Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

  • Ephesians 4:29

    Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

  • Song of Solomon 5:13

    His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

  • Leviticus 14:6

    As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

  • Luke 4:22

    And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
lips.
11; 5:13,16; 7:9; Ps 37:30; 45:2; 119:13; Pr 10:13,20,21; 16:21-24
Mt 12:35; Lu 4:22; 2Co 5:18-21; Eph 4:29; Col 3:16,17; 4:6
scarlet.
Le 14:4,6,49-52; Nu 4:8; 19:6; Jos 2:18; Pr 31:26; Heb 9:19
thy temples.
6:7; Ge 32:10; Ezr 9:6; Eze 16:63

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

Context

  • Song of Solomon 4:2

    Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

  • Song of Solomon 4:3

    Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

  • Song of Solomon 4:4

    Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Read all of Song of Solomon 4

Song of Solomon 4:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Tus labios, como un hilo de grana, y tu habla hermosa; tus sienes, como cachos de granada á la parte adentro de tus guedejas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tes lèvres sont comme un fil écarlate, et ta bouche est agréable; ta joue est comme un quartier de grenade derrière ton voile.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Deine Lippen sind wie eine Karmesinschnur, und dein Mund ist zierlich. Wie ein Schnittstück einer Granate ist deine Schläfe hinter deinem Schleier.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sicut vitta coccinea labia tua, et eloquium tuum dulce. Sicut fragmen mali punici, ita genæ tuæ, absque eo quod intrinsecus latet.