Song of Solomon 5:12

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

Song of Solomon 5:12, King James Version

Song of Solomon 5:12 in other translations

BSB	His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.
WEB	His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels.
ASV	His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.
YLT	His eyes as doves by streams of water, Washing in milk, sitting in fulness.
DARBY	His eyes are like doves by the water-brooks, Washed with milk, fitly set;
BBE	His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the water streams, washed with milk, and rightly placed.
Webster	His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

What does Song of Solomon 5:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

12. as the eyes of doves--rather, "as doves" (Psa 68:13); bathing in "the rivers"; so combining in their "silver" feathers the whiteness of milk with the sparkling brightness of the water trickling over them (Mt 3:16). The "milk" may allude to the white around the pupil of the eye. The "waters" refer to the eye as the fountain of tears of sympathy (Eze 16:5, 6; Lu 19:41). Vivacity, purity, and love, are the three features typified. fitly set--as a gem in a ring; as the precious stones in the high priest's breastplate. Rather, translate as Vulgate (the doves), sitting at the fulness of the stream; by the full stream; or, as Maurer (the eyes) set in fulness, not sunk in their sockets (Re 5:6), ("seven," expressing full perfection), (Zec 3:9; 4:10).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves - See on Sol 4:1 (note). Washed with milk - The white of the eye, exceedingly white. By the use of stibium, in the East, the eye is rendered very beautiful; and receives such a lustre from the use of this article, that, to borrow the expression of a late traveler, "their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss." I believe this expression to be the meaning of the text. Fitly set - Or, as the margin, very properly, sitting in fullness; not sunk, not contracted.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 5:9-16

Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections. Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should do all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory makes him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discern spiritual…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 5:9-16 →

Song of Solomon 5:12 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.

עֵינָ֕יו'ei.Naveyes hisH5869

כְּיוֹנִ֖יםke.yo.Nim[are] like dovesH3123

עַל\־'al-atH5921

אֲפִ֣יקֵי'a.Fi.keichannels ofH650

מָ֑יִםMa.yimwaterH4325

רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙ro.cha.tzOtwashingH7364

בֶּֽחָלָ֔בbe.cha.Lavin <the> milkH2461

יֹשְׁב֖וֹתyo.she.VotsittingH3427

עַל\־'al-onH5921

מִלֵּֽאת\׃mi.LetfullnessH4402

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 5:12

Song of Solomon 4:1
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
Song of Solomon 1:15
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.
Hebrews 4:13
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

His eyes.Rather, "His eyes are as doves;" the deep blue pigeon, the common dove in the East, whose brilliant plumage vibrates around his neck every sparkling hue, every dazzling flash of colour. And this pigeon standing amid "the torrents of water," or the foam of a waterfall, would be a blue centre with a bright space like the iris of the eye, surrounded by the white.
1:15; 4:1; Heb 4:13
fitly set. Heb. sitting in fulness, that is, fitly placed,and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring.

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

Context

Song of Solomon 5:11
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
Song of Solomon 5:12
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
Song of Solomon 5:13
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

Read all of Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:12 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Sus ojos, como palomas junto á los arroyos de las aguas, que se lavan con leche, y á la perfección colocados.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	ses yeux, comme des colombes près des ruisseaux d’eau, baignés dans le lait, bien enchâssés;
German Elberfelder 1871	seine Augen wie Tauben an Wasserbächen, badend in Milch, eingefaßte Steine
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Oculi ejus sicut columbæ super rivulos aquarum, quæ lacte sunt lotæ, et resident juxta fluenta plenissima.