Song of Solomon 5:14

His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

Song of Solomon 5:14, King James Version

Song of Solomon 5:14 in other translations

BSB	His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.
WEB	His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
ASV	His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl: His body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
YLT	His hands rings of gold, set with beryl, His heart bright ivory, covered with sapphires,
DARBY	His hands gold rings, set with the chrysolite; His belly is bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires;
BBE	His hands are as rings of gold ornamented with beryl-stones; his body is as a smooth plate of ivory covered with sapphires.
Webster	His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

What does Song of Solomon 5:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. rings set with ... beryl--Hebrew, Tarshish, so called from the city. The ancient chrysolite, gold in color (Septuagint), our topaz, one of the stones on the high priest's breastplate, also in the foundation of New Jerusalem (Re 21:19, 20; also Da 10:6). "Are as," is plainly to be supplied, see in So 5:13 a similiar ellipsis; not as Moody Stuart: "have gold rings." The hands bent in are compared to beautiful rings, in which beryl is set, as the nails are in the fingers. Burrowes explains the rings as cylinders used as signets, such as are found in Nineveh, and which resemble fingers. A ring is the token of sonship (Lu 15:22). A slave was not allowed to wear a gold ring. He imparts His sonship and freedom to us (Ga 4:7); also of authority (Ge 41:42; compare Joh 6:27). He seals us in the name of God with His signet (Re 7:2-4), compare below, So 8:6, where she desires to be herself a signet-ring on His arms; so "graven on the palms," &c., that is, on the signet-ring in His hand (Is 49:16; contrast Hag 2:23, with Jr 22:24). belly--Burrowes and Moody Stuart translate, "body." Newton, as it is elsewhere, "bowels"; namely, His compassion (Psa 22:14; Is 63:15; Jr 31:20; Ho 11:8). bright--literally, "elaborately wrought so as to shine," so His "prepared" body (He 10:5); the "ivory palace" of the king (Psa 45:8); spotless, pure, so the bride's "neck is as to tower of ivory" (So 7:4). sapphires--spangling in the girdle around Him (Da 10:5). "To the pure all things are pure." As in statuary to the artist the partly undraped figure is suggestive only of beauty, free from indelicacy, so to the saint the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ, typified under the ideal of the noblest human form. As, however, the bride and bridegroom are in public, the usual robes on the person, richly ornamented, are presupposed (Is 11:5). Sapphires indicate His heavenly nature (so Joh 3:13, "is in heaven"), even in His humiliation, overlaying or cast "over" His ivory human body (Ex 24:10). Sky-blue in color, the height and depth of the love of Jesus Christ (Ep 3:18).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 14 His hands - gold rings set with the beryl - This really seems to refer to gold rings set with precious stones on the fingers, and perhaps to circlets or bracelets about the wrists. Some suppose it to refer to the roundness and exquisite symmetry of the hand and fingers. תרשיש tarshish, which we translate beryl, a gem of a sea-green tint, had better be translated chrysolite, which is of a gold color. His belly - bright ivory overlaid with sapphires - This must refer to some garment set with precious stones which went round his waist, and was peculiarly remarkable. If we take it literally, the sense is plain enough. His belly was beautifully white, and the blue veins appearing under the skin resembled the sapphire stone. But one can hardly think that this was intended.

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 5:14 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.

יָדָיו֙ya.Davhands hisH3027

גְּלִילֵ֣יge.li.Lei[are] rods ofH1550

זָהָ֔בza.HavgoldH2091

מְמֻלָּאִ֖יםme.mu.la.'ImfilledH4390

בַּתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁba.tar.Shishwith <the> chrysoliteH8658

מֵעָיו֙me.'Avlower parts hisH4578

עֶ֣שֶׁת'E.shet[are] a plate ofH6247

שֵׁ֔ןShenivoryH8127

מְעֻלֶּ֖פֶתme.'u.Le.fetcoveredH5968

סַפִּירִֽים\׃sa.pi.RimsapphiresH5601

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 5:14

Exodus 24:10
And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Isaiah 54:11
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 52:13
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Ezekiel 1:16
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
Exodus 15:6
Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Ezekiel 1:26-28
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
Exodus 28:20
And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
Song of Solomon 7:2
Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
Psalms 99:4
The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
Exodus 39:13
And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Psalms 44:4-7
Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

hands.
Ex 15:6; Ps 44:4-7; 99:4; Isa 9:7; 52:13
his belly.
7:2; Ex 24:10; Isa 54:11; Eze 1:26-28

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

Context

Song of Solomon 5:13
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
Song of Solomon 5:14
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
Song of Solomon 5:15
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

Read all of Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:14 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Sus manos, como anillos de oro engastados de jacintos: su vientre, como claro marfil cubierto de zafiros.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	ses mains, des rondelles d’or, où sont enchâssées des chrysolithes; son ventre, un ivoire poli, couvert de saphirs;
German Elberfelder 1871	seine Hände goldene Rollen, mit Topasen besetzt; sein Leib ein Kunstwerk von Elfenbein, bedeckt mit Saphiren;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Manus illius tornatiles, aureæ, plenæ hyacinthis. Venter ejus eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.