Song of Solomon 6:4

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

Song of Solomon 6:4, King James Version

Song of Solomon 6:4 in other translations

BSB	You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.
WEB	You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.
ASV	Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.
YLT	Fair art thou, my friend, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Awe-inspiring as bannered hosts.
DARBY	Thou art fair, my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as troops with banners:
BBE	You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, as fair as Jerusalem; you are to be feared like an army with flags.
Webster	Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

What does Song of Solomon 6:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. Tirzah--meaning "pleasant" (He 13:21); "well-pleasing" (Mt 5:14); the royal city of one of the old Canaanite kings (Jos 12:24); and after the revolt of Israel, the royal city of its kings, before Omri founded Samaria (1Ki 16:8, 15). No ground for assigning a later date than the time of Solomon to the Song, as Tirzah was even in his time the capital of the north (Israel), as Jerusalem was of the south (Judah). Jerusalem--residence of the kings of Judah, as Tirzah, of Israel (Psa 48:1, &c.; 122:1-3; 125:1, 2). Loveliness, security, unity, and loyalty; also the union of Israel and Judah in the Church (Is 11:13; Jr 3:18; Eze 37:16, 17, 22; compare He 12:22; Re 21:2, 12). terrible--awe-inspiring. Not only armed as a city on the defensive, but as an army on the offensive. banners--(See on So 5:10; Psa 60:4); Jehovah-nissi (2Co 10:4).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 Beautiful - as Tirzah - This is supposed to be the address of Solomon to the bride. Tirzah was a city in the tribe of Ephraim, (Jos 12:24), and the capital of that district. It appears to have been beautiful in itself, and beautifully situated, for Jeroboam made it his residence before Samaria was built; and it seems to have been the ordinary residence of the kings of Israel, 1Kgs 14:17; 1Kgs 15:21. Its same signifies beautiful or delightful. Comely as Jerusalem - This was called the perfection of beauty, Psa 48:2, Psa 48:3; Psa 50:2. And thus the poet compares the bride's beauty to the two finest places in the land of Palestine, and the capitals of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Terrible as an army with banners - This has been supposed to carry an allusion to the caravans in the East, and the manner in which they are conducted in their travels by night. The caravans are divided into companies, called cottors, according to Thevenet; and each company is distinguished by the form of the brazier in which they carry their lights. After night, these braziers are placed on the ends of long poles, and carried by a person who walks at the head of the company. Some have ten or twelve lights, and are of different forms; some triangular, or like an N; some like an M, by which each pilgrim readily knows his own company, both by night and day. A whole caravan, composed of many thousands of hadgees or pilgrims, divided into various cottors or companies, each having its own distinguishing brazier or light, must necessarily produce a very splendid, if not a terrible, appearance.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 6:4-10

All the real excellence and holiness on earth centre in the church. Christ goes forth subduing his enemies, while his followers gain victories over the world, the flesh, and the devil. He shows the tenderness of a Redeemer, the delight he takes in his redeemed people, and the workings of his own grace in them. True believers alone can possess the beauty of holiness. And when their real character is known, it will be commended. Both the church and believers, at their first conversion, look forth as the morning, their light being small, but increasing. As to their sanctification, they are fair as the moon, deriving all their light, grace, and holiness from Christ; and as to justification, clear as the sun, clothed with Christ, the Sun of righteousness, and fighting the good fight of faith, under the banners of Christ, against all spiritual enemies.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Song of Solomon 6:4 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.

יָפָ֨הya.Fah[are] beautifulH3303

אַ֤תְּ'atyouH859

רַעְיָתִי֙ra'.ya.TiO friend myH7474

כְּתִרְצָ֔הke.tir.Tzahlike TirzahH8656

נָאוָ֖הna.VahlovelyH5000

כִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םki.ru.sha.Limlike JerusalemH3389

אֲיֻמָּ֖ה'a.yu.MahmajesticH366

כַּנִּדְגָּלֽוֹת\׃ka.nid.ga.Lotlike <the> hosts with bannersH1713

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 6:4

Song of Solomon 6:10
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
Psalms 48:2
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
1 Kings 14:17
And Jeroboam’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Song of Solomon 2:14
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Psalms 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Lamentations 2:15
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?
Song of Solomon 4:7
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
2 Corinthians 10:4
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
1 Kings 15:21
And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
Ezekiel 16:13-14
Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
Numbers 24:5-9
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

beautiful.
10; 2:14; 4:7; 5:2; Eze 16:13,14; Eph 5:27
as Tirzah.
1Ki 14:17; 15:21,33
comely.
Ps 48:2; La 2:15; Re 21:2
terrible.
10; Nu 24:5-9; Ps 144:4-8; Zec 12:3; 2Co 10:4; Re 19:14-16

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

Context

Song of Solomon 6:3
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
Song of Solomon 6:4
Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
Song of Solomon 6:5
Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

Read all of Song of Solomon 6

Song of Solomon 6:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Hermosa eres tú, oh amiga mía, como Tirsa; de desear, como Jerusalem; imponente como ejércitos en orden.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Tu es belle, mon amie, comme Thirtsa, agréable comme Jérusalem, redoutable comme des troupes sous leurs bannières.
German Elberfelder 1871	Du bist schön, meine Freundin, wie Tirza, lieblich wie Jerusalem, furchtbar wie Kriegsscharen
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Averte oculos tuos a me, quia ipsi me avolare fecerunt. Capilli tui sicut grex caprarum quæ apparuerunt de Galaad.