Song of Solomon 7:5

Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

Song of Solomon 7:5, King James Version

Song of Solomon 7:5 in other translations

BSB	Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple threads; the king is captured in your tresses.
WEB	Your head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses.
ASV	Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the hair of thy head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses thereof.
YLT	Thy head upon thee as Carmel, And the locks of thy head as purple, The king is bound with the flowings!
DARBY	Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the locks of thy head like purple; The king is fettered by thy ringlets!
BBE	Your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple, in whose net the king is prisoner.
Webster	Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

What does Song of Solomon 7:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. upon thee--the headdress "upon" her. Carmel--signifying a well-cultivated field (Is 35:2). In So 5:15 He is compared to majestic Lebanon; she here, to fruitful Carmel. Her headdress, or crown (2Ti 4:8; 1Pe 5:4). Also the souls won by her (1Th 2:19, 20), a token of her fruitfulness. purple--royalty (Re 1:6). As applied to hair, it expresses the glossy splendor of black hair (literally, "pendulous hair") so much admired in the East (So 4:1). While the King compares her hair to the flowering hair of goats (the token of her subjection), the daughters of Jerusalem compare it to royal purple. galleries--(so So 1:17, Margin; Re 21:3). But Maurer translates here, "flowing ringlets"; with these, as with "thongs" (so Lee, from the Arabic translates it) "the King is held" bound (So 6:5; Pr 6:25). Her purple crowns of martyrdom especially captivated the King, appearing from His galleries (Ac 7:55, 56). As Samson's strength was in his locks (Jud 16:17). Here first the daughters see the King themselves.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 Shine head - like Carmel - Rising majestically upon thy neck, and above thy shoulders, as Mount Carmel does in its district. Carmel was the name of the mountain where Elijah had his contest with the prophets of Baal. See 1Kgs 18:19, etc. The hair of thine head like purple - Ornamented with ribbons and jewellery of this tint. The king is held in the galleries - Or is detained in the antechamber. His heart is captivated by thy person and conduct. Some understand the ringlets of the bride's hair.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 7:1-9

The graces of the church. (Song 7:1-9) The delight of the church in Christ. (Song 7:10-13) Verses 1-9 The similitudes here are different from what they were before, and in the original refer to glorious and splendid clothing. Such honour have all his saints; and having put on Christ, they are distinguished by their beautiful and glorious apparel. They adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. Consistent…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 7:1-9 →

Song of Solomon 7:5 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.

רֹאשֵׁ֤ךְro.Shekhhead yourH7218

עָלַ֙יִךְ֙'a.La.yikhon youH5921

כַּכַּרְמֶ֔לka.kar.Mel[is] like <the> CarmelH3760

וְדַלַּ֥תve.da.Latand [the] hair ofH1803

רֹאשֵׁ֖ךְro.Shekhhead yourH7218

כָּאַרְגָּמָ֑ןka.'ar.ga.Man[is] like <the> purple woolH713

מֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekh[the] kingH4428

אָס֥וּר'a.Sur[is] boundH631

בָּרְהָטִֽים\׃ba.re.ha.Timby the tressesH7298

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 7:5

Isaiah 35:2
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
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.
Psalms 68:24
They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
Genesis 32:26
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Song of Solomon 5:11
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
Micah 7:14
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
Revelation 1:14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Song of Solomon 1:17
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
Psalms 87:2
The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Ephesians 1:22
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 4:15-16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

head.
Isa 35:2; Eph 1:22; 4:15,16; Col 1:18; 2:19
Carmel. or, crimson.
Mic 7:14
the hair.
4:1; 5:11; Re 1:14
the king.
1:17; *marg:
Ge 32:26; Ps 68:24; 87:2; Mt 18:20; 28:20
held. Heb. bound.

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

Context

Song of Solomon 7:4
Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath–rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
Song of Solomon 7:5
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
Song of Solomon 7:6
How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

Read all of Song of Solomon 7

Song of Solomon 7:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Tu cabeza encima de ti, como el Carmelo; y el cabello de tu cabeza, como la púrpura del rey ligada en los corredores.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ton cou est comme une tour d’ivoire; tes yeux sont comme les étangs qui sont à Hesbon, vers la porte de Bath-Rabbim; ton nez est comme la tour du Liban, qui regarde vers Damas;
German Elberfelder 1871	Dein Haupt auf dir ist wie der Karmel, und das herabwallende Haar deines Hauptes wie Purpur: ein König ist gefesselt durch deine Locken!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Caput tuum ut Carmelus; et comæ capitis tui sicut purpura regis vincta canalibus.