Song of Solomon 8 · Verse 6

Song of Solomon 8:6

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Song of Solomon 8:6, King James Version

Song of Solomon 8:6 in other translations

BSBSet me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all.
WEBSet me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of the LORD.
ASVSet me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol; The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, A very flame of Jehovah.
YLTSet me as a seal on thy heart, as a seal on thine arm, For strong as death is love, Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, Its burnings are burnings of fire, a flame of Jah!
DARBYSet me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah.
BBEPut me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames.
WebsterSet me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

What does Song of Solomon 8:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. Implying approaching absence of the Bridegroom. seal--having her name and likeness engraven on it. His Holy Priesthood also in heaven (Ex 28:6-12, 15-30; He 4:14); "his heart" there answering to "thine heart" here, and "two shoulders" to "arm." (Compare Jr 22:24, with Hag 2:23). But the Holy Ghost (Ep 1:13, 14). As in So 8:5, she was "leaning" on Him, that is, her arm on His arm, her head on His bosom; so she prays now that before they part, her impression may be engraven both on His heart and His arm, answering to His love and His power (Psa 77:15; see Ge 38:18; Is 62:3). love is strong as death--(Ac 21:13; Ro 8:35-39; Re 12:11). This their love unto death flows from His (Joh 10:15; 15:13). jealousy ... the grave--Zealous love, jealous of all that would come between the soul and Jesus Christ (1Ki 19:10; Psa 106:30, 31; Lu 9:60; 14:26; 1Co 16:22). cruel--rather, "unyielding" hard, as the grave will not let go those whom it once holds (Joh 10:28). a most vehement flame--literally, "the fire-flame of Jehovah" (Psa 80:16; Is 6:6). Nowhere else is God's name found in the Song. The zeal that burnt in Jesus Christ (Psa 69:9; Lu 12:49, 50) kindled in His followers (Ac 2:3; Ro 15:30; Php 2:17).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart - It was customary in the Levant and other places to make impressions of various kinds upon the arms, the breast, and other parts. I have seen these often: some slight punctures are made, and the place rubbed over with a sort of blue powder that, getting between the cuticle and cutis, is never discharged; it continues in all its distinctness throughout life. The figures of young women are frequently thus impressed on the arms and on the breasts. If the bride alludes to any thing of this kind, which is very probable, the interpretation is easy. Let me be thus depicted upon thine arm, which being constantly before thy eyes, thou wilt never forget me; and let me be thus depicted upon thy breast, the emblem of the share I have in thy heart and affections. Do this as a proof of the love I bear to thee, which is such as nothing but death can destroy; and do it to prevent any jealousy I might feel, which is as cruel as the grave, and as deadly as fiery arrows or poisoned darts shot into the body. A most vehement flame - שלהבתיה shalhebethyah, "the flame of God;" for the word is divided שלהבת יה shalhebeth Yah, "the flame of Jehovah," by one hundred and sixteen of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., and by one hundred and fourteen of those of De Rossi. It may mean the lightning; or, as our text understands it, a most vehement or intense fire.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 8:5-7

The Jewish church came up from the wilderness, supported by Divine power and favour. The Christian church was raised from a low, desolate condition, by the grace of Christ relied on. Believers, by the power of grace, are brought up from the wilderness. A sinful state is a wilderness in which there is no true comfort; it is a wandering, wanting state: There is no coming out of this wilderness, but leaning on Christ…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 8:5-7 →

Song of Solomon 8:6 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.

שִׂימֵ֨נִיsi.Me.niput meH7760
כַֽחוֹתָ֜םkha.cho.Tamlike <the> sealH2368
עַל\־'al-onH5921
לִבֶּ֗ךָli.Be.khaheart yourH3820
כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ka.cho.Tamlike <the> sealH2368
עַל\־'al-onH5921
זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָze.ro.'E.khaarm yourH2220
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
עַזָּ֤ה'a.Zah[is] strongH5794
כַמָּ֙וֶת֙kha.Ma.vetlike <the> deathH4194
אַהֲבָ֔ה'a.ha.VahloveH160
קָשָׁ֥הka.Shah[is] severeH7186
כִשְׁא֖וֹלkhish.'ollike SheolH7585
קִנְאָ֑הkin.'AhjealousyH7068
רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָre.sha.Fei.haflashes itsH7565
רִשְׁפֵּ֕יrish.Pei[are] flashes ofH7565
אֵ֖שׁ'eshfireH784
שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה\׃shal.He.vet.Yaha flame of [the] LordH7957

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 8:6

  • Revelation 12:11

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • Isaiah 49:16

    Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

  • Philippians 1:20-23

    According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

  • Song of Solomon 5:8

    I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

  • Proverbs 6:34

    For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

  • Numbers 5:14

    And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:

  • Haggai 2:23

    In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Jeremiah 22:24

    As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

  • John 21:15-19

    So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. …

  • Psalms 84:2

    My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

    For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

  • Deuteronomy 32:21

    They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
as a seal.
Ex 28:9-12,21,29,30; Isa 49:16; Jer 22:24; Hag 2:23; Zec 3:9
2Ti 2:19
love.
5:8; Ps 42:1,2; 63:1; 84:2; Joh 21:15-19; Ac 20:24; 21:13
2Co 5:14,15; Php 1:20-23; Re 12:11
jealousy.
Nu 5:14; 25:11; De 32:21; Pr 6:34; 2Co 11:2
cruel. Heb. hard. the coals.
Ps 120:4; Pr 25:22; Ro 12:20

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

Context

  • Song of Solomon 8:5

    Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

  • Song of Solomon 8:6

    Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

  • Song of Solomon 8:7

    Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Read all of Song of Solomon 8

Song of Solomon 8:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Ponme como un sello sobre tu corazón, como una marca sobre tu brazo: porque fuerte es como la muerte el amor; duro como el sepulcro el celo: sus brasas, brasas de fuego, fuerte llama.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mets-moi comme un cachet sur ton cœur, comme un cachet sur ton bras; car l’amour est fort comme la mort, la jalousie, cruelle comme le shéol; ses ardeurs sont des ardeurs de feu, une flamme de Jah.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Lege mich wie einen Siegelring an dein Herz, wie einen Siegelring an deinen Arm! Denn die Liebe ist gewaltsam wie der Tod, hart wie der Scheol ihr Eifer; ihre Gluten sind Feuergluten eine Flamme Jahs.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super brachium tuum, quia fortis est ut mors dilectio, dura sicut infernus æmulatio: lampades ejus lampades ignis atque flammarum.