Song of Solomon 3: The One My Soul Loves
The Bride seeks her beloved through the night and holds fast when she finds him, and a royal wedding procession comes up from the wilderness.
Song of Solomon 3 (WEB)
1 By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.
2 I will get up now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.
3 The watchmen who go about the city found me; “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me.
5 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
6 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?
7 Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.
8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.
9 King Solomon made himself a carriage of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, its midst being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.
Song of Solomon 3 (KJV)
1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
5 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.
Song of Solomon 3 (ASV)
1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
2 I said, I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
3 The watchmen that go about the city found me; To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
4 It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother’s house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me.
5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.
6 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant?
7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty men of Israel.
8 They all handle the sword, andare expert in war: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of fear in the night.
9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart.
Summary
The Bride tells of a night of seeking. On her bed she sought the one her soul loves but did not find him. She rose and went through the city, into the streets and squares, still searching; the watchmen found her, and she asked them whether they had seen the one her soul loves. Scarcely had she passed them when she found him, and she held him and would not let him go until she had brought him into her mother's house. Once more she charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Then the scene shifts to a grand procession: who is this coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense? It is Solomon's carriage, surrounded by sixty mighty men of Israel, expert in war, guarding against the terrors of the night. The king has made himself a splendid carriage of Lebanon wood, with pillars of silver, a base of gold, and a seat of purple. The daughters of Zion are summoned to go out and see King Solomon crowned by his mother on the glad day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart.
Main Characters
- The Bride (the Beloved) — The young woman who seeks her beloved through the night, holds him fast when she finds him, and again charges the daughters not to awaken love too soon.
- The Bridegroom / King Solomon — The beloved sought through the night and held fast, pictured in royal splendor coming up from the wilderness on the glad day of his wedding.
- The daughters of Jerusalem / Zion — The chorus charged not to awaken love before its time, and summoned to behold the crowned king on his wedding day.
Key Verse
Song of Solomon 3:4 (WEB)
I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me.
Lessons Learned
- Faithful love seeks the beloved even through difficulty and uncertainty.
- When love finds its beloved, it holds fast and will not let go.
- Love is worth the cost of searching and persevering.
- Marriage is a day of gladness, worthy of celebration and honor.
- Love seeks until it finds. “I sought him whom my soul loves” (Song 3:1, WEB), through bed and street and square. True love does not give up its searching.
- Love holds fast. “I held him, and would not let him go” (Song 3:4, WEB). Having found the beloved, love clings and refuses to lose him again.
- Love keeps its season. Again she charges, “that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires” (Song 3:5, WEB). The refrain guards love's proper time.
- A wedding is a day of gladness. The king is crowned “in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart” (Song 3:11, WEB). Covenant union is cause for joy and celebration.
- How does the Bride's nighttime search show the nature of her love?
- Why does she hold her beloved fast and refuse to let him go (3:4)?
- What does the splendor of the wedding procession communicate about the value of the union?
- How does the refrain in verse 5 echo and reinforce the charge first given in chapter 2?
- When have you sought after something or someone you love at real cost, and what did that pursuit reveal about your heart?
- She searches from her bed into the city streets, even questioning the watchmen, refusing to rest until she finds the one her soul loves (3:1-3). Her perseverance shows a love that is active, urgent, and undeterred by the dark.
- Having found him, she holds him and brings him to her mother's house (3:4). Love that has known the pain of seeking treasures the beloved all the more and will not carelessly let him slip away again.
- The carriage of Lebanon wood, silver, gold, and purple, guarded by sixty mighty men, surrounds the wedding with royal honor (3:7-10). The splendor signals that covenant union is precious and worthy of great celebration.
- The repeated charge not to awaken love until it pleases reinforces patience and restraint as guardians of love. Its recurrence shows how central this wisdom is to the Song's vision of love rightly ordered.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a costly pursuit and what it taught them about their priorities and affections. As leader, draw out gently how the seeking itself can deepen love and gratitude.