Song of Solomon 5: I Sought, but Did Not Find
The Bride hesitates at her beloved's knock and loses him for a night, then searches, suffers, and praises him as altogether lovely.
Song of Solomon 5 (WEB)
1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Friends Eat, friends! Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved. Beloved
2 I was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
4 My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening. My heart pounded for him.
5 I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved left; and had gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I didn’t find him. I called him, but he didn’t answer.
7 The watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.
8 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love. Friends
9 How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? Beloved
10 My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5 (KJV)
1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5 (ASV)
1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I was asleep, but my heart waked: It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the holeof the door, And my heart was moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; And my hands dropped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, Upon the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved; But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. My soul had failed me when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that go about the city found me, They smote me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.
8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, That thou dost so adjure us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, The chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head isasthe most fine gold; His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, Asbanks of sweet herbs: His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands areasrings of gold set with beryl: His body isasivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs areaspillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet; Yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Summary
The chapter opens with the Bridegroom entering his garden to gather his myrrh and honey and wine, and the friends bid the lovers eat and drink deeply. Then the Bride recounts a painful night. She was asleep but her heart awake when her beloved knocked, asking her to open to him, his head wet with the night's dew. She hesitated, having already undressed and washed, reluctant to rise; and when her heart at last stirred and she opened the door, he had gone. She sought him but did not find him; she called but he did not answer. Searching the city, she was found by the watchmen, who beat and bruised her and took her cloak. Faint with love, she charges the daughters of Jerusalem to tell her beloved how she longs for him. When they ask what makes her beloved so special, she answers with a glowing portrait, praising him from head to foot—his head purest gold, his eyes like doves, his lips like lilies dropping myrrh—and concludes that his mouth is sweetness itself and he is altogether lovely, her beloved and her friend.
Main Characters
- The Bride (the Beloved) — The young woman who hesitates at her beloved's knock, loses and seeks him through a painful night, and praises him to the daughters as altogether lovely.
- The Bridegroom (the Lover) — The beloved who comes to his garden and knocks at the door, then withdraws when the Bride delays, and is praised in glowing detail as her friend.
- The daughters of Jerusalem (Friends) — The chorus who urge the lovers to feast, and who ask the Bride what makes her beloved so much better than another.
- The watchmen — The guards of the city who, finding the searching Bride, beat and bruise her and take her cloak as she seeks her beloved.
Key Verse
Song of Solomon 5:16 (WEB)
His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.
Lessons Learned
- Hesitation and self-concern can cause us to miss the moment of love.
- Love that has grown careless must seek again, sometimes at painful cost.
- Suffering and longing can deepen rather than diminish true love.
- Love praises the beloved as both lover and friend, altogether lovely.
- Delay can cost us the moment. “I rose up to open for my beloved… but my beloved left; and had gone away” (Song 5:5-6, WEB). Hesitation in love can mean a missed opportunity.
- Love seeks again through pain. “I looked for him, but I didn’t find him” (Song 5:6, WEB), and the watchmen wounded her. True love perseveres even when seeking hurts.
- Love speaks well of the beloved. Asked what makes him special, she praises him head to foot (Song 5:10-16, WEB). Love is glad to commend the beloved to others.
- The beloved is lover and friend. “This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song 5:16, WEB). Covenant love unites deep affection with true companionship.
- Why does the Bride hesitate to open the door, and what does her hesitation cost her?
- How does her painful search reflect the seriousness of her love?
- What does her detailed praise of the beloved reveal about how she sees him?
- Why is it significant that she calls him both her beloved and her friend (5:16)?
- Have you ever let hesitation or distraction cause you to miss something precious, and what did you learn?
- Already undressed and washed, she is reluctant to rise, and by the time she opens the door he is gone (5:2-6). Her hesitation, small and understandable, costs her the moment—a gentle warning against letting comfort or self-concern dull our response to love.
- She searches the city and is wounded by the watchmen yet keeps seeking, faint with love (5:6-8). Her willingness to suffer for the beloved shows that her love is no shallow feeling but a deep and persevering devotion.
- She praises him feature by feature, calling him altogether lovely (5:10-16). Her portrait shows a love that delights in the whole person and is eager to commend him to others, even in his absence.
- Naming him both beloved and friend joins passion with companionship. Help the group see that the richest covenant love is not only romantic but rooted in genuine friendship, trust, and shared life.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to reflect, gently and without shame, on a moment missed through hesitation or distraction, and what it taught them. As leader, point to the grace that lets us seek again when we have grown careless.