Song of Songs

Second Edition

Translated from the Hebrew and Aramaic Texts

Dr. Brian Simmons

5 Fold Media

Visit us at www.5foldmedia.com

Dedication

Dedicated to every passionate lover of Jesus.

May the Holy Spirit take you by the hand

and lead you out in pursuit of your Beloved!

Translator’s Introduction

Allow me to explain a few things about the Passion Translation. To translate God’s Word from Hebrew into another language is both a difficult and delightful task. The Passion Translation has been a project I’ve wanted to give myself to for many years. And recently, it seemed the Lord spoke deeply into my heart that He wanted me to make this project a reality. So I have begun with my favorite book in the Bible, the Song of Solomon, known as the Song of Songs.

I have fallen in love with this sweetest song of all the ages. Breathtaking and beautiful, we see the Shulamite journey unveiled in this anointed allegory. It is the path every passionate lover will choose. It becomes a journey that not only describes the divine parable penned by Solomon, but a journey that every longing lover of Jesus will find as his or her very own.

So why another translation? Many wonderful versions of our Bible now grace our bookshelves, bookstores, software programs, even applications on our phones. So why add one more? The reason is simple: God wants His message of love to be received in every culture, community, and language. So, what about the language of love? There is a language of the heart that must express the passion of this love-theology. That is the purpose of The Passion Translation.

By translating this most holy portion of the Word of God, the Song of Songs, I have attempted to translate not only from a scholarly or linguistic perspective but from the passion of a heart on fire. Love will always find a language to express itself. Fiery love for Jesus pushes our thoughts out of hiding and puts them into anointed words of adoration. This articulation, out of the deepest places of our hearts, moves God and inspires each of us to a greater devotion. Everyone deserves to hear and  feel the passion of our Bridegroom for His radiant and soon to be perfected bride.

The inspired Song of Songs is a work of art. It is a melody sung from the heart of Jesus Christ for His longing bride. It is full of symbols, subtle art forms, poetry, and nuances that the translator must convey in order to bring it forth adequately to the English reader. This is what I have attempted to do with this project. Some of the cultural symbols that conveyed rich texture of meaning to the Hebrew speaker nearly three thousand years ago have become almost impossible to leave in its literal form, since the English speaker of today has little or no connection to those symbols. This requires that much of the hidden meanings locked into the Hebrew text be made explicit. This is why I have chosen to make this a dynamic equivalent of transferring the meaning, not just the words, into a form that many will find refreshing.

Moreover, in reading this Shulamite journey, the story line is often missed or overlooked. I believe the Holy Spirit has hidden within the Song of Songs an amazing story—a story of how Jesus makes His bride beautiful and holy by casting out her fear with perfect love! This sent-from-heaven revelation is waiting to be received with all its intensity and power to unlock the deepest places of our hearts!

Unfortunately for some, the Song of Songs has become merely a book expressing sexuality with hidden meanings and symbols of sensuality. Many modern expositors will teach from the Song of Songs the sexual relationship appropriate to a husband and wife. They find it difficult when others see the symbols and apply them to the spiritual journey every believer must take as we move further into the passionate heart of our heavenly Bridegroom. Their fear is that we “over spiritualize” the Song of Songs. How hard this would be! How wonderfully spiritual and holy is this Song of all Songs!

Every symbol the reader encounters must be seen as a form of a “virtual reality” that can, when properly interpreted, help us in our pursuit of Jesus Christ until we are fully His. Truly, if this is the Song of all Songs, its theme goes beyond and reaches higher than mere human sexuality.

So be prepared to see yourself in this journey and to hear His lyrics of love sung over you. Invest the time to simply read this through in one sitting. Then go back through slowly and carefully as you ponder each verse and pray through each love principle revealed in this translation. I think you may be shocked to read some of the things spoken over your life, almost too good to be true! May heaven’s glorious Bridegroom, the Beloved of your soul, come and manifest Himself to you in a wonderful and breathtaking fashion as you read Song of Songs in The Passion Translation! My prayer is that you would be as thrilled with what you read as I have been in translating it!

This book marked the beginning of The Passion Translation project, with more books being completed each year. Each book will be faithful to the original language but also true in its expression of the hidden gems within the text. Thank you for your prayers for us and for your support of The Passion Translation project.

Overwhelmed by His love,

Brian Simmons

Table of Contents

Dedication

Translator’s Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

About the Translator

Chapter One

1The most amazing song of all, by King Solomon

[The Shulamite][1]

2Smother me with kisses—

His Spirit-kiss divine.[2]

So kind Your caresses,[3]

I drink them in

Like the sweetest wine!

3Your presence releases

A fragrance so pleasing—

Over and over poured out.

For Your lovely name is “Flowing Oil.”

No wonder the brides-to-be adore You.

4Draw me into Your heart and lead me out,[4]

We will run away together—

Into Your cloud-filled chamber![5]

[The Chorus of Friends]

We will remember Your love

As we laugh and rejoice in You,

Celebrating Your every kiss

As better-than-wine.

No wonder righteousness

Adores You!

[The Shulamite]

5Jerusalem maidens,

In this twilight darkness[6]

I know I am so unworthy—so in need!

[The Shepherd-King]

Yet you are so lovely!

[The Shulamite]

I feel as dark and dry as the desert tents

Of the wandering nomads![7]

[The Shepherd-King]

Yet you are so lovely—

Like the fine linen tapestry

Hanging in the Holy Place!

[The Shulamite to her friends]

6Please don’t stare in scorn

Because of my dark and sinful ways.[8]

I have faced the angry glare of my brothers

As they appointed me guardian

Of their ministry-vineyards

Yet the care of my  vineyard-within

I’ve neglected.

7Won’t You tell me, Lover of my soul

Where do You feed Your flock?

Where do You lead Your beloved ones[9]

To rest in the heat of the day?

For I wish to be wrapped all around you,[10]

As I go among the flocks of Your under-shepherds?

It is You I long for with no veil between us!

[The Shepherd-King]

8Listen, My radiant one—

If you ever lose sight of Me

Just follow in My footsteps

Where I lead My lovers.

Come with your burdens and cares.[11]

Come to the place near

The sanctuary of My shepherds—

There you will find Me.

9My dearest one,

Let Me tell you how I see you—

You are so thrilling to Me.

To gaze upon you is like looking

At one of Pharaoh’s finest horses—

A strong, regal steed

That pulls his royal chariot.

10Your tender cheeks are aglow—

Your earrings and gem-laden necklaces

Set them ablaze.

11We will enhance your beauty[12]

Encircling you

With Our golden reins of love

You will be marked

With Our redeeming grace.[13]

[The Shulamite]

1^2As the King surrounded me,

The sweet fragrance of my praise-perfume[14]

Awakened the night.

1^3A sachet of myrrh is My Lover,

Like a tied-up-bundle of myrrh[15]

Resting over my heart.

14Like a bouquet of Henna blossoms,

I will hold Him and never let Him part—

Henna plucked near the vines

At the fountain of the Lamb.[16]

[The Shepherd-King]

15Look at you, My dearest darling,

You are so lovely!

You are beauty itself to Me.

Your passionate eyes

Are like loyal, gentle doves.[17]

[The Shulamite]

16My Beloved One,

You are pleasing beyond words,

And so winsome!

Our resting place is anointed and flourishing

Like a green forest meadow bathed in light.

17Rafters of cedar branches are over our heads

And balconies of pleasant smelling pines.

A perfect home!

[1]. 1:2 The word for Shulamite and the word for Solomon are taken from the same Hebrew root word, one masculine, the other feminine. We are one spirit with our King, united with Him. You have become the Shulamite.

[2]. 1:2 This Spirit-kiss is what made Adam, the man of clay, into a living expression of God. Dust and Deity meet as the Maker kissed His Spirit wind into Adam. The Word of God is the kiss from the mouth of our Beloved, breathing upon us the revelation of His love.

[3]. 1:2 The Hebrew literally means “Your loves.” This speaks of His saving love, keeping love, forgiving love, and embracing love. The love of Jesus cannot be singular, it is so infinite it must be described in the plural.

[4]. 1:4 There is a wordplay in the Hebrew, similar to a pun. The word for “kisses” and the Hebrew word for “take a drink (wine),” is nearly the same. The implication, as seen by ancient expositors, is that God’s lovers will be drunk with love, the intoxicating kisses of His mouth.

[5]. 1:4 The Hebrew literally means “a chamber inside a chamber.” This points us to the Holy of Holies inside the Temple chamber.

[6]. 1:5 Or “black.” The Hebrew root word used here for “black” or “dark” means “twilight darkness” or “morning grey.”

[7]. 1:5 Literally, “dark as the tent curtains of Kedar.” There is a wordplay in the Hebrew, as the word Kedar means “a dark one,” or “a dark place.” This was the name of one of the sons of Ishmael and represents our old, Adam-life.

[8]. 1:6 The Hebrew literally means “Many morning suns have darkened me.”

[9]. 1:7 She sees her Beloved as a Shepherd. This is a metaphor of the role He takes in her eyes. We need not develop a literal story line of a lover and a shepherd, but you and your Beloved, who cannot be described by one symbol or role.

[10]. 1:7 Translated from the Septuagint.

[11]. 1:8 Or, “graze your goats.” This is a metaphor that speaks of her responsibilities and labors.

[12]. 1:11 This is the Trinity (“We”) which will be involved in making every Shulamite holy and radiant.

[13]. 1:11 The Hebrew literally means “inlaid with silver.” The concept of silver in the Bible always points to redemption, the price paid to set us free.

[14]. 1:12 Or “spikenard.”

[15]. 1:13 This bundle of tied up myrrh is an incredible picture of the cross. Myrrh, known as an embalming spice, is always associated with suffering. The suffering love of Jesus will now be over her heart for the rest of her days—the revelation of our Beloved tied as a bundle onto the cross.

[16]. 1:14 The Hebrew word for “henna” is a homonym that can mean “atonement” or “redeeming grace.”  Engedi can be translated, “the fountain of the Lamb.”

[17]. 1:15 The Hebrew literally means “your eyes are doves.” Some see this as a hypocorism, but the dove points us to the Holy Spirit. She is commended for seeing Him now with spiritual revelation as she perceives the glory of the cross with its “myrrh.”

Chapter Two

1I’m truly His rose,

The very theme of His song![1]

I’m His ever-fresh lily, thriving on His love,

Growing in the valley!

[The Shepherd-King]

2Yes, you are My darling companion.

You stand out from all the rest,

For though the curse of sin surrounds you[2]

You remain pure as a lily,[3]

More than all others.

[The Shulamite]

3My Beloved is to me

As the finest, fragrant apple tree—

He stands above the sons of men,[4]

Sitting under His grace-shadow,

I blossom in His shade.

Enjoying the sweet taste

Of His pleasant, delicious fruit.

Resting with delight where His glory never fades.

4Suddenly, He transported me

Into His house of wine—

I see His unfurled banner of victory

Covering me

With His unrelenting love Divine.

5Revive me with Your goblet of wine

Refresh me again with Your sweet promises!

Help me and hold me for I am love-sick![5]

I’m longing for more—

Yet how could I take more?[6]

6His left hand cradles my head

While His right hand holds me close.

I’m at rest in this love!

[The Shepherd-King]

7Promise Me, brides-to-be,

By the gentle gazelles

And delicate deer,[7]

That you’ll not disturb My love

Until she is ready to arise.

[The Shulamite]

8Listen! I hear my Lover’s voice!

I know it’s Him coming to me—

Leaping with joy over mountains.

Skipping in love

Over the hills that separate us.[8]

To come to me.

9Let me describe Him:

He is graceful as a gazelle—

Swift as a wild stag

Now He comes closer,

Even to the places where I hide.

Now He gazes into my soul,

Peering through the portal

As He blossoms within my heart.

10The Man that I love calls to me:

[The Bridegroom-King]

Arise, My dearest!

Hurry, My darling,

Come along with Me!

I have come as you have asked

To draw you to my heart and lead you out!

For now is the time My beautiful one.

11The season has now changed,

The bondage of your

Barren winter has ended

And the season of hiding is over and gone.

The rains have soaked the earth,[9]

1^2And left it bright

With blossoming flowers.

The season for pruning the vines

Has arrived.[10]

I hear the cooing of doves in our land[11]

Filling the air with songs

To awaken you and guide you forth.

1^3Can you not discern

This new day of destiny

Breaking forth around you?

The early signs of My purposes and plans

Are bursting forth.[12]

The budding vines of new life

Are now blooming everywhere;

The fragrance of their flowers whispers:

“There is change in the air.”

Arise My love, My beautiful companion

And run with Me to the higher place.

For now is the time to arise

And come away with Me!

14For you are My dove,

Hidden in the split open Rock.[13]

It was I who took you

And hid you up high

In the secret stairway of the sky.

Let Me see your radiant face

And hear your sweet voice.[14]

How beautiful your eyes of worship,

And I love the sound

Of your voice in prayer.

15You must catch the troubling foxes,

Those sly little foxes

Which hinder our relationship.[15]

For they raid

Our budding vineyard of love

To ruin what I’ve planted within you.

Will you catch them

And remove them for Me?

We will do it together.

[The Shulamite]

16I know my Lover is mine

And I have everything in You

For we delight ourselves in each other.[16]

17But, until the day springs to life

And the shifting shadows of fear disappear,

Turn around, my Lover, and ascend

To the holy mountains of separation

Without me.[17]

Until the new day fully dawns,

Run on ahead like the graceful gazelle

And skip like the young stag

Over the mountains of separation.

Go on ahead to the mountain of spices—

I’ll come away another time.[18]

[1]. 1:1 The Hebrew text says, “a rose of Sharon.” The word Sharon can be translated ‘his song.’ She now sees herself as the one He sings over!

[2]. 1:2 This is literally a thorn bush, which speaks of the curse of sin. See Genesis 3:18, John 19:5, and Galatians 3:13. On the cross, Jesus wore a crown of thorns for He took away the curse of sin.

[3]. 1:2 The emblem of a lily was engraved on the upper part of the pillars of Solomon’s Temple. Lilies are symbols of purity in the “temple” of our inner being.

[4]. 1:3 Or, “trees of the forest. Trees in the Bible are often metaphors for humanity.

[5]. 2:5 Or, “wounded by love.”

[6]. 2:5 Implied in the context.

[7]. 2:7 In the poetic imagery of the Song of Songs, deer and gazelle become symbols of the joys of love.

[8]. 2:8 Implied in the context of 2:17.

[9]. 2:11 The rains speak of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She is refreshed and prepared to move out with Him.

[10]. 2:12 Or, “the season of singing.” The Hebrew words for “singing” and “pruning” are virtually identical.

[11]. 2:12 This is the turtle-dove which is heard only at the time of harvest. The turtle-dove is also an acceptable sacrifice of cleansing in the place of a lamb. The words, our land, shows the joint-possession of all things that we enjoy through our union with Christ.

[12]. 2:13 This is literally “the fig tree has sweetened and puts forth its early figs.” In the language of allegory, the fig tree becomes a picture of destiny and purpose. The sign of a fig tree blooming is the sign of an early spring, a new season.

[13]. 2:14 This speaks of the wounded side of Jesus, our Rock where we hide and rest.

[14]. 2:14 The Hebrew literally means “your voice is delicious.”

[15]. 2:15 These “foxes” are the compromises that have hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of His Spirit from growing within us.

[16]. 2:16 The Hebrew includes the phrase, “He browses among the lilies.” The Hebrew word for browse can also mean “to take delight in.”

[17]. 2:17 This literally means “mountains of Bether,” the Hebrew word for separation or gap. This could be the realm of holiness, being separated to God. Some scholars say Bether was a spiritual representation of a mountain of fragrant spices—i.e., the realm of holiness.

[18]. 2:17 Implied in the text.

Chapter Three

1Night after night I’m tossing and turning

On my bed of travail.

Why did I let Him go from me?

How my heart now aches for Him

But He is nowhere to be found!

2So I must rise in search of Him,

Looking throughout the city,[1]

Seeking until I find Him.

Even if I have to roam through every street,

Nothing will keep me from my search.

Where is He—my soul’s true love?

Nowhere to be found!

3Then I encountered the overseers

As they circled the city.

So I asked them:

“Have you found Him—

My heart’s true Love?”

4Just as I moved past them

I encountered Him,

I found the One I adore!

I caught Him and fastened myself to Him,

Refusing to be feeble in my heart again.

Now I’ll bring Him back to the temple within

Where I was given new birth—

Into my innermost parts,

The place of my conceiving.

[The Bridegroom-King]

5Promise Me, O Jerusalem maidens,

By the gentle gazelles and delicate deer,

That you’ll not disturb My love

Until she is ready to arise.

[The Voice of the Lord]

6Who is this One

Ascending from the wilderness

In the pillar of the glory cloud?

He is fragrant with the anointing oils

Of myrrh and frankincense—[2]

More fragrant than all the spices of the merchant.

7Look! It is the King’s marriage-carriage!

The love-seat surrounded by sixty champions—

The mightiest of Israel’s host

Like pillars of protection.

8They are angelic warriors standing ready

With swords to defend the King and His fiancé

From every terror of the night

9The King made this mercy seat for Himself

Out of the finest wood that will not decay.

10Pillars of smoke, like silver mist—

A canopy of golden glory dwells above it.

The place where they sit together

Is sprinkled with crimson.

Love and mercy cover this carriage,

Blanketing His tabernacle-throne.

The King Himself has made it

For those who will become His bride!

11Rise up Zion maidens, brides-to-be!

Come and feast your eyes on this King

As He passes in procession

On His way to His wedding!

This is the day filled

With overwhelming joy—

The day of His great gladness!

[1]. 3:2 The city is a picture of the local church, a place with government, order, and overseers. She goes from church to church looking for the One she loves.

[2]. 3:6 These spices are found in the Bible as ingredients of the sacred anointing oil. Myrrh points to the sufferings and death of Christ while frankincense reveals the fragrance of His perfect life and ministry.

Chapter Four

[The Bridegroom-King]

1Listen, My dearest darling,

You are so beautiful—

You are beauty itself to Me!

Your eyes glisten with love,

Like gentle doves behind your veil.

What devotion I see

Each time I gaze upon you.

You appear to Me

Like a sacrifice ready to be offered.[1]

2When I look at you I see

How you have taken My fruit

And tasted My Word.

Your life has become clean and pure,

Like sheep washed and newly shorn.

You now show grace and balance

With truth on display.

3Your lips are lovely

As Rahab’s scarlet ribbon,[2]

Speaking mercy, speaking grace!

The words of your mouth

Are refreshing as an oasis.

What pleasure you bring to Me!

I see your blushing cheeks

Opened like the halves of a pomegranate[3]

Showing through your veil

Of tender meekness.

How passionate your personality!

4When I look at you

I see your inner strength,

So stately and strong.

You are as secure as David’s fortress.

Your virtues and grace

Cause a thousand famous soldiers

To surrender to your beauty.

5Your pure faith and love

Rest over your heart

As you nurture those

Who are yet infants!

[The Shulamite]

6I’ve made up my mind.

Until the darkness disappears

And the dawn has fully come,

In spite of shadows and fears—

I will go to the mountain top with You.

I will climb with You

The mountain of suffering love[4]

And the hill of burning incense.

Yes, I will be Your bride.

[The Bridegroom King]

7Every part of you

Is so beautiful, My darling!

Perfect your beauty,

Without flaw within!

8Now you are ready, bride of the mountains,

To come with Me as we climb

The highest peaks together.

Come with Me through the archway of trust,[5]

We will look down

From the crest of the glistening mounts

And from the summit

Of our sublime sanctuary.

Together we will wage war

In the lion’s den and the leopard’s lair

As they watch nightly for their prey.

9For you reach into My heart.

With one flash of your eyes

I am undone by your love,

My beloved one, My equal, My bride.

You leave me breathless—

I am overcome

By merely a glance

From your worshipping eyes

And you have stolen My heart.

I’m held hostage by your love

And by the graces of

Righteousness upon you![6]

10How satisfying to Me,

My equal, My bride.

Your love is My finest wine,

Intoxicating and thrilling—

And your sweet praise-perfume

So exotic, so pleasing.

11Your loving words

Are like honey to Me,

Drenched with worship.

Your tongue releases milk and honey,

For I find the Promised Land

Flowing within you.

The fragrance of your worshipping love

Surrounds you with

Scented robes of white.

1^2My darling bride,

My private paradise

Fastened to My heart.

A secret spring are you

That no one else can have—

My bubbling fountain

Hidden from public view.

What a perfect partner to Me,

Now that I have you!

1^3-14Your inward life is now sprouting,

Bringing forth fruit.

What a beautiful paradise

Unfolds within you!

When I’m near you

I smell aromas of the finest spice

I find many clusters

Of My exquisite fruit growing within

Your inner garden—

Here are nine:

Pomegranates of passion,[7]

Henna from heaven,[8]

Spikenard so sweet,[9]

Saffron shining,[10]

Fragrant calamus from the cross,[11]

Sacred cinnamon,[12]

Branches of scented woods,[13]

Myrrh, like tears from a tree,[14]

And aloes as eagles ascending.[15]

15Your life flows into Mine

Pure as a garden spring—

A well of living water

Springs up from within you.

You are like a mountain brook

Flowing into My heart!

[The Shulamite Bride]

4:16-5:1Then may Your awakening breath

Blow upon my life until I am fully Yours.

Breathe upon me with Your Spirit-winds.

Stir up the sweet spice of Your life within me.

Spare nothing as You make me

Your fruit-filled garden,

Hold nothing back

Until I release Your fragrance.

Come walk with me as You walked

With Adam in Your paradise-garden.[16]

Come taste the very fruits of Your life in me.

[The Bridegroom King]

I have come to you,

My bride, My darling

For you are My paradise-garden!

[The Shulamite Bride]

Come walk into me

Until I am fully Yours

Come taste the fruits

Of Your life in me.

[1]. 4:1 The Hebrew literally means “your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.” There is great symbolism in this verse. Hair is a symbol of our devotion to Christ. Mount Gilead is where the sacrificial animals were kept in preparation of Temple sacrifice, and a goat coming down Mount Gilead was a sacrifice ready to be offered.

[2]. 4:3 This “scarlet ribbon” in the text is an obvious comparison to the scarlet ribbon Rahab placed at her dwelling to show the place where mercy would spare her life. The color scarlet points us to the blood of mercy, Christ’s sacrifice that has spared us. See Joshua 2.

[3]. 4:3 Pomegranates were engraved on the top of the pillars of Solomon’s Temple and were also sewn into the hem of the robe of the High Priest. They speak of our opened hearts of love, filled with passion for Him.

[4]. 4:6 Literally, “the Mountain of myrrh”–the emblem of suffering love. To become the bride, she must experience Calvary, as did her Lord. We must be His co-crucified partner that will embrace the fellowship of His sufferings. See Galatians 2:20, Philippians 3:10.

[5]. 4:8 Translated from the Septuagint.

[6]. 4:9 Literally, “the ornaments of your neck.”

[7]. 4:13-14 Pomegranate is taken from a word that means “exalted”—the temple pillars were adorned with pomegranates.

[8]. 4:13-14 Henna comes from a root word for “ransom price” or redemption. The fruit of mercy is seen in His maturing bride.

[9]. 4:13-14 The Hebrew root word for spikenard is “light.” She is walking in the light as He is in the Light.

[10]. 4:13-14 Saffron is the crocus, the lover’s perfume, costly and fragrant.

[11]. 4:13-14 Calamus is taken from a marsh plant known as “sweet flag,” that produces fragrant oil. The Hebrew word for this spice means “purchased” or “redeemed.”

[12]. 4:13-14 Cinnamon emits a fragrance that is representative of an odor of holiness to the Lord. This was used in the sacred anointing oil of the priests and tabernacle.

[13]. 4:13-14 This is the incense that would be burned on the golden altar in the Holy Place.

[14]. 4:13-14 Known as “tears from a tree,” myrrh was a resin-spice formed by cutting a tree. It is an obvious picture of the suffering love of Christ dripping down from Calvary’s tree.

[15]. 4:13-14 Aloes are considered by many as the healing balm. The presence of the Lord within her is now released as healing balm to those she touches. Jesus’ robes smelled of aloes (Psalm 45:8). One of the names used by some for aloes is the “Eagle Wood.” Like eagles, we fly above our wounds, free from the past as we walk in intimacy with Him.

[16]. 4:16-5:1 The scene of a garden and the breath of God point us back to the Paradise of Eden. Now this paradise is found in His bride. This is the reason why the reference of Adam is given, to help the reader connect with the mystery of this scene.

Chapter Five

[The Bridegroom King]

I have gathered from your heart,

My equal, My bride,

I have gathered from My garden

All My sacred spices—even My myrrh!

I have tasted and enjoyed

My wine within you.

I have tasted with pleasure

My pure milk, My honeycomb

Which you yield to Me.

I delight in gathering My sacred spice,

All the fruits of My life

I have gathered from within you,

My paradise-garden!

Come all My friends—

Feast upon My bride!

All you revelers of My palace—

Now feast on her, My lovers!

Drink and drink, and drink again

Until you can take no more—

Drink the wine of her love.

Take all you desire, you priests!

My life within her

Will now become your feast![1]

[The Shulamite Bride]

2After this I let my devotion slumber,

But my heart for Him stayed awake.

I had a dream.

I dreamed of my Beloved—

He was coming to me in the darkness of night.

The melody of the Man I love awakened me.

I heard His knock at my heart’s door

As He pleaded with me:

[The Bridegroom King]

“Arise My love,

Open your heart My darling—

Deeper still to Me!

Will you receive Me this dark night?

There is no one else but you,

My friend, My equal.

I need you this night

To arise and be with Me.

You are My pure and loyal dove,

A perfect partner for Me.

My flawless one, will you arise?

For My heaviness and tears

Are more than I can bear.

I have spent Myself for you

Throughout the dark night.”[2]

[The Sleeping Bride]

3“I have already laid aside

My own garments for You.

How could I take them up again

Since I’ve yielded my righteousness to Yours?[3]

You have cleansed my life and taken me so far,

Isn’t that enough?”

4My Beloved reached into me

To unlock my heart—

The core of my very being

Trembled at His touch.

How my soul melted when He spoke to me!

5My spirit arose to open

For more of His touch,

As I surrendered to Him

I began to sense His fragrance;

The fragrance of His suffering love!

It was the scent of myrrh

Flowing all through me!

6I opened my soul to my Beloved,

But so suddenly He was gone!

And my heart was torn out

In longing for Him!

I sought His closeness, His fragrance—

But could not find Him anywhere.

I called out for Him—

Yet He did not answer me.

I will arise and search for Him

Until I find Him!

7As I walked throughout the city

In search of Him

The overseers happened to find me

As they made their rounds.

They beat me and bruised me

Until I could take no more.

In my wounding they removed

Their “covering” from me,

8Nevertheless, make me this promise,

You brides-to-be,

If you find my Beloved One

Please tell Him

I endured all travails for love of Him.

I’ve been pierced through by love,[4]

And I will not be turned aside!

[Jerusalem maidens, brides-to-be]

9What love is this?

How could you continue to care

So deeply for Him?

Isn’t there another that could

Steal away your heart?

We see now your beauty,

More beautiful than all the others.

What makes your Beloved

Better than another?

What is it about Him

That makes you ask

That we promise you so?

[The Shulamite Bride]

10He alone is my Beloved.

He shines in dazzling splendor,

Yet still so approachable.

Without equal as He stands above all others—

Waving His banner to myriads!

11The way He leads me is divine.

His leadership—so pure and dignified

As He wears His crown of gold.

Upon this crown are letters of black

Written on a background of glory.[5]

1^2He sees everything with pure understanding.

How beautiful His insights—without distortion.

His eyes rest upon the fullness

Of the river of revelation

Flowing so clean and pure!

1^3Looking at His gentle face

I see such fullness of emotion.

Like a lovely garden where fragrant spices grow—[6]

What a Man!

No one speaks words so anointed as this One—[7]

Words that both pierce and heal,

Words like lilies dripping with myrrh.

14See how His hands hold unlimited power!

But He never uses it in anger,

For He is always holy, displaying His glory.

His innermost place is a work of art—

So beautiful and bright.

How magnificent and noble is this One—

Covered in majesty!

15He’s steadfast in all He does,

Never veering.

His ways are the ways

Of righteousness,

Based on truth and holiness.

None can rival Him,

But all will be amazed by Him!

16Most sweet are His kisses,

Even His whispers of love.

He is delightful in every way

And perfect from every viewpoint.

If you ask me why I love Him so,

O brides-to-be,

It is because there is none like Him to me.

Everything about Him

Fills me with holy desire!

And now He is my Beloved—

My forever Friend!

[1]. 4:16-5:1 The beautiful bride overflowing with His life is now to be given away to others, even as Jesus was given away to us by the Father. She has become a feast for the nations, wine to cheer the hearts of others.

[2]. 5:2 The Hebrew text literally means “My head is filled with dew and My hair with the drops of the night.” This is clearly a picture of Jesus as the Gethsemane Man, the One who prayed all night for us (John 17). The translation takes the liberty of taking the implicit and making it explicit in order to express the dynamic equivalent and aid the reader in understanding the scene.

[3]. 5:3 Garments in the Bible are frequently used as a picture of righteousness. Filthy garments are a symbol of unrighteousness or self-righteousness. Clean and white garments are a picture of the righteousness of Christ. Laying aside “her garments” is a symbolic picture of what happens once we come to know Jesus as Savior—we lay aside our self-righteousness and take up His garments.

[4]. 5:8 As translated from the Septuagint.

[5]. 5:11 Many Jewish interpreters have seen the phrase, “His locks are black as a raven” as pointing us to the letters of the Law written in heaven. Jewish rabbis teach that the precepts of the Word of God (Torah) are written in the heavenly realm, with black letters on top of white flames of glory fire. (Hebrew letters can appear as the locks of hair.)

[6]. 5:13 The Hebrew literally means “like a tower of fragrance.” These beds of spices would picture a garden of emotion and sweetness coming forth from her Beloved.

[7]. 5: 13 See Psalm 45:2, a Psalm with an inscription stating it was written to the “tune of lilies.”

Chapter Six

[Brides-to-be]

1O rarest of beauty,

Where then has your Lover gone?

We long to see Him too!

Where may we find Him?

As you seek after Him

We will follow you.

[The Shulamite Bride]

2My Lover has gone down

Into His garden of delight,

The place where His spices grow

To feast with those pure in heart.

I know we shall find Him there.

3He is within me—I am His garden of delight.

I have Him fully and now He fully has me!

[The Bridegroom-King]

4O My beloved, you are striking—

Lovely even in your weakness!

When I see you in your beauty

I see a radiant city,

Where we will dwell as one.[1]

More pleasing than any pleasure,

More delightful than any delight.

You have ravished My heart,

Stealing away My strength to resist you,

Even hosts of angels stand in awe of you![2]

5Turn your eyes from Me,

I can’t take it anymore!

I can’t resist the passion

Of the eyes that I adore.

Overpowered by a glance,

My ravished heart—undone,

Held captive by your love

I’m truly overcome![3]

For your undying devotion to Me

Is the most yielded sacrifice.[4]

6The shining of your spirit[5]

Shows how you have taken My truth

And become balanced and complete!

7Your beautiful blushing cheeks

Reveal how real your passion is for Me,

Even hidden behind a veil of humility.

8I could have chosen any from among

The vast multitude of the royal ones

Who follow Me.[6]

9But one is My beloved dove—

Unrivaled in your beauty,

Without equal, beyond compare,

The perfect one, the only one for Me.

Others see your beauty and sing of your joy,

Brides and queens chant her praise:

“How blessed is she!”

10Look at you now—

Arising as the dayspring of the dawn,

Fair as the shining moon.

Bright and brilliant

As the sun in all its strength.

Astonishing to behold

As a majestic army

Waving banners of victory!

[The Shulamite Bride]

11I decided to go down to the valley streams

Where the orchards of the King grow and mature.

I longed to know if hearts were opening

Are the budding vines blooming with new growth—

Has their springtime

Of passionate love yet arrived?

1^2Suddenly my longings transported me!

My divine desire brought me

Next to My Beloved Prince,

Sitting with Him in His royal chariot.

We were lifted up together![7]

[Zion maidens, Brides-to-be]

13Come back! Return to us, O maiden of His majesty,

Dance for us as we gaze upon your beauty!

[The Shulamite Bride]

Why would you seek a mere Shulamite like me?

Why would you want to see my dance of love?

[The Bridegroom-King]

Because you dance so gracefully

As though you danced with angels![8]

[1]. 6:4 The text includes a reference to Jerusalem. For the Jew, it is the city where God and man lived together. For the believer, it points us to the New Jerusalem, where God and man dwell in holy union.

[2]. 6:4 This is how various Hebrew scholars have interpreted the phrase: “you have captured my heart,” or “awe inspiring as an army with banners.”

[3]. 6:5 The Hebrew word for “overcome” is the word, Rahab. Like the harlot Rahab who was chosen, favored, saved from Jericho’s destruction, and included into the genealogy of Jesus, so you have “rahab-ed” His heart. No one would have thought that Rahab would be the one to be honored, and many have said that about you. You have overcome many things, but to overcome Him is love’s delight.

[4]. 6:5 Literally, “Your hair is like a wave of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.” We see the hair as a picture of our devotion to Christ. See also Song of Songs 4:1.

[5]. 6:6 The word used in most translations is teeth, which is taken from a Hebrew root word which some believe means  “white” or “shining.” With our teeth we chew the Word of God and process its truth.

[6]. 6:8 The Hebrew literally means “sixty queens, eighty brides, and endless numbers of women.”

[7]. 6:12 Considered to be the most difficult verse to translate in the Song of Songs, the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

[8]. 6:13 This is literally the “dance of Mahanaim” or “the dance of two armies.” When Jacob (Israel) returned to the Promised Land, he entered at Mahanaim, the place where two camps of angels gathered. See Genesis 32:1-2.

Chapter Seven

1How beautiful on the mountains

Are the sandaled feet of this one

Bringing such good news.

You are truly royalty!

How you walk so gracefully in My ways

Displays such dignity.

You are truly the poetry of God—

His very handiwork!

2-3Out of your innermost being

Is flowing the fullness of My Spirit—

Never failing to satisfy.

Within your womb there is

A birthing of harvest-wheat;

They are the sons and daughters

Who will be nurtured

By the purity you impart.

How gracious you have become!

4Your life now stands tall as a tower;

Like a shining light on a hill.

Your revelation-eyes are pure,

As pools of refreshing;

Sparkling light for a multitude!

Such great discernment now surrounds you,

Protecting you from the enemy’s advance.

5Redeeming love crowns you as royalty.

Your thoughts are full of

Life, wisdom, and virtue.

Even a King is held captive by your beauty!

6How delicious your fair beauty

It cannot be described

As I count the delights you bring to Me—

Love has become the greatest!

7You stand in victory above the rest,

Stately and secure

As you share with Me

Your vineyard of love.

8Now I decree,

I will ascend and arise.

I will take hold of you with My power,

Possessing every part of My fruitful bride.

Your love I will drink as wine,

And your words will be Mine.

9For your kisses of love

Are exhilarating

More than any delight

I have known before.

Your kisses of love awaken

Even the lips of sleeping ones

To kiss Me as you have done.

[The Shulamite Bride]

10Now I know that I am filled with my Beloved

And all His desires are fulfilled in me!

11Come away, my Lover,

Come with me to the far away fields.

We will run away together

To the forgotten places

And show them redeeming love.

1^2Let us arise and run

To the vineyards of Your people

To see if the budding vines of love

Are now in full bloom!

We will see

If their passion is awakened.[1]

There I will display my love for You!

1^3The love-apples are in bloom,

Sending forth their fragrance of spring.

The rarest of fruits are found at our doors

The new as well as the old

I have stored them for You

My Lover-Friend!

[1]. 7:12 Pomegranates are equated to human passion and emotions. When opened, they are a blushing fruit and speak powerfully of our hearts of passion opened to our Lover.

Chapter Eight

1If only I could show everyone

This passionate desire I have for You.

If only I could express it fully

No matter who was watching me,

Without shame or embarrassment.

2I long to bring you

To my innermost chamber—

This holy sanctuary

You have formed within me.

O, that I might carry You

Completely within me.

I would give You there

The spiced wine of my love

This full cup of bliss which we share.

We would drink our fill until…

3His left hand cradles my head

While His right hand holds me close.

We are at rest in this love!

4Promise me, brides-to-be,

By the gentle gazelles and delicate deer,

That you’ll not disturb my love

Until He is ready to arise.

[The Bridegroom-King]

5Who is this one? Look at her now!

She arises from her desert of difficulty

Clinging to her Beloved.

When I awakened you

Under the apple tree;

As you were feasting upon Me

I awakened your innermost being

With the travail of birth

As you longed for more of Me.

6Fasten Me upon your heart

As a seal of fire forevermore.

This living, consuming flame

Will seal you as My prisoner of love![1]

My love will be stronger than

The chains of death and the grave,

Consuming as the very flashes of fire

From the burning heart of God.

Place this fierce, unrelenting fire

Over all your being!

7Rivers of persecution and pain

Will never extinguish this flame.

Endless floods will be unable

To quench this raging fire

Burning within you.

Everything will be consumed,

It will stop at nothing

As you yield everything

To this furious fire—

Until it won’t even seem to you

Like a sacrifice anymore!

[The Shulamite Bride]

8-10My brothers said to me when I was young:

“Our sister is so immature

What will we do to guard her

For her wedding day?”

[The Bridegroom-King]

“We will build a tower of redemption

To protect her.

Since she is vulnerable

We will enclose her

With a wall of cedar boards.”

[The Shulamite Bride]

But now I have grown and become a bride

And my love for Him has made me

A tower of passion and

Contentment for my Beloved

I am now a firm wall of protection for others

Guarding them from harm.

This is how He sees me—

I am the one who brings Him bliss,

Finding favor in His eyes!

11My Bridegroom-King has a vineyard of love

Made from a multitude of followers.[2]

His caretakers of this vineyard

Have given my Beloved their best.

1^2But as for my own vineyard of love

I give it all to You forever.

And I will give double honor

To those who serve my Beloved

And have watched over my soul.

1^3My Beloved,

One with me in my garden,

How marvelous

That my friends, the brides-to-be,

Now hear Your voice and song.

Let me now hear it again!

[The Bridegroom and Bride in Divine Duet]

14Arise, My darling!

Come quickly my Beloved.

Come and be the graceful gazelle with Me

Come be like a dancing deer with me.

We will dance in the high place of the sky

Yes, on the mountains of fragrant spice!

Forever we shall be

United as One!

[1]. 8:6 The ancient Hebrew word for seal can also be translated “prison cell.” He longs for His bride to be His love-prisoner, in the prison cell of His eternal love.

[2]. 8:11 The Hebrew text literally means “Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon.” The king’s vineyard is a picture of the church, the called out multitude of those who follow Jesus. Baal-Hamon can be translated “lord of a multitude,” “lord of an uproar,” or “lord of wealth.”

About the Translator

Dr. Brian Simmons is known as a passionate lover of God. After a dramatic conversion to Christ, Brian knew that God was calling him to go to the unreached people of the world and present the gospel of God’s grace to all who would listen. He and his wife, Candice, and their three children spent nearly eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Brian was involved in the Paya-Kuna New Testament translation project. He studied linguistics and Bible translation principles with New Tribes Mission. After their ministry in the jungle, Brian was instrumental in planting a thriving church in New England (U.S.), and now travels full time as a conference speaker and Bible teacher. He has been happily married to Candice for over forty-one years and is known to boast regularly of his children and grandchildren. Brian and Candice may be contacted at: brian@passiontranslation.com

For more information about the translation project and the Journey of the Bride (A Commentary on the Song of Songs) or any of Brian’s books please visit www.stairwayministries.org or www.passiontranslation.com.

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“To Establish and Reveal”

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Song of Songs

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Brian Simmons. All rights reserved.

First edition, The Most Amazing Song of All, published 2011.

Second edition, Song of Songs, published 2013.

Printed in the United States of America.

Published by 5 Fold Media, LLC

www.5foldmedia.com

The text of Song of Songs, The Passion Translation™, may be quoted  up to and including fifteen (15) verses without written permission from the publisher.

When Song of Songs, The Passion Translation™, is quoted, one of the following credit lines must appear on the copyright page of the work:

Scripture quotations marked TPT are taken from Song of Songs, The Passion Translation™, copyright © 2013. Used by permission of 5 Fold Media, LLC, Syracuse, NY 13039, United States of America. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from Song of Songs, The Passion Translation™, copyright © 2013. Used by permission of 5 Fold Media, LLC, Syracuse, NY 13039, United States of America. All rights reserved.

When Scripture quotations from TPT are used in nonsalable media, such as newsletters, transparencies, church bulletins, orders of service or similar media, it is not necessary to post a complete copyright notice, but the initials TPT must appear at the end of each quotation.

Quotations in excess of fifteen (15) verses, or other permission requests must be approved in writing by 5 Fold Media, LLC. Send requests via email to permission@5foldmedia.com.

Author’s written work has been translated directly from the original Hebrew text.

ISBN: 978-1-936578-59-7 (print)  978-1-936578-64-1 (digital)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013934804

Table of Contents

Dedication

Translator’s Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

About the Translator