Song of Solomon 4 Comparison: Noyes Translation (1869) vs King James Version
Song of Solomon 4
1[Lov.] Behold, thou art fair, my love! behold, thou art fair! Thine eyes are doves behind thy veil; Thy locks are like a flock of goats Which lie down on mount Gilead;
2Thy teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep, Which come up from the washing-place, Of which every one beareth twins, And none is barren among them;
3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth comely; Thy cheeks are like a divided pomegranate behind thy veil;
4Thy neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, In which there hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men;
5Thy two breasts are like two young twin gazelles, That feed among the lilies.
6When the day breathes, and the shadows flee away, I will betake me to the mountain of myrrh And the hill of frankincense.
7Thou art all fair, my love; There is no spot in thee!
8Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, With me from Lebanon! Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of the lions, From the mountains of the leopards.
9Thou hast taken captive my heart, my sister, my spouse; Thou hast taken captive my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.
10How sweet is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much more precious thy caresses than wine, And the fragrance of thy perfumes than all spices!
11Thy lips, O my spouse! drop the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under thy tongue, And the fragrance of thy garments is as the fragrance of Lebanon.
12A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed;
13Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with choicest fruits, Henna and spikenard,
14Spikenard and saffron, Sweet cane and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices;
15A fountain of the gardens, A well of living water, A stream that floweth from Lebanon!
16[M.] Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out! May my beloved come to his garden, And eat his pleasant fruits.
Song of Solomon 4
1Behold, 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.
2Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
4Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
5Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
6Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
7Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
8Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.
9Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
10How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
11Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
12A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
13Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
14Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
15A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
Understanding Noyes Translation (1869) vs King James Version in Song of Solomon 4
Noyes Translation (1869) (Noyes)
A scholarly 1869 translation by George R. Noyes, aiming for precision and literary beauty. Known for its distinct Unitarian perspective and separate translation of poetical books like Psalms.
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Song of Solomon 4 in the Noyes Translation (1869) and King James Version. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Song of Solomon 4:16
"[M.] Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out! May my beloved come to his garden, And eat his pleasant fruits."
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."
