Song of Solomon 2:6
in Song of Solomon 2His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.
KJV
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
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This verse in Song of Solomon 2
Commentary
19 notes on this verseBut turn yourself quickly toward the life-giving Spirit and, while avoiding physical terms, look keenly at what is the "left hand" of the Word of God and what is the "right hand" and also what is the "head" of his bride, namely of the perfect soul or of the church, and let not the carnal and changeable sense of the word take hold of you.For this here is the "right hand" and "left hand" of the groom, that is said concerning Wisdom in Proverbs, where she says, "Long life is in her right hand, but in her left hand are riches and glory."
This site's exposition
Sustain me with raisins
on Song of Solomon 2:5-6
"Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love" asks for fruits of orchard and vineyard to steady a longing. "His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me" pictures an embrace, and the same line returns at 8:3.
This site's exposition
his right arm embraces me
The embrace answers her plea in verse 5. Origen read the two hands through Proverbs, where Wisdom holds long life in her right hand and riches and glory in her left. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown cite Theodoret, who took the left hand as judgment and the right as love.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
As for the right hand of the Father, it isn't meant in the manner of the structure of the human body, as though he is on the Son's left, if the Son in terms of bodily positions and relationships is placed on his right. But the right hand of God means the inexpressible peak of honor and good fortune, as we read it said about wisdom: "His left hand under my head, and his right hand embraces me." If earthly convenience has been lying underneath, then eternal felicity is embracing from above.
"His left hand under my head, and his right hand will embrace me." Let us be careful once more, however, not to get involved in corporeal ideas on hearing "left hand" and "right hand." Solomon, in fact, speaks of wisdom, which is a habit and …
And of this right and left hand Solomon speaks as follows in the Song of Songs, in the person of the bride: "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me." And while this passage shows that both are useful, yet it puts one under the head, because misfortunes ought to be subject to the control of the heart, since they are only useful for this; viz., to train us for a time and discipline us for our salvation and make us perfect in the matter of patience. But the right hand she hopes will ever cling to her to cherish her and hold her fast in the blessed embrace of the Bridegroom, and unite her to him indissolubly. We shall then be ambidextrous, when neither abundance nor want affects us, and when the former does not entice us to the luxury of a dangerous carelessness, while the latter does not draw us to despair, and complaining; but when, giving thanks to God in either case alike, we gain one and the same advantage out of good and bad fortune.
These two hands are the two covenants of the old law and the gospel. When it refers to his left hand, it indicates the old covenant, but the right hand is the preaching of the gospel. The old covenant is inferior because it is placed …
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaFRAGMENTS IN THE COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2:6 · Written before 444.
proposed
The law is said to be in his left hand, the gospel in his right. Or, the left hand is to be understood as the present life and the right hand as the future life, which will indeed embrace me after it is said to those on the right: "Come, blessed of my Father." We also read elsewhere: "A long life is in wisdom's right hand and riches and glory in its left hand." Thus, his right hand is the knowledge of divine realities, from which comes eternal life, but his left hand is the knowledge of human realities, from which come riches and glory. He is saying, therefore, My mind exceeds human realities and divine knowledge covers me. For, it is said again: "Honor her that she will embrace you." … Rightly, then, is it said that the right hand embraces and the left hand offers support to the head, for the goods of the present life, however much they are thought to be visible, must be subject to the head of the perfect soul and used only out of necessity, as though they were a pillow for the head. But the goods of the future age, because they exceed human nature, being divine, signify the supernatural through this embrace. Perhaps also, since the hands are symbols of acts, the left hand indicates corporeal deeds, whereas the right hand signifies spiritual work. Because the right hand is more powerful, then, it embraces corporeal necessities.
11 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church7 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 22 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
When a worthy admission has come about together with a holy perception, then the soul is rapt in God, that is, in the beloved. Hence, in the Canticle: "His left hand is under my head and His right arm embraces me."
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 51 · Written before 1153.
proposed
5. There follows: "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me." And moreover this too I recall having discussed more abundantly in the aforesaid little work; but let us mark the order of the discourse. It is clear that …
But we must note what it means that the angel is seen sitting on the right side. For what is designated by the left except the present life, and what by the right except eternal life? Hence it is written in the Song of Songs: "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me." Since therefore our Redeemer had already passed beyond the corruption of the present life, rightly the angel who had come to announce his eternal life was sitting on the right.
Surely the left hand of the bridegroom is placed under the head of the bride because the Lord raises up the minds of the faithful with temporal benefits, separating them from earthly pleasures and longings so that they may desire and hope for eternal blessings. …
His left hand under my head, etc. In the left hand of Christ, temporal gifts are signified, and in the right hand, the happiness of eternal life. Therefore it is written elsewhere of him, who is the power and wisdom of God, "Length of days …
He who has joined you to his company will not sadden you. With his left hand, in which is honor and glory, under your head, with his right arm, in which is length of life, he will embrace you.
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
By the left hand of the bridegroom the present life is signified, and by the right hand the eternal life. By the head of the bride, moreover, the mind that rules over the soul is understood. But the left hand of the bridegroom is said …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Though he seemed to have withdrawn, yet he was even then a very present help, 1. To sustain the love-sick soul, and to keep it from fainting away: " His left hand is under my head, to bear it up, nay, as a pillow to lay it easy." David experienced God's hand upholding him then when his soul was following hard after God ( Ps. lxiii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
They really go together, though sometimes they seem divided; here both are felt at once. THEODORET takes the left hand, equivalent to judgment and wrath; the right, equivalent to honor and love. The hand of justice no longer is lifted to smite, but is under the head of the believer to support (Isa 42:21); the hand of Jesus Christ pierced by justice for our sin supports us.
The words behind it
5 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ | semolo | left [hand] his | H8040 → | |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | [is] under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| לְרֹאשִׁ֔י | leroshi | <to> head my | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וִימִינ֖וֹ | vimino | and right [hand] his | H3225 → | |
| תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃ | techabekeni | it embraces me | H2263 → |
שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙left [hand] his
semoloH8040 →
תַּ֣חַת[is] under
tachatH8478 →505 times
לְרֹאשִׁ֔י<to> head my
leroshiH7218 →599 times
וִימִינ֖וֹand right [hand] his
viminoH3225 →
תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃it embraces me
techabekeniH2263 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Zephaniah 3:17The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
it leads to
- Psalms 149:4
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.
- Psalms 147:11
The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
- Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
- Isaiah 62:4–5
No longer will you be called Forsaken, nor your land named Desolate; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will…
- Jeremiah 32:41
Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
- Psalms 149:4
Through
Jeremiah 32:41Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 24:6
I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
- Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
- Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
- Jeremiah 24:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Song of Solomon
This page draws on 18 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 214:8; Bede, On the Tabernacle 1:8; Bede, Commentary on the Song of Songs; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 51; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 22; Cyril of Alexandria, FRAGMENTS IN THE COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2:6; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; Gregory of Elvira, EXPLANATION OF THE SONG OF SONGS 3:29; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 21; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, Conference of Abbot Theodore, Chapter 10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Leander of Seville, THE TRAINING OF NUNS, PREFACE; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 3:9; Robert of Tombelaine, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2.