Song of Solomon 7:8
in Song of Solomon 7I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I said, I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof: Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, And the smell of thy breath like apples,
KJV
I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
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This verse in Song of Solomon 7
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe laurel and the palm are the symbols of victory. The heads of the victors are crowned with laurel, and the hand of the conqueror is adorned with a palm. Hence the Church says: "I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches."
This site's exposition
I will climb the palm tree
on Song of Solomon 7:8-9
"I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit" turns the palm of verse 7 into desire acted on. The vine and the apple return from chapter 2 in "clusters of the vine" and "the fragrance of your breath like apples".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Therefore, imitate her, o man, so that it may be said of you as well: "Your stature has become like a palm tree." Preserve the greenness of your childhood and that natural innocence which you received from the beginning, so that, being planted beside the flowing waters, you may have your fruit prepared in your time, and your leaf may not wither. ...
The Medieval Church4 voices
I said, I will ascend into the palm tree, etc. For the sole reason is that the breasts of the Church may be equaled to clusters of grapes, because the Lord has deigned to ascend into her and to gift her with His grace. For …
I will seize its fruits. For he indeed seizes the virtues of a faithful soul, so that with the most healthful touch of his compunction, he may always make them fruitful with greater blessing. The fruits of the palm can also be taken as each …
And thy breasts, etc. For truly, the first teachers of the Church, that is, the apostles, having completed His passion and resurrection, received a much greater knowledge of salvific doctrine than they had previously had, when appearing after the resurrection He opened their minds so …
And the smell of your breath is like apples, etc. Indeed, in the smell of the mouth is the fame of good speech, and in the throat, however, is the very duty of voice dedicated to God. Both are worthy of praise in the Catholic …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 7 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
He spoke truly, and ascended: because just as before the ages he determined to die for our death, so at the end of the world, merciful and faithful, he fulfilled it. Therefore he ascended the palm tree and took hold of its fruits: because, suspended …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
I will - Climb up, that so I may take hold of the boughs, which do not grow out of the sides, as in other trees, but only at the top of it. Take hold - Partly to prune and dress them, and partly to gather the fruit. The smell - Of thy breath; which is often called the breath of a man's nostrils.
) and I will take hold of its boughs and observe the beauty of them." What Christ has said he will do, in favour to his people; we may be sure he will do it, for his kind purposes are never suffered to fall to the ground; and if he take hold of the boughs of his church, take early hold of her branches, when they are young and tender, he will keep his hold and not let them go.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And since God, at first, breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, and breathes the breath of the new life still, the smell of their nostrils is like the smell of apples, or oranges, which is pleasing and reviving. The Lord smelt a sweet savour from Noah's sacrifice, Gen. viii. And, lastly, the roof of her mouth is like the best wine (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I said, I will go up to the palm tree,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I will go up to the palm tree - I will take hold on the boughs of this tree, and climb up by them, in order to gather the clusters of dates at the top. The rubric here in the old MS. interprets this of the cross of Christ.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is the symbol of triumphant joy (Joh 12:13); so hereafter (Re 7:9). breasts-- (Isa 66:11). the vine--Jesus Christ (Ho 14:7, end; Joh 15:1). nose--that is, breath; the Holy Ghost breathed into her nostrils by Him, whose "mouth is most sweet" (So 5:16). apples--citrons, off the tree to which He is likened (So 2:3).
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ | ʾamarti | I say | H559 → | |
| אֶעֱלֶ֣ה | ʾeeleh | I will climb up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בְתָמָ֔ר | vetamar | on [the] palm tree | H8558 → | |
| אֹֽחֲזָ֖ה | ʾochazah | I will take hold | H270 → | 67 times |
| בְּסַנְסִנָּ֑יו | besansinav | on fruit-stalks its | H5577 → | |
| וְיִֽהְיוּ־ | veyihyu- | and may they be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | |
| שָׁדַ֙יִךְ֙ | shadayikh | breasts your | H7699 → | 24 times |
| כְּאֶשְׁכְּל֣וֹת | keeshkelot | like [the] clusters of | H811 → | 9 times |
| הַגֶּ֔פֶן | hagefen | <the> vine | H1612 → | 55 times |
| וְרֵ֥יחַ | vereiach | and [the] odor of | H7381 → | 58 times |
| אַפֵּ֖ךְ | ʾapekh | nose your | H639 → | |
| כַּתַּפּוּחִֽים׃ | katapuchim | like <the> apples | H8598 → | 6 times |
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙I say
ʾamartiH559 →
אֶעֱלֶ֣הI will climb up
ʾeelehH5927 →890 times
בְתָמָ֔רon [the] palm tree
vetamarH8558 →
אֹֽחֲזָ֖הI will take hold
ʾochazahH270 →67 times
בְּסַנְסִנָּ֑יוon fruit-stalks its
besansinavH5577 →
וְיִֽהְיוּ־and may they be
veyihyu-H1961 →3559 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →
שָׁדַ֙יִךְ֙breasts your
shadayikhH7699 →24 times
כְּאֶשְׁכְּל֣וֹתlike [the] clusters of
keeshkelotH811 →9 times
הַגֶּ֔פֶן<the> vine
hagefenH1612 →55 times
וְרֵ֥יחַand [the] odor of
vereiachH7381 →58 times
אַפֵּ֖ךְnose your
ʾapekhH639 →
כַּתַּפּוּחִֽים׃like <the> apples
katapuchimH8598 →6 times
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
2 Corinthians 2:14But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
- Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15–16
For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
- 2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
- Ephesians 5:2
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.
- Jeremiah 24:6
Through
Song of Solomon 1:3The fragrance of your perfume is pleasing; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens adore you.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
- Song of Solomon 4:10
How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is much better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than all spices.
- Ecclesiastes 7:1
About Song of Solomon
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, The Six Days of Creation; Bede, Commentary on the Song of Songs; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert of Tombelaine, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 7.