Song of Solomon 7:9
in Song of Solomon 7and your mouth like the finest wine. May it flow smoothly to my beloved, gliding gently over lips and teeth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thy mouth like the best wine, That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep.
KJV
And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
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This verse in Song of Solomon 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe roof of thy mouth like the best wine - The voice or conversation of the spouse is most probably what is meant. Causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak - As good wine has a tendency to cause the most backward to speak fluently when taken in moderation; so a sight of thee, and hearing the charms of thy conversation, is sufficient to excite the most taciturn to speak, and even to become eloquent in thy praises.
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".
This site's exposition
gliding gently over lips and teeth
The words May it flow smoothly to my beloved sound like her voice taking up his wine image. Adam Clarke took the mouth as her voice and conversation. As good wine loosens a slow tongue, he wrote, hearing her would make the quietest man eloquent in her praise.
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 Church2 voices
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 7 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
For the voice is in the throat. Through the throat, therefore, preaching itself is again signified, which is said to be like the finest wine, because it intoxicates the minds of men so that they forget the things behind, as has been said, and running …
Worthy of my beloved to drink, etc. Wine, he says, the best, which my throat has compared, is worthy of my beloved to drink, because the word of the Gospel, which He has deigned to place in my mouth, is of such sublimity that it …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
As it is from, so it is for my beloved." Then he delights in our good affections and services, when they are all for him and devoted to his glory. Desiring Communion with Christ; The Love of the Church to Christ.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
So 5:8, where the possibility of their finding Him, before she regained Him, is expressed; Joh 4:42). causing . . . asleep to speak-- (Isa 35:6; Jesus Christ's first miracle turned water into "good wine kept until now" (Joh 2:10); just as the Gospel revives those asleep and dying under the law (Pr 31:6;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And let your speech be like good wine. Be cautious with your answers that they should be like the best wine. 29 See Daniyeil, chapter.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ | vechikekh | and mouth your | H2441 → | 18 times |
| כְּיֵ֥ין | keyein | like [the] wine of | H3196 → | 141 times |
| הַטּ֛וֹב | hatov | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| הוֹלֵ֥ךְ | holekh | [which] goes | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְדוֹדִ֖י | ledodi | for lover my | H1730 → | 61 times |
| לְמֵישָׁרִ֑ים | lemeisharim | to smoothness<es> | H4339 → | |
| דּוֹבֵ֖ב | dovev | [which] flows gently | H1680 → | |
| שִׂפְתֵ֥י | siftei | [the] lips of | H8193 → | 176 times |
| יְשֵׁנִֽים׃ | yeshenim | sleepers | H3463 → |
וְחִכֵּ֕ךְand mouth your
vechikekhH2441 →18 times
כְּיֵ֥יןlike [the] wine of
keyeinH3196 →141 times
הַטּ֛וֹב<the> good
hatovH2896 →538 times
הוֹלֵ֥ךְ[which] goes
holekhH1980 →1546 times
לְדוֹדִ֖יfor lover my
ledodiH1730 →61 times
לְמֵישָׁרִ֑יםto smoothness<es>
lemeisharimH4339 →
דּוֹבֵ֖ב[which] flows gently
dovevH1680 →
שִׂפְתֵ֥י[the] lips of
sifteiH8193 →176 times
יְשֵׁנִֽים׃sleepers
yeshenimH3463 →
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
Colossians 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- 1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…
- Ecclesiastes 10:12
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
- Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
- Proverbs 15:4
A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Song of Solomon 2:14O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is…
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 1:5
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
- Song of Solomon 5:2
I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with…
- Ezra 9:5–6
At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
- Song of Solomon 1:5
About Song of Solomon
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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert of Tombelaine, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 7.