Song of Solomon 5:12 BSB

Song of Solomon 5:12

His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.

KJV

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

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Commentary

2 voices

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 3:8.4 (253)

In doves, the eyes are signified. For when it says, "doves over the abundance of the waters," it means this kind of bird when it comes to the waters. There it is accustomed to suffer the attacks of the hawk and to detect its hostile arrival in flight when it sees the shadow of its wings in the waters. And so it escapes the deceit of imminent peril by the keen vision of its eyes. For if you could thus look out for the snares of the devil and avoid them, you would offer "doves" as a sacrifice to God.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

His eyes are as the eyes of doves - See on Son 4:1 (note). Washed with milk - The white of the eye, exceedingly white. By the use of stibium, in the East, the eye is rendered very beautiful; and receives such a lustre from the use of this article, that, to borrow the expression of a late traveler, “their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss.” I believe this expression to be the meaning of the text. Fitly set - Or, as the margin, very properly, sitting in fullness; not sunk, not contracted.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

10 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
עֵינָ֕יו	'ei.Nav	eyes his	H5869 →
כְּיוֹנִ֖ים	ke.yo.Nim	[are] like doves	H3123 →
עַל־	'al-	at	H5921 →
אֲפִ֣יקֵי	'a.Fi.kei	channels of	H650 →
מָ֑יִם	Ma.yim	water	H4325 →
רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙	ro.cha.tzOt	washing	H7364 →
בֶּֽחָלָ֔ב	be.cha.Lav	in <the> milk	H2461 →
יֹשְׁב֖וֹת	yo.she.Vot	sitting	H3427 →
עַל־	'al-	on	H5921 →
מִלֵּֽאת׃	mi.Let	fullness	H4402 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
leads to
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each…
- Psalms 33:13–15
  The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
- Proverbs 15:3
  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
  For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Jeremiah 17:10
  I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
Through
Song of Solomon 1:15
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.
leads to
- Song of Solomon 4:1
  How beautiful you are, my darling—how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.
Through
Song of Solomon 4:1
How beautiful you are, my darling—how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.
leads to
- Song of Solomon 1:15
  How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.
- Song of Solomon 6:5
  Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.

About Song of Solomon

The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

06About Song of Solomon

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

About Song of Solomon