Song of Solomon 8:13
in Song of Solomon 8You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it.
KJV
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
⋯
This verse in Song of Solomon 8
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The poem having opened with the song of a chorus in praise of the king Son 1:2-4, concludes with a versicle recited by the bride, repeating the last words of her former strain Son 2:17, with one significant change. She no longer thinks of the possibility of separation. The “Mountains of Bether” (division) of Son 2:17, are now “Mountains of Besamim” (spices). His haunts and hers are henceforth the same (compare Son 4:6).
This site's exposition
You who dwell in the gardens
on Song of Solomon 8:13-14
The poem ends with two voices calling, as he says that "my companions are listening for your voice". She sends him running, the gazelle figure of 2:9 and 2:17. The church heard in "Come away" its own cry of Revelation 22:20, and the poem closes still calling.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 8 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
The bride dwells in the gardens, because the holy Church, or any holy soul, turns its mind to the fruitfulness of virtues. The bridegroom desires to hear her voice, because it pleases Christ above all that every perfect man should admonish the weak with the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Note, Christ not only accepts and answers, but even courts his people's prayers, not reckoning them a trouble to him, but an honour and a delight, Prov. xv. We cause him to hear our prayers when we not only pray, but wrestle and strive in prayer. He loves to be pressingly importuned, which is not the manner of men.
Companions - The friends of the bride and bridegroom. Hearken - Diligently observe all thy words towards me. Cause me - When I am gone from thee, let me hear thy prayers, and praises, and the preaching of my gospel in the world.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
THE Song is almost ended—the bride and Bridegroom have come to their last stanzas—and they are about to part for a while. They utter their adieus and the Bridegroom says to His beloved, "You that dwells in the gardens, the companions hearken to your voice: cause Me to hear it." In other words, when I am far away from you, fill this garden with My name and let your heart commune with Me.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
(Ac 15:25, 26), under her (So 8:11, 12); these ought to obey her when she obeys Jesus Christ. Her voice in prayer and praise is to be heard continually by Jesus Christ, if her voice before men is to be effective (So 2:14, end;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
THE Song is almost ended—the bride and Bridegroom have come to their last stanzas—and they are about to part for a while. They utter their adieus and the Bridegroom says to His beloved, "You that dwells in the gardens, the companions hearken to your voice: cause Me to hear it." In other words, when I am far away from you, fill this garden with My name and let your heart commune with Me. She promptly replies, and it is her last word till He comes, "Make haste, my Beloved, and be You like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices." These farewell words of the Well-Beloved are very precious to His chosen bride. Last words are always noticed—the last words of those who loved us dearly are much valued—the last words of one who loved us to the death are worthy of a deathless memory. The last words of the Lord in this canticle remind me of the commission which the Master gave to His disciples right before He was taken up, when He said to them, "Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Then, scattering benedictions with both His hands, He ascended into Glory and, "a cloud received Him out of their sight." As the sermon progresses you will see why I say this and you will detect a striking likeness between the commission connected with the Ascension and the present adieu, in which the spiritual Solomon says to His espoused Solyma, "You that dwells in the gardens, the companions hearken to your voice: cause Me to hear it." I. We will get to our text at once, without further preface, and we notice in it, first of all, AN APPOINTED RESIDENCE. The Bridegroom, speaking of His bride, says, "You that dwells in the gardens." The Hebrew is in the feminine and, therefore, we are bound to regard it as the word of the Bridegroom to His bride.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens - This is supposed to refer to the bridegroom asking permission of his spouse early in the morning to retire, as was his usual custom. He intimates the companions were waiting to hear, and he wished to hear it in the way of permission to depart.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
You who sit in the gardens. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, says to the congregation of Yisroel, “You, who are scattered in exile, grazing in the gardens of strangers and sitting in synagogues and study halls.”
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Flee my beloved. From this exile, and redeem us from among them.
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. 5 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
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת | haiyoshevet | O [one who] dwells | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּגַּנִּ֗ים | baganim | in the gardens | H1588 → | 42 times |
| חֲבֵרִ֛ים | chaverim | companions | H2270 → | |
| מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים | makshivim | [are] listening | H7181 → | |
| לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ | lekolekh | for voice your | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃ | hashmiini | cause to hear [it] me | H8085 → | 1159 times |
הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתO [one who] dwells
haiyoshevetH3427 →1079 times
בַּגַּנִּ֗יםin the gardens
baganimH1588 →42 times
חֲבֵרִ֛יםcompanions
chaverimH2270 →
מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים[are] listening
makshivimH7181 →
לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְfor voice your
lekolekhH6963 →506 times
הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃cause to hear [it] me
hashmiiniH8085 →1159 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
Matthew 28:20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Acts 18:9–10
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent.
- John 14:18–23
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
- Psalms 46:7
The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Song of Solomon 1:7Tell me, O one I love, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest them at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 3:1–4
On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.
- Song of Solomon 3:1–4
Through
Song of Solomon 4:16Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 6:2
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.
- Song of Solomon 5:1
I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk.…
- Song of Solomon 6:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1716: “The Bridegroom's Parting Words” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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 8.