Song of Solomon Chapter 8

The book's closing chapter declares love as strong as death, unquenched by many waters.

Song of Solomon 8 - Love Strong As Death

Following the invitation to the fields in Song of Solomon 7, this final chapter opens with the bride's wish to be openly loved as a brother, then rises to the book's most quoted line in Song of Solomon 8:6, 'love is strong as death.'


Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.

I would take you by the hand into my mother's house, and she would be my teacher. I would give you drink of spiced wine, drink of the pomegranate.

His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.

I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.

Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.

Put me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames.

Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.

We have a young sister, and she has no breasts; what are we to do for our sister in the day when she is given to a man?

If she is a wall, we will make on her a strong base of silver; and if she is a door, we will let her be shut up with cedar-wood.

I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.

Solomon had a vine-garden at Baal-hamon; he let out the vine-garden to keepers; every one had to give a thousand bits of silver for its fruit.

My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.

You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.

Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.

The repeated charge not to awake love before its own time, first given in <a href="/bible/bbe/song-of-solomon/chapter-2/7">Song of Solomon 2:7</a>, appears again here as the bride closes the book still calling her beloved to come to her like a young hart upon the mountains of spices.