Song of Solomon 5:8
What does Song of Solomon 5:8 mean?
A plain-English look at Song of Solomon 5:8 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Song of Solomon 5:8 means
Bruised and longing, she adjures the daughters of Jerusalem: if they find her Beloved, tell him she is sick with love. This is a solemn charge, inviting the community of women to bear her plea. “Sick from love” conveys an ache that is not melodramatic but deeply felt; separation has become a kind of illness of the heart. The message is simple and honest, without blame or bargaining—only desire to be reunited. By involving others, she acknowledges her need and refuses to let the search die in isolation. Love, here, is steadfast enough to ask for help.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.
KJV
King James Version · 1611I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say to him? That I am overcome with love.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved--What do ye tell him? that I <FI>am<Fi> sick with love!
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, ...What will ye tell him? — That I am sick of love.
Context
After mistreatment by the watchmen, she turns to a different audience, the daughters of Jerusalem, who have functioned as observers throughout the Song. Her adjuration draws them into the drama as potential mediators. Their reply in the next verse will press her to articulate why her Beloved is so singular. That question opens the way for one of the Song’s most elaborate descriptions, transforming lament into praise and deepening her resolve through remembrance.
v.7The watchmen that go about the city found me, They smote me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.
v.8This passage
v.9What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, That thou dost so adjure us?
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Song of Solomon 2:7
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.
- Psalms 77:1
I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear unto me.
- Song of Solomon 3:5
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.
- Romans 15:30
Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
- Psalms 63:1
O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is.
- James 5:16
Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
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