Song of Solomon 1:9

Translations

Modern

I compare you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.

Traditional

I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.

Literal

To a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh I have likened you, my darling.

Latin

Equitatui meo in curribus Pharaonis assimilavi te, amica mea.

Original

Hebrew

English

I compare you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.

Notes

Song of Solomon 1:9

The shepherd often calls the woman "darling" (literally companion) to show his respect for her as a partner, friend, and lover (Song of Solomon 1:15; 2:2, 10, 13; 4:1, 7; 5:2; 6:4).
In the ancient Near East, a charge of horsemen on stallions was sometimes stopped by releasing a mare in heat. This distracted the attacking horses and broke the charge. Similarly, the woman's beauty distracts other men.

Song of Solomon 1:5–11

If the Song is a three-character drama and the shepherd is her lover, the couple was apart while she was in the king’s palace. In this passage, she wants to know where to find him when she leaves. Twice, she is frantic about losing him again (Song of Solomon 3:1–4; 5:2–8). At other times, her concern is more subtle (Song of Solomon 2:14).

Song of Solomon 1:2–14

The song starts with the woman expressing her desire to be close to the man she loves. In the song, the woman often begins the relationship. The chorus, called the "Young Women of Jerusalem" in the New Living Translation, supports her choice of this man.
According to a three-character dramatic interpretation, the song begins by describing the woman's situation. The king is about to bring her into his palace, but she truly loves her shepherd. She hopes her lover will save her from the king (Song of Solomon 1:4).

Theme notes and profiles

Human Sexuality

Related verses

Song of Solomon 2:10
My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one.
Song of Solomon 2:13
The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one.”
John 15:14–15
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Song of Solomon 1:15
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.
Song of Solomon 4:7
You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw.
Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.
Song of Solomon 2:2
Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens.
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 the dampness of the night.”
2 Chronicles 1:14–17
Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 6:4
You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.
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.
1 Kings 10:28
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

Parallels

Ephesians 5:22–33 1 Peter 3:1–7

People

Pharaoh: Egyptian Pharaoh during Solomon's reign

Glossary

Horse Song of Solomon

Topics

Chariots: Drawn by Horses The Horse: Beauty of the Church

Song of Solomon 1:9

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