TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
Complete Jewish Bible
Tell me, my love, where you pasture your flock, where you have them rest at noon; for why should I veil myself [like a whore] beside the flocks of your friends?
Berean Standard Bible
Tell 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?
American Standard Version
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest thy flock, Where thou makest it to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?
World English Bible Messianic
Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions? Lover
Geneva Bible (1599)
If thou knowe not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee foorth by the steps of the flocke, and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards.
Young's Literal Translation
Declare to me, thou whom my soul hath loved, Where thou delightest, Where thou liest down at noon, For why am I as one veiled, By the ranks of thy companions?
See also
In the KJVVerse 17,545 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
LETTER 108.12
I linger long in the land of the midday sun, for it was there and then that the spouse found her bridegroom at rest.
JeromeAD 420
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 20 (Psalm 90)
You see that it is not in the third hour that the spouse dines or reclines but at midday. Where do you dine, where do you rest, where shall I find you, where do you enjoy delights, where can I find you, O my spouse? Do you want to find me? At noon, in perfect knowledge, in good works, in the bright light. Because we have the noonday, that is why the devil disguises himself as an angel of light and pretends that he has the light, that he has the noonday. When heretics promise any pseudo-mysteries, when they promise the kingdom of heaven, when they promise continence, fasts, sanctity, the renunciation of the world, they promise the noonday. But since their midday is not the light of Christ, it is not the noonday but the noonday demon.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 147A.3
Why do I want you to tell me where you graze, where you lie down in the noonday? “Lest I should happen, like a veiled woman, on the flocks of your companions.” That is the reason, she says, why I want you to tell me where you graze your flock, where you lie down in the noonday. When I come to you I won’t lose my way, lest like a veiled woman I should come upon the flocks of your companions, that is to say, I should stumble on flocks that are not yours but belong to your companions.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 88:6
With good reason then to this shepherd of shepherds, does his beloved, his spouse, his fair one, but by him made fair, before by sin deformed, beautiful afterward through pardon and grace, speak in her love and ardor after him, and say to him, “Where do you feed?” And observe how, by what transport this spiritual love is here animated. And far better are they by this transport delighted who have tasted of the sweetness of this love. They bear this properly who love Christ. For in them, and of them, does the church sing this in the Song of Songs.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 46:36
“Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you feed your flock, where you lie down?” Neither we nor they have any doubt that the bride is speaking to the bridegroom, the church to Christ. But listen to all the words of the bride. Why do you want to attribute to the bridegroom a word that is still in the bride’s part? Let the bride say everything she says, and then the bridegroom will reply.…Midday is coming, you see, when the shepherds take refuge in the shade; and perhaps where you are feeding your flock and lying down will escape me; and I want you to tell me, lest perchance I go as one veiled, that is, as one concealed and not recognized. I am in fact plain to see, but lest as one veiled, as one hidden, I stumble on the flocks of your companions.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 1
It is logical for the bride to enquire at the time of midday where the bridegroom takes his rest because when the light of knowledge became stronger, heresies developed which, while bearing the name of Christians, were nevertheless devoid of truth. This is the reason she is exercised and anxious to learn the spot where the bridegroom rests the sheep, the risk of falling in with the flocks of so-called companions. It should be understood that just as there were the prophets and the false prophets opposed to them, and likewise apostles and false apostles of an opposite mind, so too false Christs are referred to in the divine Scripture. Hence the Lord also says, “Many false prophets will rise up and will lead many people astray.” And blessed Paul was in the habit of speaking not only of false brethren but also of false apostles—hence his remark, “For such people are false apostles.” The bride begs not to fall in with these people since they give the appearance of shepherds and likewise seem to have flocks and herds. Of such kind are the people who hold the views of Arius, Eunomius, Marcion, Valentinus, Mani and Montanus. While invested with a Christian appearance and name, building churches, reading divine Scriptures to sheep led astray, wrongly tending their followers and thought to be companions of the bridegroom, they are instead pernicious schemers, providing the sheep with poison instead of nourishing draughts.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 43
That which we said about heretical teachers we can also say about catholics who do not behave properly. For many of the faithful poor within the church seek to live rightly, desire to maintain a just life, and consider the example of the priests who were set over them. Thus, as long as the priests themselves do not live righteous lives, as long as they who preside do not act properly, they who follow also slip into error. This is why the church says, as though in the name of the poor and faithful, “Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you pasture, where do you rest at noon?”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 33
It is fitting meanwhile to consider this contemplation of such great mercy. The deeds of a sinful woman, but one repenting—with what esteem does Truth preserve them in His presence, which He enumerates to her adversary with such detailed distribution. The Lord was reclining at the Pharisee's dinner, but He was delighting in the feasts of the mind at the penitent woman's. At the Pharisee's house, Truth was fed outwardly; at the sinful woman's, yet one who had converted, He was fed inwardly. Hence the holy Church says to Him in the Song of Songs, whom she seeks under the likeness of a young deer: "Show me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you rest at midday." For the Lord is called a young deer, according to His assumed flesh the son of the ancient fathers. Indeed, a more fervent heat burns at midday, and the young deer seeks a shady place where the fire of heat does not affect it. Therefore, the Lord rests in those hearts which the love of the present age does not inflame, which the desires of the flesh do not burn up, which, set ablaze by their anxieties, do not wither in the lusts of this world.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on the Song of Songs
Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you pasture, etc. Well indeed does she call him whom she seeks for protection, the beloved of her soul, because the more serious the danger from which she wishes to be rescued, the more she loves him through whom she knows she will be saved. This is similar to what the Psalmist says, "I will love you, O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 17). Which openly means, Therefore I do not cease to love you with all my mind, because I perceive that without your grace I can have no strength. She also implies that he is a shepherd, saying, Where you pasture, where you lie at midday. According to what he himself testifies in the Gospel: "I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me" (John 10). He who pastures his sheep lies among them at midday, because he refreshes the hearts of his faithful ones with the memory of heavenly sweetness, so that they do not wither in the heat of temptations, and he is accustomed to mercifully dwell in them. Thus also the Psalmist says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23). Hence John says, "He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (1 John 4). Therefore, because many false prophets go out into the world, saying "Look, here is Christ," or "There he is" (Matthew 24), the Church of Christ must always carefully discern who they are in whom he can be found, both in their profession and in their deeds; and she must implore him with pious words to deign to reveal himself: Tell me, she says, O you whom my soul loves, where you pasture, where you lie at midday.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on the Song of Songs
"That I may not begin to wander among the flocks of your companions, etc. As if he says openly, Because the multifarious persecution by my adversaries affects me like the heat of the midday; I beseech you to declare to me, O my Redeemer and Protector, in which places I might find those who are refreshed by the grace of your presence, and what are those teachings among all that align with your evangelical truth, lest, with your help being delayed, I might perhaps stumble upon the congregations of those who err, for without your guidance, I can in no way enter the path of truth. For even heretics can not inappropriately be called his companions, inasmuch as they carry around either the confession or the mysteries of his name. Did not the bride of Christ do this, when the false apostles came to Antioch, namely, his companions, and preached, Except you be circumcised according to Moses, you cannot be saved (Acts XV), already wearied by no small fervor of sedition and question, finally sent Paul and Barnabas to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, to more certainly discern what was the truth of the Gospel? And after the conflict was finished, it was proven among them, whom James, and Cephas, and John, and the other apostles educated, that the Lord Christ was the shepherd and dweller, and that his flock, the Church, was to be safeguarded from the flocks of companions, that is, from the people of the heretics. Did not the bride of Christ also do this in subsequent times, when the sons of her mother fought against her, that is, when heresies rose up against her from within her, soon diligently seeking what was the truth of faith, by convening the councils of the Fathers? But, because the same bride, that is, the Church of Christ, while seeking the help of his presence in her tribulations, adds on behalf of the weak. That I may not begin to wander among the flocks of your companions, he immediately rebukes the same trepidation with kind reproof, as if saying that evangelical thing, Ye of little faith, why did you doubt (Matt. XIV)? For it follows:
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
If thou know not thyself: Christ encourages his spouse to follow and watch her flock: and though she know not entirely the power at hand to assist her, he tells her, ver. 8, my company of horsemen, that is, his angels, are always watching and protecting her. And in the following verses he reminds her of the virtues and gifts with which he has endowed her.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Song of Solomon 1:7 captures the Shulamite woman's fervent plea to her beloved shepherd, expressing deep, soul-level affection and an ardent desire for exclusive companionship and clear guidance. She urgently seeks to know his precise whereabouts—where he pastures his flock and provides them rest during the intense midday heat—so that she may join him. Her concern is to avoid any appearance of impropriety or association with other shepherds, emphasizing her singular devotion. This verse powerfully establishes themes of longing, intimate devotion, the yearning for unambiguous relationship, and the beloved's role as provider, setting a foundational tone for the passionate dialogue that unfolds throughout the book.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Song of Solomon 1:7 is strategically placed early in the book, immediately following the Shulamite's initial expressions of yearning for her beloved's kisses and her desire to be drawn into his presence (see Song of Solomon 1:2-4). Her direct address in this verse marks a transition from general, internal longing to a specific, urgent inquiry about his pastoral activities and location. This plea directly sets the stage for the beloved's tender and reassuring response in Song of Solomon 1:8, where he invites her to follow the tracks of the flock. The dialogue here firmly establishes the primary characters—the Shulamite (the "bride") and the shepherd (the "bridegroom")—and introduces the pervasive pastoral motif that symbolizes care, provision, and intimacy throughout the Song. This shift from introspective yearning to direct, relational engagement underscores the depth and urgency of her desire for connection and clarity in their burgeoning relationship.
Historical & Cultural Context: The imagery embedded in Song of Solomon 1:7 is deeply rooted in the ancient Near Eastern pastoral lifestyle, which was a cornerstone of Israelite society. Shepherds were vital figures, responsible for leading their flocks to optimal grazing lands and secure resting places, particularly during the intense midday heat. The "noon" (Hebrew: tsôhar) was the most challenging part of the day, demanding that flocks find shade and water to avoid heatstroke and vulnerability to predators. This practice was not merely practical but also emblematic of the shepherd's comprehensive role as a diligent provider and protector. The Shulamite's concern about being "as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions" reflects the social customs and honor-shame dynamics of the time. A woman wandering unescorted or mingling indiscriminately among other shepherds' flocks could easily be mistaken for a harlot or someone unattached and seeking illicit company, thereby jeopardizing her reputation and that of her family. Her fervent desire for clear association with her beloved underscores the paramount importance of fidelity, public propriety, and the unambiguous acknowledgment of a committed relationship in ancient Israelite culture. The setting evokes the natural beauty and simplicity of rural life, a stark contrast to the often-corrupting influences of urban environments.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that permeate the Song of Solomon. First, it vividly portrays Intense Longing and Devotion, as the Shulamite's declaration "whom my soul loveth" (Hebrew: nephesh and ʼâhab) signifies a profound, holistic affection originating from the very core of her being. This deep emotional and spiritual connection is central to the book's portrayal of genuine love. Second, the verse highlights the theme of Active Pursuit and Seeking of the Beloved. Her direct and urgent questions, "where thou feedest, where thou makest [thy flock] to rest at noon," are not passive inquiries but demonstrate an earnest, proactive desire to locate and join him, reflecting a persistent engagement in the relationship. This theme of seeking and finding is a recurring motif throughout the Song, notably echoed in passages like Song of Solomon 3:1-4. Third, her concern about being "as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions" introduces the crucial theme of Desire for Exclusive Relationship and Fidelity. She yearns for an unambiguous, publicly recognized bond, vehemently rejecting any perception of disloyalty, shared affection, or spiritual compromise. This yearning for singular devotion is a cornerstone of biblical marriage and serves as a powerful metaphor for God's covenant love for His people, as beautifully illustrated in Hosea 2:19-20. Finally, the imagery of feeding and resting points to the beloved's essential role as Provider of Nourishment and Rest, symbolizing the comfort, security, and sustenance found uniquely in his presence, a theme deeply resonant with the pastoral care described in Psalm 23.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Song of Solomon 1:7 is rich with Imagery, particularly vivid pastoral imagery, which serves as a foundational motif throughout the entire book. The references to "feedest," "flock," and "rest at noon" evoke clear pictures of a shepherd's diligent life, symbolizing themes of care, provision, and security. The "midday heat" (noon) functions as a powerful Symbol of life's trials, vulnerabilities, or periods of intense difficulty, making the desire for rest and shade (found in the beloved's presence) even more poignant and essential. The phrase "whom my soul loveth" is a profound example of Intensification and Hyperbole, emphasizing the extraordinary depth, totality, and all-consuming nature of her affection. The concluding phrase, "for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?", functions as a compelling Rhetorical Question. It is not posed to elicit an answer, but rather to powerfully convey her anxiety about her reputation and her fervent, non-negotiable desire for an exclusive, unambiguous association with her beloved. This also employs Contrast, setting her desired clear and singular association with him against the undesirable and compromising state of being mistaken for a wanderer among others.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Song of Solomon 1:7, while celebrating the beauty of human love, resonates with profound theological truths concerning the believer's intimate relationship with God. The Shulamite's intense longing for her beloved shepherd beautifully mirrors the soul's inherent yearning for Christ, our ultimate Good Shepherd, who alone provides true spiritual nourishment and enduring rest. Her fervent desire for exclusive devotion and clear identification with him reflects the biblical call for singular allegiance to God, urging believers to shun spiritual idolatry and avoid seeking fulfillment in worldly "companions" or distractions that draw us away from our true Beloved. This verse powerfully illustrates the intimate, personal, and covenantal nature of the relationship God desires with His people—a relationship marked by active seeking, joyful finding, and abiding in His presence, where all true provision, security, and peace are found.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Song of Solomon 1:7 offers a profound invitation to examine the depth and sincerity of our own spiritual affections and allegiances. The Shulamite's earnest plea to her beloved, driven by a love that permeates her very soul, challenges us to cultivate a similar all-encompassing devotion to God. In a world saturated with distractions, competing loyalties, and superficial promises, do we actively seek the presence of our Good Shepherd, or do we, perhaps unknowingly, wander aimlessly among "flocks of companions" that offer fleeting satisfaction but no true spiritual nourishment or enduring rest? This verse calls us to a radical clarity in our spiritual identity, ensuring that our lives unmistakably reflect our singular belonging to Christ. It serves as a powerful reminder that true rest, abundant provision, and unwavering security are found not in frantic searching or worldly pursuits, but in abiding intimately with the One who truly cares for our souls. Our deepest desire should be to remain securely in His fold, under His watchful eye, finding our ultimate purpose, identity, and peace solely in Him, diligently avoiding any appearance of spiritual compromise or divided loyalty.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "noon" in this verse?
Answer: The "noon" (Hebrew: tsôhar) signifies the hottest and often most challenging part of the day in ancient Israel. During midday, the sun's intensity would be at its peak, creating conditions of extreme heat and discomfort for both shepherds and their flocks. For the flock, it was a crucial time when they desperately needed shade, water, and rest to avoid heat exhaustion and vulnerability to predators. For the shepherd, it was paramount to find a cool, safe, and secluded place for his sheep to recline and recover. Therefore, the Shulamite's question about where he makes his flock "rest at noon" is not merely about locating him geographically, but about finding a place of essential provision, safety, and relief from the day's toil and heat. It symbolizes a time of vulnerability and the profound need for the shepherd's protective and sustaining care, much like believers seek rest and refuge in Christ during life's most challenging and wearying moments, as promised in Matthew 11:28.
Why is the Shulamite concerned about being "as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions"?
Answer: This concern highlights the Shulamite's fervent desire for an exclusive, unambiguous, and honorable relationship with her beloved. In ancient Near Eastern society, a woman wandering alone or mingling indiscriminately among various shepherds and their flocks could easily be misconstrued as unattached, available, or even of questionable reputation (e.g., a harlot or a loose woman). The phrase "turneth aside" (Hebrew: ʻâṭâh) can imply being veiled or covered in a way that leads to misidentification, or wandering aimlessly. She wants her association with her beloved to be clear, public, and exclusive, thereby reinforcing her fidelity and commitment. Her plea underscores her yearning for a defined, secure relationship where there is no doubt about her allegiance or moral standing. This reflects a deeper spiritual truth about the Church's desire for a covenant relationship with God, free from spiritual adultery, much like God's desire for Israel's exclusive devotion in Exodus 34:14.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Song of Solomon 1:7 finds its most profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus, our ultimate Good Shepherd. The Shulamite's deep longing for her beloved, "whom my soul loveth," prefigures the profound, soul-level affection and devotion that believers are called to have for Christ. Just as she sought where her shepherd "feedest" and "makest [thy flock] to rest at noon," so too do believers actively seek Jesus for spiritual nourishment, guidance, and true rest. He is the one who infallibly leads us to "green pastures" and beside "still waters," restoring our souls (Psalm 23:2), providing sustenance for our spiritual lives and respite from the wearying "heat" of life's trials and temptations. The Shulamite's concern about not being "as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions" beautifully foreshadows the Church's desire for exclusive devotion to Christ, her Bridegroom. The New Testament consistently portrays the Church as the Bride of Christ, called to singular allegiance, pure and undefiled, eagerly awaiting His glorious return (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9). We are not to wander among the "flocks of companions"—the false gods, worldly philosophies, empty promises, or distracting idols of this age—but to remain intimately connected to the one Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). In Christ, we find not only perfect provision and ultimate rest but also our true identity, security, and eternal belonging, forever secure in His fold, never to be mistaken for those who stray.