Song Of Solomon 4:15

¶ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

A fountain {H4599} of gardens {H1588}, a well {H875} of living {H2416} waters {H4325}, and streams {H5140} from Lebanon {H3844}.

You are a garden fountain, a spring of running water, flowing down from the L'vanon.

You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.

Thou arta fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon.

Commentary

Song of Solomon 4:15 is a poetic verse where the Bridegroom, Solomon, continues his passionate praise of the Shulamite Bride, describing her exquisite beauty and refreshing qualities using vivid natural imagery.

Context

This verse is part of a longer section in Song of Solomon chapter 4 (verses 1-15) where the groom praises his bride's physical beauty and inner virtues. Following the imagery of a "garden inclosed" (Song of Solomon 4:12) and a "spring shut up, a fountain sealed" (Song of Solomon 4:12), this verse expands on her purity and life-giving essence. It paints a picture of a beloved who is not only beautiful but also a source of vitality and delight.

Key Themes

  • Purity and Exclusivity: The "fountain of gardens" and "well of living waters" build upon the earlier imagery of a sealed garden, emphasizing the bride's purity and her exclusive devotion to her beloved. She is a source of refreshment reserved solely for him.
  • Life-Giving and Refreshing: The repeated references to water—"fountain," "well," "streams"—symbolize life, purity, and abundant refreshment. The bride is seen as a vibrant source of joy and vitality, capable of sustaining and enriching the relationship.
  • Abundance and Natural Beauty: "Streams from Lebanon" adds to the grandeur of the imagery. Lebanon was renowned for its majestic mountains, snow-fed springs, and lush vegetation, signifying a natural, untainted, and bountiful beauty.
  • Deep Admiration: The verse powerfully conveys the groom's profound love, admiration, and desire for his bride, seeing her as the epitome of all that is pure, beautiful, and life-sustaining.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "living waters" (Hebrew: mayim chayyim) is significant. In ancient Near Eastern thought, "living waters" referred to fresh, flowing, spring water, as opposed to stagnant water collected in cisterns. It inherently carried connotations of purity, vitality, and life. While in other biblical contexts it can refer to spiritual life (e.g., John 4:10), here in Song of Solomon, it primarily emphasizes the bride's refreshing and invigorating effect within the context of human love and intimacy.

Practical Application

Song of Solomon 4:15 offers timeless insights for relationships and personal character:

  • Cherishing Your Beloved: It encourages partners to articulate and appreciate the unique, life-giving qualities they find in one another, fostering deep affection and admiration.
  • Cultivating Inner Virtues: The imagery suggests that true beauty and attraction stem from an inner wellspring of purity, generosity, and refreshing character, which can bring life and joy to those around us.
  • Being a Source of Refreshment: We are called to be people who bring life, joy, and renewal to our relationships, much like a pure spring or a well of living waters.
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Cross-References

  • John 4:10 (5 votes)

    Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

  • John 7:38 (4 votes)

    He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

  • Jeremiah 2:13 (3 votes)

    For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

  • John 4:14 (3 votes)

    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:6 (2 votes)

    I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

  • Psalms 36:8 (2 votes)

    They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

  • Psalms 36:9 (2 votes)

    For with thee [is] the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.