A-Z: General definitions: Love strong as death

Definition

Phrase from the Old Testament book Song of Songs (Song of Songs 8:6).

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother's breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me. ²I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother&emdash; she who used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate. ³His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! ⁴I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. ⁵Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor. ⁶Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. ⁷Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. ⁸We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? ⁹If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. ¹⁰I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace. ¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. ¹²My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred. ¹³O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. ¹⁴Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

¹O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. ²I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. ³His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. ⁴I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. ⁵Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. ⁶Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. ⁷Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. ⁸We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? ⁹If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. ¹⁰I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. ¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. ¹²My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. ¹³Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. ¹⁴Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

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