Song Of Solomon 3:2 kjv
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
Song Of Solomon 3:2 nkjv
"I will rise now," I said, "And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love." I sought him, but I did not find him.
Song Of Solomon 3:2 niv
I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him.
Song Of Solomon 3:2 esv
I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not.
Song Of Solomon 3:2 nlt
So I said to myself, "I will get up and roam the city,
searching in all its streets and squares.
I will search for the one I love."
So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Song 3:1 | "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but found him not." | Sets the scene of searching. |
| Song 5:6 | "I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him..." | Demonstrates a similar period of absence and seeking. |
| Psalm 63:1 | "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and weary land, where no water is;" | Parallel to intense spiritual longing for God. |
| John 16:22 | "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." | Echoes the joy of reunion after sorrow. |
| Romans 8:35 | "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" | Illustrates the enduring nature of divine love against separation. |
| Ephesians 3:17-19 | "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." | Reflects the all-encompassing nature of love, like the search described. |
| Song 8:5 | "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?" | A later passage depicting the intimacy and support of the relationship. |
| Matthew 13:45-46 | "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he hath, and bought it." | Illustrates zealous searching and value placed on a finding. |
| Song 1:4 | "Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." | Depicts a desire for closeness and mutual pursuit. |
| Song 2:16 | "My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies." | Asserts possession and belonging, mirroring the sentiment here. |
| Song 2:3 | "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." | Shows pleasure and satisfaction in the presence of the beloved. |
| Isaiah 55:6 | "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" | Call to seek God with urgency. |
| Hebrews 11:6 | "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he rewardeth them that diligently seek him." | Emphasizes diligence in seeking God. |
| Song 5:2-3 | "I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, My beloved spake, and said unto my beloved, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." | The beloved is also actively seeking her. |
| Song 3:3 | "The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" | The search is acknowledged by others. |
| Hosea 10:12 | "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." | Analogy of seeking with diligence. |
| Acts 17:27 | "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:" | Seeking God is inherent in humanity. |
| Proverbs 8:17 | "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." | Divine love is responsive to seeking. |
| Song 2:10 | "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." | A prior invitation to togetherness. |
| John 1:16 | "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." | Receiving abundantly from Christ's fullness. |
Song Of Solomon 3 verses
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Meaning
The Shulamite woman describes her lover's intense desire and fervent search for her after a period of separation. She is actively seeking him, feeling his presence, and her longing mirrors his. This signifies a deep, reciprocal love and a reunion that is eagerly anticipated and passionately felt.
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Context
This verse occurs within the Song of Solomon, a poetic exploration of romantic love. The narrative, likely in this section, portrays the Shulamite woman describing her anxieties and fervent desires during a period when her lover, the king, is absent from her. Following her distress and unsuccessful searching in Chapter 3, verse 2 reflects her continued preoccupation and hope for reunion. The imagery is situated within ancient Near Eastern wedding traditions and the specific context of love between a king and a country maiden. The watchmen's appearance in the following verse suggests she is within the city, perhaps having been found or in a place where pursuit is possible.
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Word Analysis
- אֲנִי (aní): "I". First-person singular pronoun. Emphasizes the personal experience and agency of the speaker.
- לַ֚יְלָה (láylāh): "night". Time of vulnerability, searching, and intensified emotions. Can symbolize difficulty or absence of clarity.
- בִּי (bí): "in me", "within me". Refers to her being, her internal state.
- בִּמְשׁוּרִי (bimshuray): "among my restraints", "within my enclosure". The Hebrew word meshurah can mean a measure, boundary, or enclosure. In this context, it suggests a place of confinement, perhaps her bedchamber or a restricted space, implying she is seeking even when bound or held. Some interpret it as "among the guards" or "by my attendants" (referring to watchmen or other figures), indicating the search continues despite oversight.
- בַּקַּ֚שְׁתִּי (baqáṣtî): "I sought". Perfect tense, first person singular of bāqaṣ (to seek, search for). Indicates a completed action in the past but one that defines her present state of yearning.
- הוּא (hû'): "he". The beloved.
- אֲשֶׁר (’ăšer): "whom", "which". Relative pronoun connecting the seeking to the object of her search.
- דּוֹדִי (dôwdî): "my beloved". Term of intimate affection. The suffix '-i' denotes possession, "my".
- לֹֽא־ (lō’): "not". A negative particle.
- מְצָאתִ֕יהוּ (məṣā’tîhû): "I found him not". Perfect tense, first person singular of māṣā’ (to find) + suffixed pronoun 'him'. Concludes the direct statement of unsuccessful searching, contrasting with the intense desire.
Words-group by words-group Analysis
- "by night on my bed I sought him": This phrase vividly portrays personal, private yearning, likely occurring during the vulnerable hours of night, a common theme for seeking and longing in love and faith.
- "whom my soul loveth": This appositive emphasizes the profound depth of her affection, connecting her physical desire to her very spiritual being or life force (nephesh).
- "I sought him, but found him not": This clause highlights the tension and pain of unfulfilled desire. The repeated structure of seeking and failing creates dramatic intensity, emphasizing her desperation and the beloved's absence.
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Bonus Section
The verse, while speaking of earthly love, strongly echoes the language of spiritual pursuit found throughout Scripture. The intense searching and profound love described here mirror the Psalmist's cry for God and the desire of the New Testament believer for Christ. The phrase "whom my soul loveth" parallels biblical declarations of love for God as the ultimate object of desire and devotion, encompassing the whole person – soul, mind, and strength. This search signifies a healthy, active faith rather than passive waiting, acknowledging the yearning inherent in relationship with the divine.
Song Of Solomon 3 2 Commentary
This verse is a powerful expression of intimate longing and the distress caused by separation. The Shulamite's search is deep, encompassing even her confined space ("among my restraints" or "in my enclosure") and extending through the night. Her soul's love for her beloved is so consuming that his absence creates an unbearable void, prompting active searching. This imagery transcends earthly romance, resonating with the believer’s intense desire for God, particularly after periods of spiritual dryness or perceived absence. The human heart, like the woman's, often yearns for divine presence, seeking Him earnestly even when He feels distant. The beloved’s presence is described as paramount, valued above all else, driving her search.