Song Of Solomon 4:15 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Song Of Solomon 4:15 kjv
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
Song Of Solomon 4:15 nkjv
A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon.
Song Of Solomon 4:15 niv
You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.
Song Of Solomon 4:15 esv
a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.
Song Of Solomon 4:15 nlt
You are a garden fountain,
a well of fresh water
streaming down from Lebanon's mountains.
Song Of Solomon 4 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 36:8-9 | They feast on the abundance of your house... For with you is the fountain of life; | God as the source of the fountain of life. |
| Psa 46:4 | There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, | God's refreshing presence in Zion. |
| Isa 12:3 | With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. | Drawing joy and salvation from God. |
| Isa 58:11 | ...like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. | Blessing of an abundant and never-failing life. |
| Jer 2:13 | My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters... | God as the ultimate fountain of living water. |
| Jer 17:13 | ...all who forsake you shall be put to shame... because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. | God is the true and essential source of life. |
| Zech 14:8 | On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem... | Eschatological blessings, life from God's city. |
| John 4:10-14 | Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”... "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again." | Jesus offers spiritual living water. |
| John 7:38 | Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ | The Holy Spirit is symbolized as living water. |
| Rev 7:17 | For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water... | The Lamb (Christ) leads to springs of life. |
| Rev 21:6 | ...I will give to the thirsty a drink from the spring of the water of life without payment. | God offers the water of life freely. |
| Rev 22:1-2 | Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life... | River of life flowing from God's throne in New Jerusalem. |
| Gen 2:9-10 | ...the tree of life...a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden... | Eden as the first 'garden,' watered by a single source. |
| Num 24:6 | Like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedars beside waters. | Gardens and cedars flourishing by water. |
| Psa 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season... | Righteous person's life is fruitful and sustained by living water. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | The heart as the source of one's life. |
| Prov 5:15-18 | Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well... Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. | Metaphor of exclusive marital intimacy as a spring/well. |
| Song 5:1 | I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love! | The lover entering and enjoying the "garden" of his beloved. |
| Isa 44:3 | For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring... | God's Spirit is poured out like water. |
| Joel 3:18 | ...and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim. | Messianic fountain from God's house bringing fruitfulness. |
| Eph 5:26-27 | ...that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle... | Christ cleansing the church (His bride) with water. |
| Heb 12:22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Mount Zion represents the heavenly source of God's presence. |
Song Of Solomon 4 verses
Song Of Solomon 4 15 meaning
Song of Solomon 4:15 describes the beloved, the Shulamite, as a source of abundant, refreshing, and life-giving qualities. Through the rich imagery of a "fountain of gardens," a "well of living waters," and "streams from Lebanon," the lover extols her as embodying fruitfulness, purity, vitality, and delightful refreshment. This verse paints a picture of an internal essence that overflows with blessings and joy, contributing to a thriving and beautiful relationship.
Song Of Solomon 4 15 Context
This verse is part of a detailed and effusive poem of praise delivered by the Groom to his Bride, the Shulamite, in Song of Solomon 4:1-16. He extols her beauty from head to toe, employing rich nature imagery to describe her physical features. While earlier verses focused on visible aspects (eyes, hair, teeth, lips, neck, breasts), verse 15 shifts to describing her deeper essence, likening her to sources of water. This prepares for the climax of his invitation in verse 16 for her to come into his garden, emphasizing her internal life-giving quality which sustains the "garden" of their love. Culturally, in ancient Israel, water sources were precious commodities, symbols of life, fertility, purity, and refreshment in an often arid land. The imagery highlights her immense value and the blessing she brings.
Song Of Solomon 4 15 Word analysis
You are (אַתְּ - 'at): A direct, intimate second-person feminine pronoun, signaling personal address and deep affection from the lover to his beloved.
a fountain (מַעְיַן - ma'yan): A natural spring, gushing or bubbling forth. It signifies a natural, continuous, and spontaneous source of life-giving water, implying refreshment, fertility, and renewal without human effort.
of gardens (גַּנִּים - gannim): The plural of gan, meaning "garden." This suggests a source that waters many gardens, symbolizing fruitfulness, cultivation, beauty, and delightful enclosure. The fountain enables the flourishing of these gardens.
a well (בְּאֵר - be'er): A dug or excavated source, suggesting depth and reliability. While a fountain is natural outflow, a well indicates a deeper, perhaps more hidden, but equally constant reserve of water. It implies an abundant, secure, and personal store of resources.
of living waters (מַיִם חַיִּים - mayim chayyim): Literally "waters of life." This is a specific term for fresh, running, spring water, as opposed to stagnant pool water. It denotes purity, vitality, refreshing quality, and the ability to sustain life and growth. Highly prized in the arid ancient world.
And streams (וְנֹזְלִים - wenozêlim): From the verb nazal, meaning "to flow." This refers to flowing, trickling, or cascading waters. It emphasizes movement, abundance, and accessibility, portraying water that is freely available and ever-moving.
from Lebanon (מִלְּבָנוֹן - mi-Lebanon): Lebanon was renowned for its high, snow-capped mountains that fed countless clear, cool, and perennial streams. This geographical reference signifies purity, refreshing coolness, elevation (from a high source), abundance, and pristine quality, making the water exceptionally desirable and precious.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- fountain of gardens: Emphasizes that her life-giving quality not only originates naturally but also cultivates and brings fruitfulness to delightful spaces, creating beauty and abundance around her. She is the central, nurturing force.
- well of living waters: Highlights her depth, the fresh, active, and pure vitality that flows from within her. This water is not just present but actively life-sustaining, refreshing for all who draw from it.
- streams from Lebanon: Reinforces the imagery of pristine purity, refreshing coldness, and abundant flow from a majestic, elevated source. This combination speaks to an unmatched quality and quantity of refreshment, associated with nobility and grandeur.
Song Of Solomon 4 15 Bonus section
The progression from "fountain" (surface flow) to "well" (deep-drawn) to "streams from Lebanon" (cascading abundance from a pure source) illustrates an escalating richness. This is not just a single source, but multiple expressions of abundant, clean, and life-giving water, signifying her multi-faceted and ever-present ability to refresh and sustain. The use of water imagery is pervasive in Scripture to describe divine blessing, the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and eternal life, underscoring the deep value and significance placed upon the beloved by the lover in this verse, reflecting ultimate spiritual realities. This metaphor establishes her as fertile ground, ensuring the prosperity of their union and hinting at the joy of their shared life as a protected, flourishing "garden."
Song Of Solomon 4 15 Commentary
Song of Solomon 4:15 elevates the Shulamite beyond mere physical beauty to the very source of life and flourishing. The lover's choice of three distinct yet complementary images—fountain, well, and streams—progressively intensifies the description of her refreshing and life-giving essence. A "fountain of gardens" speaks to her innate ability to bring forth beauty and cultivate joy. The "well of living waters" points to her deep, personal reservoir of vitality and purity, ever fresh and sustaining. Finally, "streams from Lebanon" suggests an overwhelming abundance, purity, and cool refreshment, implying a connection to something grand and untainted, like the high mountain springs.
This imagery carries significant theological weight. Just as water is essential for life in the physical world, so these images point to spiritual nourishment. While literally praising the beloved, the verse also hints at divine sources of life and blessing, typifying the Church's relationship with Christ. Christ himself is the ultimate source of "living water" (Jn 4, 7). The Church, in its purity and faithfulness, can be a source of life and refreshment to the world, much like a well-watered garden, flowing with the Spirit's life-giving truth and grace. The exclusivity and purity of the beloved's spring waters are often used in commentaries to represent marital fidelity and the singular nature of sacred love within God's design.