Song Of Solomon 5 6

Song Of Solomon 5:6 kjv

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

Song Of Solomon 5:6 nkjv

I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

Song Of Solomon 5:6 niv

I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.

Song Of Solomon 5:6 esv

I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.

Song Of Solomon 5:6 nlt

I opened to my lover,
but he was gone!
My heart sank.
I searched for him
but could not find him anywhere.
I called to him,
but there was no reply.

Song Of Solomon 5 verses

Song Of Solomon 5 6 meaning

Song of Solomon 5:6 portrays the painful consequence of the Shulammite's hesitation to open her door to her Beloved. Upon finally relenting and opening, she discovers he has departed. This immediate realization plunges her into deep emotional distress, leading her to frantically search for him. Her attempts to find and call out to him are met with complete absence and silence, leaving her in anguish and despair over his unresponsiveness and her own delay.

Song Of Solomon 5 6 Context

Song of Solomon chapter 5 features the Shulammite recounting a dream-like sequence to the Daughters of Jerusalem. In this "dream" (or profound spiritual experience), her Beloved arrives at her door in the night, urging her to open. He describes himself as wet with dew, indicating he has travelled to her. However, instead of immediately responding, the Shulammite offers excuses related to her comfort and having already prepared for bed (Song 5:3). By the time her heart is stirred, and she goes to open, her Beloved has turned away and is gone (Song 5:6). The initial refusal and subsequent regret drive the narrative of her frantic search and deep sorrow in the remainder of the chapter. This scenario reflects moments of spiritual hesitation or delay in responding to divine invitations, and the resultant pain of perceived absence or lost opportunity. The "dream" aspect often allows for heightened emotion and symbolic weight, exploring the psychological depths of love, longing, and regret within the unique literary genre of Song of Solomon.

Song Of Solomon 5 6 Word analysis

• I opened (פָּתַ֤חְתִּי – pātacḥtî): Hebrew root פתח (pataḥ), meaning "to open." The use of the perfect tense indicates a completed action, but one that occurs after her beloved has left, highlighting her tardiness.
• to my beloved, (לְדוֹדִ֑י – lĕdōwḏî): דּוֹד (dōwḏ) refers to a beloved one, specifically a close, affectionate relationship, typically used for a lover or husband in this book. The possessive suffix 'my' underscores the deeply personal nature of this encounter.
• but my beloved (וְדוֹדִּ֥י – wĕdōwḏî): The conjunction "but" marks a sharp contrast, indicating that her action of opening was too late. The repetition of "my beloved" emphasizes her focus and the intensity of her personal loss.
• had turned away and was gone. (חָמַ֖ק עָבָ֑ר – chāmaq ʿāḇār):
  • חָמַק (chāmaq): "To slip away," "to pass on quickly," or "to turn aside abruptly." It implies a swift and decisive departure, not a gradual leaving.
  • עָבָר (ʿāḇār): "To pass over," "to go away," "to vanish." This word reinforces the idea of disappearance, of being entirely beyond her reach. Together, these words paint a picture of sudden, irreversible absence.
• My soul failed (נַפְשִׁי֙ יָֽצְאָה֙ – nap̄šî yāṣĕʾāh):
  • נֶפֶשׁ (nep̄eš): "Soul," "life," "person," "being," encompassing the totality of one's inner self and emotions.
  • יָצָא (yāṣāʾ): "To go out," "to depart." In this context, it idiomatically means "my soul went out of me," expressing extreme emotional distress, faintness, or despair – as if her very life force drained away.
• when he spoke. (בְדַבְּר֔וֹ – bĕḏabberô): Refers to his prior plea to her from Song 5:2, "Open to me, my sister, my love..." Her soul's failing is an overwhelming realization and regret in response to that specific plea, highlighting the profound impact his words had, retrospectively.
• I sought him, (בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֙יהוּ֙ – biqqaštîhū): Root בָּקַשׁ (bāqaš), "to seek diligently," "to search for with effort." This signifies an earnest and active pursuit, born out of desperation.
• but I could not find him; (וְלֹ֖א מְצָאתִ֑יהוּ – wĕlōʾ mĕṣāʾtîhū): Root מָצָא (māṣāʾ), "to find," "to encounter." The negation "not" creates a direct and painful counterpoint to her intense seeking, emphasizing the futility of her efforts.
• I called him, (קְרָאתִ֖יו – qĕrāʾṯîw): Root קָרָא (qārāʾ), "to call," "to cry out." This shows her desperate attempt to communicate and reverse his departure, using her voice to reach him.
• but he gave me no answer. (וְלֹ֥א עָנָֽנִי – wĕlōʾ ʿānānî): Root עָנָה (ʿānāh), "to answer," "to respond." This is the climactic point of her despair. Not only is he physically gone, but he offers no verbal comfort or sign of his presence, signaling a complete and devastating break in communication.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone.": This sequence powerfully illustrates a missed opportunity and its immediate, disheartening consequence. Her act of opening is met not with reunion but with irreversible absence, setting the tone for the profound sense of loss. The delayed response turns an expected embrace into an empty void.
• "My soul failed when he spoke.": This phrase captures the sheer weight of regret and sorrow. It signifies a profound, almost physical, collapse of her spirit, triggered by the memory of his loving yet ultimately unheeded call. It's a moment of piercing realization of what she had allowed to slip away, not necessarily that he spoke at the moment she opened, but that her remembrance of his past plea caused her overwhelming anguish.
• "I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.": This couplet emphasizes the agonizing reality of total absence. Her efforts, first through active searching and then through fervent calling, are entirely futile. The parallel structure highlights the complete inaccessibility and unresponsiveness of the Beloved, reinforcing the painful and isolating nature of her spiritual state after her prior neglect. This echoes divine warnings about seeking Him in vain after a season of indifference.

Song Of Solomon 5 6 Bonus section

The intense, almost physical reaction of the Shulammite ("My soul failed") reveals the depth of her connection to the Beloved and the severity of her internal suffering. This is not mere annoyance but existential dread, where her "soul" (her very life-breath and being) is impacted. This highlights that spiritual absence can be as devastating as physical loss. Furthermore, the dream setting amplifies the symbolic nature of this experience; it reflects an inner struggle, a conviction about spiritual neglect and its profound emotional and relational fallout, perhaps more so than a literal, external event. Her active search in the ensuing verses (through the city, encountering watchmen) showcases that she will endure significant hardship and public exposure for the sake of finding him, demonstrating the desperate lengths to which a contrite heart will go to restore communion. This contrast between her initial desire for personal comfort (5:3) and her later willingness to endure hardship (5:7) serves to emphasize the dramatic shift in her priorities brought on by the loss.

Song Of Solomon 5 6 Commentary

Song of Solomon 5:6 is a pivotal verse within the chapter, serving as the dramatic culmination of the Shulammite's hesitation and the precipitating factor for her subsequent distress. The vivid imagery depicts her realization that her beloved is gone the moment she opens the door she had previously kept shut. This paints a profound spiritual lesson, often interpreted as the consequences of spiritual procrastination or lukewarmness when God's Spirit is calling. His turning away, not in anger but simply moving on, underscores that divine opportunities are time-sensitive and that sustained neglect can lead to a sense of God's withdrawal or "hiddenness."

Her internal collapse ("My soul failed") is not merely disappointment but a deep, visceral pain, reflecting extreme remorse over her complacency. This emotional agony drives her frantic search and desperate cries, yet all are met with silence. The futility of her intense efforts—seeking without finding, calling without answer—serves as a stark warning. It suggests that while God is ever-present and longs for communion, there are moments when His perceptible presence or direct answer may be withdrawn, particularly following a season of unresponsiveness on our part. It is not that God ceases to be, but that our perception of and access to Him can be obscured by our own spiritual lethargy, leading to a spiritual "dark night of the soul." The verse powerfully conveys the grief and despair of a soul longing for a lost communion, illustrating the profound cost of not cherishing and promptly responding to the Lord's invitation. It emphasizes vigilance and earnestness in our spiritual walk.

• Example for Practical Usage: If a believer continually puts off quiet time or neglects God's gentle promptings to serve, they might experience a period of spiritual dryness, feeling His presence less intensely, much like the Shulammite searching for her Beloved but finding him gone.