Song Of Solomon 5 8

Song Of Solomon 5:8 kjv

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

Song Of Solomon 5:8 nkjv

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!

Song Of Solomon 5:8 niv

Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you? if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love.

Song Of Solomon 5:8 esv

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.

Song Of Solomon 5:8 nlt

Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem ?
If you find my lover,
tell him I am weak with love.

Song Of Solomon 5 verses

Song Of Solomon 5 8 meaning

This verse is a desperate, solemn plea from the Shulamite woman to the "daughters of Jerusalem." In the absence of her beloved, she experiences such intense longing and emotional distress that it manifests as a physical "sickness" or "fainting" induced by the power of her love. She earnestly implores them, under the weight of an oath, to convey her condition to her beloved if they should find him, signifying her profound yearning and the overwhelming effect his absence has upon her.

Song Of Solomon 5 8 Context

This verse occurs after a crucial turning point in the Song of Solomon. The Shulamite has recounted a dream (or a quasi-real experience, given the fluidity of the narrative) where her beloved knocked at her door, but due to her hesitancy and unpreparedness, she delayed opening. By the time she finally rose, he had departed. Her regret and fervent love drive her to a frantic search for him in the city streets, encountering watchmen who wound her. Her initial complacent or passive attitude (5:2-6) gives way to overwhelming grief and active yearning (5:7). In her deep distress and unfulfilled longing, she turns to the "daughters of Jerusalem"—the city's young women who often act as a chorus or confidantes—and utters this solemn charge. It is a desperate cry borne out of separation and the acute suffering of love's absence, setting the stage for her subsequent lavish description of her beloved to them.

Song Of Solomon 5 8 Word analysis

• I charge you: The Hebrew is אהדני (ʿahiddətī), derived from the verb אהד (ʿāhad), meaning "to swear," "to take an oath," or "to adjure." This is not a casual request but a solemn, binding injunction, similar to putting someone under an oath to fulfill a promise or duty. It conveys the utter seriousness and urgency of her plea, imposing a moral obligation on the "daughters of Jerusalem."
• O ye daughters of Jerusalem: בנות ירושלם (bənoṯ yərūšālaim). This is the standard address to the female chorus of the book. They represent a community or collective, both witnesses to and participants in the unfolding love story. Spiritually, they can represent fellow believers or the broader church.
• if ye find my beloved: אם תמצאו את־דודי (ʾim timṣeʾū ʾeṯ-dōḏī). The phrase uses the conditional "if," implying uncertainty and highlighting her desperate state where he is currently lost to her. דודי (dōḏī) is the term of endearment, "my beloved," a recurring tender title for the male protagonist, underscoring the intimate and personal nature of their relationship.
• that ye tell him: שתגידו לו (še-tāggîḏū lô). This indicates her specific request: not just to find him, but to communicate a message on her behalf, bridging the gap created by his absence and her inability to speak to him directly.
• that I am sick of love: כי חולת אהבה אני (kî ḥôlaṯ ʾahăvāh ʾănî). This is the crux of her message. חולת (ḥôlaṯ) means "sick," "faint," or "weak." It comes from the root חול (ḥol) which can refer to being sick, in pain, or even travailing in labor. אהבה (ʾahăvāh) is "love." Therefore, "sick of love" describes a profound, incapacitating physical and emotional distress brought about by the intensity of her love and the agony of her beloved's absence. It is not a metaphor for being tired of love, but an expression of being physically overwhelmed and weakened by the force of her love. It indicates that her emotional state has manifested in physical symptoms.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem": This entire phrase sets a grave tone. It is a legal-religious appeal, binding the listeners to act. The "daughters of Jerusalem" are given a solemn commission, elevating her personal anguish into a matter of communal responsibility or awareness.
• "if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him": This establishes the practical mission. It reflects her powerlessness to reach him herself and her reliance on others. The focus is on a direct, urgent message once he is located, underscoring the immediacy of her pain.
• "that I am sick of love": This reveals the deep inner state that prompts her external actions. It is a condition of extreme vulnerability and total absorption in her love for him. This phrase encapsulates the central theme of intense, consuming passion that permeates the book.

Song Of Solomon 5 8 Bonus section

The concept of "love sickness" (eros nosos) was a recognized affliction in ancient and classical cultures, sometimes attributed to divine influence, causing real physiological symptoms such as languor, paleness, fever, and loss of appetite. The Shulamite's declaration therefore aligns with ancient understandings of intense passion and is not merely a poetic fancy but reflects a deep internal state that profoundly affects her. This portrayal highlights the immersive and transformative power of genuine love. In the allegorical interpretation, this intense longing mirrors the deep yearning of the soul or the Church for Christ, recognizing that separation from Him leads to spiritual distress and a consuming desire for renewed communion and His ultimate return.

Song Of Solomon 5 8 Commentary

Song of Solomon 5:8 captures the raw anguish of unfulfilled desire and the overwhelming power of true love. The Shulamite's command to the "daughters of Jerusalem" is not a casual request, but a desperate, solemn adjuration, reflecting her extreme emotional state following the departure of her beloved. Her confession, "I am sick of love," transcends mere poetic hyperbole; it conveys a genuine, physically manifest distress—a consuming weakness and longing—due to his absence. This love is so potent it affects her physical well-being. The verse speaks to a love so intense that it is painful, drawing parallels to spiritual yearning where the soul, in the absence of a felt connection with God, experiences a deep and debilitating sense of longing. It underscores that profound, committed love often involves an inseparable bond where separation brings significant suffering and a deep desire for reunification, urging all of creation (represented by the daughters) to assist in its realization.