Song of Solomon 5:11
New International Version
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

New Living Translation
His head is finest gold, his wavy hair is black as a raven.

English Standard Version
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

Berean Standard Bible
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

King James Bible
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

New King James Version
His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven.

New American Standard Bible
“His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

NASB 1995
“His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

NASB 1977
“His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates, And black as a raven.

Legacy Standard Bible
His head is like gold, fine gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

Amplified Bible
“His head is like [precious] gold, pure gold; His hair is [curly] like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

Christian Standard Bible
His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven.

American Standard Version
His head is as the most fine gold; His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
His head is like rock of gold, his locks are straight and black as ravens

Brenton Septuagint Translation
His head is as very fine gold, his locks are flowing, black as a raven.

Contemporary English Version
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy, black as a raven.

Douay-Rheims Bible
His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

English Revised Version
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His head is the finest gold. His hair is wavy, black as a raven.

Good News Translation
His face is bronzed and smooth; his hair is wavy, black as a raven.

International Standard Version
His head is pure gold, his hair is wavy, black like a raven.

JPS Tanakh 1917
His head is as the most fine gold, His locks are curled, And black as a raven.

Literal Standard Version
His head [is] pure gold—fine gold, | His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

Majority Standard Bible
His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

New American Bible
His head is gold, pure gold, his hair like palm fronds, as black as a raven.

NET Bible
His head is like the most pure gold. His hair is curly--black like a raven.

New Revised Standard Version
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

New Heart English Bible
His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

Webster's Bible Translation
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

World English Bible
His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

Young's Literal Translation
His head is pure gold -- fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Bride and Her Beloved
10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. 11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. 12His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.…

Cross References
Song of Solomon 5:2
I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night."

Song of Solomon 5:12
His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.


Treasury of Scripture

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

head

Daniel 2:37,38
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory…

Ephesians 1:21,22
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: …

his locks

Song of Solomon 7:5
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

Daniel 7:9
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Revelation 1:14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

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Black Clusters Curled Dark Dates Delicate Fine Finest Flowing Gold Hair Head Locks Pure Purest Raven Thick
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Black Clusters Curled Dark Dates Delicate Fine Finest Flowing Gold Hair Head Locks Pure Purest Raven Thick
Song of Solomon 5
1. Christ awakes the church with his calling
2. The church having a taste of Christ's love is sick of love
9. A description of Christ by his graces














(11) Bushy.--Marg., curled; Heb., taltallim=flowing in curls, or heaped up, i.e., thick, bushy, according as we derive from talah or tel. The LXX. (followed by the Vulg.) take taltallim for another form of zalzallim (Isaiah 18:5, sprigs of the vine), and render palm-leaves.

Verses 11-16. - His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks; washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs; his lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl; his body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold. His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. This description, which is complete in itself, is best regarded in its unbroken perfection. We must not expect to find a meaning for each separate part of it. There are ten corporeal excellences enumerated. We naturally recall the descriptions in Daniel and in the Apocalypse, which certainly have reference to this, and manifestly combine the attributes of greatness and beauty in the Son of man. Solomon, no doubt, as the son of Bathsheba, was distinguished by his personal attractions. Some of the details of description are differently rendered by different commentators. Delitzsch regards the description of the hair in ver. 11 as compared to a hill or hilly range" his locks hill upon hill," i.e. "his hair, seen from his neck upwards, forms in undulating lines hill upon hill." The black colour is no doubt mentioned as a contrast with the fair, white complexion. The eyes are not only pure and clear, but with a glancing moistness in them which expresses feeling and devotion. So Plutarch has ὑρότης τῶν ὀμμάτῶν to denote a languishing look, and we find the same figure in the 'Gitagovinda ' and Hafiz, and in Ossian. So Luther, "Und stehen in der Falle." The pureness of the white of the eye is represented in the bathing or washing in milk. They are full and large, "fine in their setting," referring no doubt to the steady, strong look of fine eyes. "The cheeks" are compared to towers of plants; that is, there is a soft elevation in them. LXX., ψύουσαι μυρεψικά: Jerome, Sicut areolae aromatum consitae a pigmentariis. The Targum says, "Like the rows of a garden of aromatic plants, which produce deep, penetrating essences, even as a (magnificent) garden aromatic plants" - perhaps referring to the "flos juventae," the hair on the face, the growth of the beard. "The lips" are described as the organs of speech as well as inviting to embrace. They drop words like liquid fragrance. "The bands" may be differently described according as they are viewed. Delitzsch says, "His hands form cylinders, fitted in with stones of Tarshish." Gesenius thinks the comparison is of the closed hand and the stained nails, but that seems farfetched. Surely it is the outstretched hands that are meant. The form of the fingers is seen and admired; they are full, round, fleshy like bars of gold. The word "Tarshish" may mean clay white, as in the Greek versions; that is, topaz, called Tarshish from Tartessus in Spain, where it is found. The description of the body is of the outward appearance and figure only, though the word itself signifies "inward parts." The comparison with ivory work refers to the glancing and perfect smoothness and symmetry as of a beautiful ivory statue, the work of the highest artistic excellence. The sapphire covering tempers the white. The beautiful blue veins appear through the skin and give a lovely tint to the body. So in the description of the legs we have the combination of white and gold, the white marble setting forth greatness and purity, and the gold sublimity and nobleness; intended, no doubt, to suggest that in the royal bridegroom there was personal beauty united with kingly majesty, as in the following description of his general aspect, which, like the splendours of the mountains, was awe-inspiring and yet elevating and delightful (cf. Psalm 80:11 (10): Jeremiah 22:7; Isaiah 37:24). His mouth, or palate, is sweetness itself; that is, when he speaks his words are full of winning love (cf. Proverbs 16:4; Psalm 55:16). We may compare with the whole description that given of Absalom, Solomon's brother, in 2 Samuel 14:25, 26. It has been truly remarked by Zockler that "the mention of the legs, and just before of the body, could only be regarded as unbecoming or improper by an overstrained prudishness, because the description which is here given avoids all libidinous details, and is so strictly general as not even to imply that she had ever seen the parts of the body in question in a nude condition." It merely serves to complete the delineation of her lover, which Shulamith sketches by a gradual descent from head to foot, and, moreover, is to be laid to the account of the poet rather than to that of Shulamith, who is in everything else so chaste and delicate in her feelings. Certainly it would be much less delicate regarded as the description of a shepherd lover who is seeking to obtain possession of the maiden taken from him, than of the royal bridegroom to whom Shulamith is at all events affianced, if not already married. The highest spiritual feelings of loving adoration of the Saviour have welcomed some parts of this description, and adopted them into the language of "spiritual songs." To some minds, no doubt, it is repellent; to those to whom it is not so, the warmth and glow of Eastern language is by no means too realistic for the feelings of delight in the Lord which express themselves in rapturous music.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
His head
רֹאשׁ֖וֹ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

is purest gold;
כֶּ֣תֶם (ke·ṯem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3800: Something carved out, ore, gold

his hair
קְוּצּוֹתָיו֙‪‬ (qəw·wṣ·ṣō·w·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6977: Locks (of hair)

is wavy
תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים (tal·tal·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8534: Perhaps locks (of hair)

and black
שְׁחֹר֖וֹת (šə·ḥō·rō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 7838: Dusky, jetty

as a raven.
כָּעוֹרֵֽב׃ (kā·‘ō·w·rêḇ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6158: A raven


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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 5:11 His head is like the purest gold (Song Songs SS So Can)
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