Song of Solomon – Chapter 1

Old Testament16 Verses

1Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,

2Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.

3Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the rightous love thee.

4I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

5Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

6Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.

7If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.

8To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.

9Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels.

10We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.

11While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.

12A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.

13A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.

14Behold thou are fair, O my love, behold thou are fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.

15Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.

16The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.

Reflection for Today

As you read Song of Solomon Chapter 1, the Catholic Church invites you to encounter God's living Word through the lens of Sacred Tradition. The Catechism teaches that Scripture must be read "within the living Tradition of the whole Church" (CIC 113). The same Holy Spirit who inspired these words continues to guide the Church in understanding them today.

In Catholic theology, every passage of Scripture points ultimately to Christ and finds its fullest meaning in the Church's sacramental life. The Magisterium—the teaching authority of the Pope and bishops—guides the faithful in authentic interpretation. As you meditate on these verses, consider how the Church Fathers and saints have understood them.

Through lectio divina—the ancient Catholic practice of prayerful reading—allow these words to transform your mind and heart, drawing you deeper into communion with Christ and His Church. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate these verses and show you how they call you to deeper faith, hope, and love.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

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