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Read the Bible

King James Version

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Carmel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Head, Headship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Colour;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Galleries;   Hair;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Song of Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Carmel;   Hair;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Carmel ;   Gallery;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Bath-Rab'bim;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Black;   Carmel;   Hair;   Head;   Purple;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Carmel;   Color;   Gallery;   Hair;   Purple;   Song of Songs;   Thrum;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Carmel, Mount;   Eschatology;   Hair;   Heshbon;   Lebanon;   Repentance;   Zakkai;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,the hair of your head like purple cloth—a king could be held captive in your tresses.
Hebrew Names Version
Your head on you is like Karmel, The hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in its tresses.
English Standard Version
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
New American Standard Bible
"Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing hair of your head is like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses.
New Century Version
Your head is like Mount Carmel, and your hair is like purple cloth; the king is captured in its folds.
Amplified Bible
"Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the flowing hair of your head like purple threads; I, the king, am held captive by your tresses.
World English Bible
Your head on you is like Carmel, The hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in its tresses.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thine head vpon thee is as skarlet, and the bush of thine head like purple: the King is tyed in the rafters.
Legacy Standard Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel,And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads;The king is captivated by your tresses.
Berean Standard Bible
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple threads; the king is captured in your tresses.
Contemporary English Version
Your head is held high like Mount Carmel; your hair is so lovely it holds a king prisoner.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your neck is like a tower of ivory, your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bat-Rabbim, your nose like a tower in the L'vanon overlooking Dammesek.
Darby Translation
Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the locks of thy head like purple; The king is fettered by [thy] ringlets!
Easy-to-Read Version
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair on your head is like silk. Your long flowing hair captures even a king.
George Lamsa Translation
Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the braiding of your hair is like royal purple bound with rows of stitching.
Good News Translation
Your head is held high like Mount Carmel. Your braided hair shines like the finest satin; its beauty could hold a king captive.
Lexham English Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel; the flowing locks of your head are like purple tapestry; a king is held captive in the tresses!
Literal Translation
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple cloth; the King is held captive in its tresses.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That heade that stondeth vpon the is like Carmel: The hayre of thy heade is like the kynges purple folden vp in plates.
American Standard Version
Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the hair of thy head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses thereof.
Bible in Basic English
Your head is like Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple, in whose net the king is prisoner.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim; thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
King James Version (1611)
Thine head vpon thee is like Carmel, and the haire of thine head like purple, the king is held in the galleries.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That head that standeth vpon thee is lyke Carmel: and the heere of thy head is like purple, and like a kyng dwellyng among many water conduites.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thy head upon thee is as Carmel, and the curls of thy hair like scarlet; the king is bound in the galleries.
English Revised Version
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held captive in the tresses [thereof].
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thin heed is as Carmele; and the heeres of thin heed ben as the kyngis purpur, ioyned to trowyis.
Update Bible Version
Your head on you is like Carmel, And the hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses [thereof].
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy head upon thee [is] like Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king [is] held in the galleries.
New English Translation
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. The locks of your hair are like royal tapestries— the king is held captive in its tresses!
New King James Version
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses.
New Living Translation
Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. The king is held captive by its tresses.
New Life Bible
Your head crowns you like Carmel. Your flowing hair is like strings of purple. The king is held by the beauty of your hair.
New Revised Standard
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thy head upon thee, is like Carmel, And, the hair of thy head, is like purple, - The king, is held captive by the ringlets!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy head is like Carmel: and the hairs of thy head as the purple of the king bound in the channels.
Revised Standard Version
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
Young's Literal Translation
Thy head upon thee as Carmel, And the locks of thy head as purple, The king is bound with the flowings!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses.

Contextual Overview

1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. 2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. 3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. 4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. 5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. 6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! 7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

head: Isaiah 35:2, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 2:19

Carmel: or, crimson, Micah 7:14

the hair: Song of Solomon 4:1, Song of Solomon 5:11, Revelation 1:14

the king: Song of Solomon 1:17, *marg. Genesis 32:26, Psalms 68:24, Psalms 87:2, Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20

held: Heb. bound

Reciprocal: Joshua 19:26 - Carmel Song of Solomon 1:12 - the king Song of Solomon 3:4 - I held Song of Solomon 4:9 - thou hast Song of Solomon 7:10 - his Ezekiel 41:15 - galleries Ezekiel 42:3 - gallery against

Cross-References

Genesis 6:22
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Exodus 39:32
Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
Exodus 40:16
Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
Psalms 119:6
Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
Matthew 3:15
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Luke 8:21
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
John 2:5
His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
John 13:17
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Hebrews 5:8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thine head upon thee [is] like Carmel,.... Set with hair, thick and long, as Carmel with plants and trees. Now Christ is the church's Head in various senses; he is her federal and representative Head in eternity and time; her political Head, as a King to his subjects; an economical Head, as the husband to the wife, as parents to their children, and a master to servants; and, as such, may be compared to Carmel; for the multitude dependent on him, whom he represents, and is connected with under various relations; for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth, and all other heads; and for fruitfulness, all the fruits of the church, and of all true believers, coming from him. Some render the word, "as crimson", or "scarlet" b; which may set forth his royal dignity and majesty, this colour being wore by kings and great personages; or the ardent love of Christ to his body, the church, and the members of it; or his bloody sufferings for them;

and the hair of thine head like purple; purple coloured hair has been in great esteem. Of this colour was the hair of King Nysus, according to the fable c; and so the hair of Evadne, and of the Muses d, were of a violet colour; the hair of Ulysses is said e to be like to the hyacinth flower, which is of a purple or violet colour; and Milton f calls the first Adam's hair hyacinthine locks; and here, in a figurative sense, the second Adam's hair is said to be like purple. By which believers that grow on Christ, the Head of the church, nay be meant, who have their dependence on him, and their strength and nourishment from him; see Song of Solomon 4:1; and these may be said to be like "purple", because of their royal dignity, being made kings unto God by Christ; and because of their being washed in the purple blood of Christ; and because of the sufferings they endure for his sake; and especially such may be so compared, who have spilt their blood and laid down their lives on his account;

the king [is] held in the galleries; the same with the Head of the church, the King of Zion, and King of saints, whose kingdom is a spiritual and everlasting one: and by the "galleries" in which he is held may be meant the ordinances of the Gospel; where Christ and his people walk and converse together; where he discloses the secrets of his heart to them, leads them into a further acquaintance with his covenant, and the blessings and promises of it; and from whence they have delightful views of his person and fulness; see the King in his beauty, and behold the good land which is afar off: the same word as here is rendered "rafters", and by some "canals", in Song of Solomon 1:17;

Song of Solomon 1:17- :. Now Christ being said to be "held in [these] galleries" may signify his fixed habitation in his house and ordinances; where he has promised to dwell, and delights to be; and where he is as it were fastened to them, and hatred in them.

b ככרמל "veluti coccinum", Pagninus, Vatablus, Mercerus; "simile est coccineo", Junius Tremellius "est ut coccus", Piscator; so Ainsworth; "sicut carmesinum", Schindler. c Ovid. Metamorph. l. 8. Fab. 1. v. 301. De Arte Amandi, l. 1. & de Remed. Amor. l. 1. v. 68. Hygin. Fab. 198. Pausan. Attica, p. 33. d Pindar. Olymp. Ode 6. Pyth. Ode 1. v. 2. e Homer. Odyss. 6. v. 231. & 23. v. 155. f Paradise Lost, Book 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare and contrast with Song of Solomon 5:15. The rendering in the margin takes “Carmel” as the name of a color, equivalent to “carmine” (rendered “crimson” in 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14; 2 Chronicles 3:14). This interpretation is favored by the parallelism with “purple,” but removes a beautiful image.

Purple - A deep violet black.

The king ... - Rather, “A king is bound in the tresses or windings of thy hair.” These last words indicate the king’s approach.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Song of Solomon 7:5. Thine head - like Carmel — Rising majestically upon thy neck, and above thy shoulders, as Mount Carmel does in its district. Carmel was the name of the mountain where Elijah had his contest with the prophets of Baal. See 1 Kings 18:19, &c.

The hair of thine head like purple — Ornamented with ribbons and jewellery of this tint.

The king is held in the galleries. — Or is detained in the antechamber. His heart is captivated by thy person and conduct. Some understand the ringlets of the bride's hair.


 
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