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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible

Song of Solomon 4:5

"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle That graze among the lilies.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Roe, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Lily;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Roe;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Song of Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Roe, Roebuck;   Song of Songs;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lily,;   Roe, Roebuck;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Scriptures;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lily;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Breast;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Lily;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deer;   Gazelle;   Lily;   Song of Songs;   Wisdom of Solomon, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Eschatology;   Roe;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Your breasts are like two fawns,twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
Hebrew Names Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
King James Version
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
English Standard Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies.
New Century Version
Your breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
Amplified Bible
"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.
World English Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thy two breastes are as two young roes that are twinnes, feeding among the lilies.
Legacy Standard Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns,Twins of a gazelleWhich feed among the lilies.
Berean Standard Bible
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Contemporary English Version
Your breasts are perfect; they are twin deer feeding among lilies.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among lilies.
Darby Translation
Thy two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
Easy-to-Read Version
Your breasts are like twin fawns, like twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
George Lamsa Translation
Your two breasts are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
Good News Translation
Your breasts are like gazelles, twin deer feeding among lilies.
Lexham English Bible
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies.
Literal Translation
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thy two brestes are like two twyns of yonge roes, which fede amoge the lilies.
American Standard Version
Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
Bible in Basic English
Your two breasts are like two young roes of the same birth, which take their food among the lilies.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
King James Version (1611)
Thy two breasts, are like two yong Roes, that are twinnes, which feed among the lillies.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thy two breastes are lyke two twinnes of young Roes, whiche feede among roses.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thy two breasts are as two twin fawns, that feed among the lilies.
English Revised Version
Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi twei tetis ben as twey kidis, twynnes of a capret, that ben fed in lilies,
Update Bible Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
New English Translation
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of the gazelle grazing among the lilies.
New King James Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
New Living Translation
Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
New Life Bible
Your two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle, that eat among the lilies.
New Revised Standard
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thy two breasts, are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle, - which pasture among lilies.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Revised Standard Version
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
Young's Literal Translation
Thy two breasts [are] as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.

Contextual Overview

1 "How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Mount Gilead. 2 "Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep Which have come up from their watering place, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. 3 "Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil. 4 "Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with layers of stones On which are hung a thousand shields, All the round shields of the warriors. 5 "Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle That graze among the lilies.6 "Until the cool of the day When the shadows flee, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. 7 "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish on you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two breasts: Song of Solomon 1:13, Song of Solomon 7:3, Song of Solomon 7:7, Song of Solomon 8:1, Song of Solomon 8:10, Proverbs 5:19, Isaiah 66:10-12, 1 Peter 2:2

feed: Song of Solomon 2:16, Song of Solomon 6:3

Reciprocal: Song of Solomon 8:8 - she hath Ezekiel 16:7 - whereas Hosea 14:5 - he shall

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
Then He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground.
Genesis 4:11
"Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Genesis 31:2
And Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as it had been before.
Genesis 31:5
and said to them, "I see your father's attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.
Numbers 16:15
Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Pay no attention to their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them."
Job 5:2
"For irritation kills the fool, And jealousy brings death to the simple.
Psalms 20:3
May He remember all your meal offerings And accept your burnt offering! Selah
Matthew 20:15
'Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'
Acts 13:45
But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins,.... Or, "two fawns, the twins of a doe": Providence, as Plutarch observes p, has given to women two breasts, that, should they have twins, both might have a fountain of nourishment; and are fitly compared to twins of the doe. The hind, for the most part, brings but one roe at a time; but there are some, the philosopher says q, bring twins; by which the beauty of the breasts is expressed: "young roes" may point at the smallness of them, large breasts are not accounted handsome; and "twins", at their equal size and shape, not one larger nor higher than the other, that would be a deformity; twins are generally alike;

which feed among the lilies; and are fat and plump: the allusion may be to the putting of lilies in the bosom, between the breasts, as other flowers; lilies are reckoned among the decorations of women, in the Apocryha:

"And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire upon it, and put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of Manasses her husband.'' (Judith 10:3)

or rather to the creatures mentioned, the roes and hinds, which feed among lilies, in fields where lilies grow; for these grow in fields as well as in gardens, and are called the "lilies of the field", Matthew 6:28; and we read r sometimes of harts and hinds among lilies. By "breasts" may be meant, either the ministers of the word, who impart "the sincere milk of the word", and who deliver out the nourishing doctrines of grace, like milk out of the breast, 1 Corinthians 3:2; and may be like to "roes" for their affection to those who are under their ministry; and pleasant to them, to whom they are made useful; and for their sharp sightedness and penetration into the mysteries of grace; and for their quick dispatch in doing their work, though through many difficulties, which, like young roes, they leap and skip over: and "two" of them show a sufficient number of them Christ provides for his church; and being "twins" express their equal authority, and harmony of doctrine; and feeding "among lilies" is where Christ himself feeds, Song of Solomon 2:16; where Christ feeds they feed, and where they feed Christ feeds, even among his saints, comparable to lilies, Song of Solomon 2:2; or these "breasts" may design the two Testaments, the Old and New, which contain the whole sincere milk of the word; are like "young roes", pleasant and delightful to believers; and, as "twins", are alike, agree in their doctrines concerning Christ, and the blessings of grace through him; the types, figures, prophecies, and promises of the one, have their completion in the other; and both abound with the lilies of Gospel doctrines and promises: though rather these "breasts" may point at the two ordinances of the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's supper; which are breasts of consolation to believers, out of which they suck, and are satisfied; and through feeding on Christ in both, they receive much nourishment and strength; and are very amiable and lovely to the saints, when they enjoy the presence of Christ in them, and have the discoveries of his love to them; and may be said to be "twins", being both instituted by Christ, and both lead unto him, and require the same subjects; and are received and submitted to by saints, comparable to lilies, as before.

p De Liberis Educand. vol. 2. p. 3. q Aristot. de Animal. l. 6. c. 29. r "En aspicis ilium, candida qui medius cubat inter lilia, cervum?" Calphurnius apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 24. col. 924.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Song of Solomon 4:5. Thy two breasts are like two young roes — I have met with many attempts to support this similitude, or rather to show that there is a similitude; but I judge them unworthy of citation. The poet speaks the language of nature; and in a case of this kind, where the impassioned lover attempts to describe the different perfections of his bride, language often fails him, and his comparisons and similitudes are often without strict correctness. In love songs we have heard ladies' necks compared to that of the swan, not only for its whiteness, but also for its length! The description here shows more of nature than of art, which I consider a high recommendation.

Feed among the lilies. — It may be the nipples especially, which the poet compares to the two young roes; and the lilies may refer to the whiteness of the breasts themselves.


 
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