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Song of Solomon 4

Song of Sol. 4:10 KJV (With Strong’s)

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10
How fair
yaphah (Hebrew #3302)
properly, to be bright, i.e. (by implication) beautiful
KJV usage: be beautiful, be (make self) fair(-r), deck.
Pronounce: yaw-faw'
Origin: a primitive root
is thy love
dowd (Hebrew #1730)
from an unused root meaning properly, to boil, i.e. (figuratively) to love; by implication, a love- token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle
KJV usage: (well-)beloved, father's brother, love, uncle.
Pronounce: dode
Origin: or (shortened) dod {dode}
, my sister
'achowth (Hebrew #269)
a sister (used very widely (like 250), literally and figuratively)
KJV usage: (an-)other, sister, together.
Pronounce: aw-khoth'
Origin: irregular feminine of 251
, my spouse
kallah (Hebrew #3618)
a bride (as if perfect); hence, a son's wife
KJV usage: bride, daughter-in-law, spouse.
Pronounce: kal-law'
Origin: from 3634
! how much better
towb (Hebrew #2895)
a primitive root, to be (transitively, do or make) good (or well) in the widest sense
KJV usage: be (do) better, cheer, be (do, seem) good, (make) goodly, X please, (be, do, go, play) well.
Pronounce: tobe
is thy love
dowd (Hebrew #1730)
from an unused root meaning properly, to boil, i.e. (figuratively) to love; by implication, a love- token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle
KJV usage: (well-)beloved, father's brother, love, uncle.
Pronounce: dode
Origin: or (shortened) dod {dode}
than wine
yayin (Hebrew #3196)
wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication
KJV usage: banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).
Pronounce: yah'-yin
Origin: from an unused root meaning to effervesce
! and the smell
reyach (Hebrew #7381)
odor (as if blown)
KJV usage: savour, scent, smell.
Pronounce: ray'-akh
Origin: from 7306
of thine ointments
shemen (Hebrew #8081)
grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness
KJV usage: anointing, X fat (things), X fruitful, oil((-ed)), ointment, olive, + pine.
Pronounce: sheh'-men
Origin: from 8080
than all spices
besem (Hebrew #1314)
from the same as 1313; fragrance; by implication, spicery; also the balsam plant
KJV usage: smell, spice, sweet (odour).
Pronounce: beh'-sem
Origin: or bosem {bo'-sem}
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More on:

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Ointment,
Spices,
Spouse,
Wine

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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love.
Heb. loves.
Song of Sol. 1:2• 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. (Song of Sol. 1:2)
;
Song of Sol. 1•  (Song of Sol. 1)
:*marg:
how much.
Song of Sol. 1:2,4• 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.
 4Draw me, we will run after thee!--The king hath brought me into his chambers--We will be glad and rejoice in thee, We will remember thy love more than wine. They love thee uprightly. (Song of Sol. 1:2,4)
the smell.
Song of Sol. 1:3,12• 3Thine ointments savour sweetly; Thy name is an ointment poured forth: Therefore do the virgins love thee.
 12While the king is at his table, My spikenard sendeth forth its fragrance. (Song of Sol. 1:3,12)
;
Song of Sol. 3:6• 6Who is this, she that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? … (Song of Sol. 3:6)
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Song of Sol. 5:5• 5I rose up to open to my beloved; And my hands dropped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, Upon the handles of the lock. (Song of Sol. 5:5)
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2 Cor. 1:21‑22• 21Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God,
 22who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Cor. 1:21‑22)
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Gal. 5:22• 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, (Gal. 5:22)
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Phil. 4:18• 18But I have all things in full supply and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things sent from you, an odour of sweet savour, an acceptable sacrifice, agreeable to God. (Phil. 4:18)
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Rev. 5:8• 8And when it took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 5:8)
• We nowhere read of the heart of the Creator being ravished with the beauties of creation. This mystery of mysteries was left for the Redeemer and the redeemed. (“Song of Solomon 4” by A. Miller)
• It is more a question of the heart-of the creating, forming, and drawing out of the affections for the Person of the Beloved. The knowledge of Himself and the certainty of relationship are not yet fully entered into or enjoyed; and these are the very things which the heart that loves so earnestly desires and looks forward to. The Bridegroom, of course, knows the relation in which He stands to her, whom He calls " My sister, my spouse." (“Song of Solomon 4” by A. Miller)
• "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse!" Were our meditations on the Lord's appreciation of our love, more deep, earnest, and simple, we should be more undivided in heart for Him. Love begets love. It is the fire I sit at that warms me. The nearer the fire, the warmer I am. The nearer I am to the heart of Christ, the warmer will be my own, and the more intense the flame of love to Him. (“Song of Solomon 4” by A. Miller)
• There is no wine, no joy of earth, so pleasant to Him, as the love of His spouse; no odor so sweet as the smell of her ointments. He tells her they surpassed "all spices." The hospitalities of the self-righteous Jew were nothing to Him, compared with the love of the fallen one at His feet. (“Song of Solomon 4” by A. Miller)
• Not only is her love better than wine, it is "much better," and the fragrance of her ointments exceeds all spices. So to the heart of Christ, His people's love is much better than all earthly joys, and the graces of His people beyond compare with all that can minister delight in nature. (“Canticle 3: The Communion of Love” by H. Smith)
• You remember in the first chapter it is she who said, looking up to him, “We will remember thy love more than wine.” Now it is he who responds to her and says, “How much better is thy love than wine! (“Song of Solomon 4:1-11” by H.A. Ironside)
• His people should be fragrant with the sweetness of Christ. It is said of the disciples of old, “They took knowledge that they had been with Jesus.” (“Song of Solomon 4:1-11” by H.A. Ironside)

J. N. Darby Translation

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10
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine ointments than all spices!