· Translation: KJV

Song of Solomon 5:14His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.

The setting

Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. The bride describes her beloved's hands and body using the most precious materials known to her culture. Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: overwhelmed by his preciousness and her own desire

The original word

tarshish (תַּרְשִׁישׁ) — beryl, a precious golden-green stone, possibly topaz or chrysolite

Why it matters

Ivory was so valuable it was imported from Africa and India, reserved only for royal furniture and temple decorations

Read with care

What most readers miss in Song of Solomon 5:14

She's describing his hands as both beautiful and valuable - hands that work but also hands that touch her gently

Common misconceptionMany think this is inappropriate for Scripture, but God included it to show that physical attraction and desire within committed love is holy and celebrated.

Bible Genome reading

Song of Solomon 5:14 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerBeloved
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionworship
Literary typepoetry

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability60%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone50%
Themes:beautyprecious materialscraftsmanship

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:14 comes from the book of Song of Solomon, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Beloved. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include beauty, precious materials, craftsmanship. Notable phrases: rings of gold; ivory work; overlaid with sapphires.

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