Song of Solomon 4:6 Meaning: Whose Words? The Fragrant Hill and Mountain
Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.
Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, And unto the hill of frankincense.
Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.
Meaning in one sentence
Who speaks in Song of Solomon 4:6? What do 'mountain of myrrh' and 'hill of frankincense' mean? See cross-traditional insights.
Context
The praise of the bride’s beauty fills the first five verses of chapter 4. The beloved speaks each line, describing her hair, teeth, lips, and breasts with vivid images from nature and military power. Then suddenly comes verse 6, with words almost identical to the bride’s own request in chapter 2: “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.” Commentators disagree on who says this. Some hear the husband continuing his praise, promising to seek her out. Others hear the bride answering his compliments with her own desire. Either way, the verse marks a turn from description into action, from looking to going.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “I will go” (elekh) includes a small word attached to it: li, “for myself.” This is not casual strolling. It is a deliberate movement, “I will betake myself.” The speaker intends to go to a place, not just pass by.
The word for “flee” (nasu) is the same used when shadows disappear at sunset (or dawn, depending on how you read the Hebrew “day breathes”). These shadows (tselalim) are more than darkness; they are the passing, fragile cover of evening. The speaker waits for them to vanish before making this journey.
Myrrh (mor) and frankincense (levonah) appear together in Exodus as sacred ingredients for anointing oil and incense. But here they grow on mountains and hills, places that smell of worship and intimacy. The speaker longs to be where these fragrances fill the air, whether that means the beloved’s body, the Temple mount, or a garden of communion.
How Christians Read This Verse
Jewish tradition long read this poem as a picture of God’s love for Israel. The mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense became the Temple, where incense rose daily and God’s presence rested. Christian allegorists saw the hill of frankincense as Calvary (where Christ offered himself) and the mountain as the embalming spices of his burial, until the resurrection dawn. Reformed interpreters like Matthew Henry and John Wesley identified the hills with the church gathered in worship, the place where Christ meets his people through prayer and sacrament. Some modern readers take the verse literally: two lovers stealing away to a fragrant hillside. Each reading tries to honor the poetry without flattening it.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think the speaker is simply saying, “I’ll go take a nap in a nice-smelling forest.” In fact, the language echoes the bride’s own prayer from Song 2:17. The mountains and hills are not random landscapes; they are packed with symbolic meaning, the beloved, the place of worship, the cross, or the church. Reducing them to a picnic spot misses the depth the poet intended.
Living This Out
This verse invites you to ask: where is the “mountain of myrrh” in your life right now? Not a literal hill, but the place where you meet love and presence that feels fragrant, set apart. Maybe it is a quiet chair with an open Bible. Maybe it is the bedside of someone you serve. Maybe it is a difficult conversation you keep avoiding because intimacy costs something. The speaker does not rush. They wait until the shadows flee. Then they move deliberately, for themselves, to that place. This week, name one spot where you can go intentionally, not to escape, but to be fully present with the One who calls you beautiful.
Main takeaway: The speaker chooses to go to a fragrant, intimate place, waiting until the shadows pass, because love is both deliberate and unhurried.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse is about someone who loves you so much they want to go to a special, sweet-smelling place with you. Myrrh and frankincense are like nice perfumes. Jesus wants to be close to you, like a hug that smells good.
For ages 9, 12
In this verse, the speaker says they will go to “the mountain of myrrh” and “the hill of frankincense” after the shadows go away. Those were expensive, special scents used in worship. If you imagine the most peaceful, safe, and loving place you can think of, that’s the kind of place the speaker wants to be with the person they love. It could also remind us of God wanting to meet us in prayer, which is like a hidden hill where we can be close to Him.
Questions People Ask
Who is speaking in Song of Solomon 4:6?
Commentators disagree. Some say Solomon (the beloved) is speaking, continuing his praise of the bride. Others argue it is the bride herself, echoing her own words from Song 2:17. The Hebrew grammar allows both. Ancient Jewish and Christian readers often heard the bride here, while many modern translations let the context decide.
What does 'mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense' mean literally?
Myrrh and frankincense were valuable aromatic resins used in ancient worship, medicine, and perfume. The phrase likely refers to a place where these trees grew, evoking a sweet-smelling, secluded hillside. But because the Song is poetry, the mountain and hill also carry symbolic meanings, from the beloved’s body to the Temple or the church.
Does 'until the day breaks and the shadows flee' refer to morning or evening?
The Hebrew phrase 'the day breathes' (yafuach) can mean the cool breeze of morning or the evening wind. Ancient translations vary. The KJV reads 'until the day break' (dawn), while the WEB and ASV say 'day is cool' (evening). Either way, the speaker waits for a transitional time of rest before moving to the fragrant mountain.
How do Christians interpret the mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense?
Many Christian commentators see a link to Christ. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown identifies the hill of frankincense with Calvary and the mountain of myrrh with Jesus’ burial spices. Others, like Matthew Henry and John Wesley, understand the mountains as the church on earth, where believers offer spiritual sacrifices and meet God through prayer and sacraments.
Why does this verse sound like Song 2:17?
Song 2:17 has the bride saying 'Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle on the mountains of Bether.' The repetition creates a callback. It either shows the lover answering her request, or the bride herself repeating her longing. This literary echo ties the poem together and emphasizes mutual desire.
For pastors & researchers
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