Song of Solomon 4:6 · Bible study
Song of Solomon 4:6 Commentary: Speaker and Symbolism in the Mountain of Myrrh
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who speaks in Song 4:6? The mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense symbolize Christ, the church, or the beloved's longing, discover the debate.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The speaker declares an intention to go to a fragrant, beautiful place (mountain of myrrh, hill of frankincense) during the evening, symbolizing communion or reunion.
- Key words: ʼēlekh lî (“I will go [for myself]”), hār hammôr (“mountain of myrrh”), giv‛at ha‐ləvōnāh (“hill of frankincense”).
- Main debate: Speaker identity (bride or bridegroom) and meaning of the fragrant locations (literal garden, the church, Calvary, or the bride herself).
- Theological theme: The longing for presence and intimacy with the beloved, often applied to Christ and the church.
- Best use: Preaching on the nature of desire for God, the patience of waiting, and the promise of meeting Him in worship or in His sacrifice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.
KJV King James Version 1769
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Till the day break, and the shadows retire, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Hasta que apunte el día y huyan las sombras, iréme al monte de la mirra, y al collado del incienso.
Antes do dia nascer, e das sombras fugirem, irei ao monte de mirra, e ao morro do incenso.
Avant que le jour se rafraîchisse,
Bis der Tag kühl wird und die Schatten weichen, will ich zum Myrrhenberge gehen und zum Weihrauchhügel.
Totdat de dag aankomt, en de schaduwen vlieden, zal Ik gaan tot den mirreberg, en tot den wierookheuvel.
Prima che spiri l’aura del giorno e che le ombre fuggano, io me ne andrò al monte della mirra e al colle dell’incenso.
Ażby się okazał ten dzień, a cienie przeminęły, wnijdę na górę myrry, i na pagórek kadzidła.
Доколе день дышит прохладою, и убегают тени, пойду я на гору мирровую и на холм фимиама.
我要往 沒藥 山 和 乳香 岡 去，直等到 天起涼風、日影 飛去 的時候回來。
Till the evening comes, and the sky slowly becomes dark, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Song of Solomon 4:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the temporal clause “until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away” (WEB) refers to a specific time of day, either the evening breeze or the dawn. Adam Clarke notes it is “until the morning breeze” until sunset. The Hebrew verb pûaḥ (H6315) means “to breathe,” suggesting the day’s heat dissipates. Most also recognize the mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense as fragrant, desirable places, but they diverge sharply on who speaks and what these locations represent.
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Shulamith is the speaker, echoing her earlier request (Song 2:17), and that the mountain and hill symbolize the blooming fields of her native home, where she hopes to meet her shepherd lover. In contrast, older commentators such as Gill and Wesley assign the verse to Solomon (the bridegroom), seeing the mountain and hill as metaphors for the church, the temple, or even the place of communion with God. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read it Christologically, identifying the hill of frankincense with Calvary and the mountain of myrrh with Christ’s burial. The wasf tradition (noted by Cambridge Bible) explains the stereotyped praise-form underlying the poem, but the identity of the speaker remains the focal disagreement.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Bride's desire for reunion: The verse echoes Song 2:17 exactly, which is spoken by the bride; she longs to escape the palace and meet her shepherd lover in fragrant fields (Keil & Delitzsch, Ginsburg).
- Bridegroom's promise of presence: Most older commentators (Gill, Wesley, Matthew Henry) assign the words to Solomon, promising to commune with the bride in a place representing the church or temple worship.
- Christological allegory (Calvary): Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read the hill of frankincense as Calvary and the mountain of myrrh as Christ's burial, pointing to His atoning sacrifice.
- Ecclesial reading (the church): Wesley and Gill both saw the mountain and hill as the church on earth, fragrant with graces and sacrifices of praise, where Christ dwells.
What is clear: The verse uses aromatic, elevated imagery (myrrh, frankincense, mountain, hill) to describe a desirable place where the speaker intends to go during a transitional time of day, drawing on the language of love and longing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who is speaking? | Both possibilities (bride or bridegroom) are supported by the verse's repetition of wording from 2:17, which is spoken by the bride. | Traditional commentators (Gill, Wesley, Matthew Henry) assign the verse to Solomon; Keil & Delitzsch, Ginsburg, and many modern scholars argue the bride speaks, seeking escape to her pastoral home. |
| What is the 'day is cool' phrase? | It refers to the evening wind or dawn breeze, when heat dissipates and shadows lengthen. | Some treat it as literal time (evening), others as symbolic of the end of this present age when Christ returns. |
| What do mountain/hill symbolize? | Both are poetic names for fragrant, desirable locations, possibly the bride's home region or a garden. | Literalists see a real mountain with myrrh trees; allegorists see Christ's sacrifice (Calvary), the church, or spiritual graces. |
| Is the language erotic or spiritual? | The Song uses physical, romantic imagery as its primary language. | Some read it only as human love poetry; others as an extended allegory of Christ's love for the church or the soul. Both readings have ancient precedent. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Song of Songs is a collection of love poems, likely set in a wedding context. Verse 4:6 sits within a “wasf”, a traditional wedding song where the bridegroom praises his bride’s beauty. This form, known from ancient Near Eastern parallels, describes the beloved with exaggerated, vivid images from nature and architecture. The Cambridge Bible notes that the poem follows this stereotyped pattern; the spontaneity of other songs recedes into formal description here.
The Hebrew phrase ’ēlekh lî (“I will go for myself”) uses a reflexive preposition (l-) that Keil and Delitzsch argue means “I will betake myself away,” implying departure. In Song 2:17, the bride uses identical wording (“Until the day is cool… turn, my beloved”), making the phrase a strong clue to the speaker. The temporal marker “until the day breathes” likely refers to the evening when the heat lifts, as evening was a common time for intimacy in ancient Semitic culture.
Myrrh and frankincense were luxury goods, imported from Arabia (particularly from the region of modern Yemen and Somalia). Myrrh was used in sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:23) and embalming; frankincense was burned as incense in temple worship (Exodus 30:8). The “mountain of myrrh” and “hill of frankincense” are not geographical locations but poetic names for a place of abundant fragrance. Some scholars (e.g., Friedrich, referenced by Keil & Delitzsch) locate Shulamith’s home near Engedi, where balsam and aromatic plants grew. However, neither myrrh nor frankincense is native to Palestine, so the terms likely evoke exotic, perfumed gardens rather than literal mountains.
The verse thus uses the language of desire and anticipation. The speaker longs to go to a fragrant refuge until the evening shadows disappear. This could be a metaphor for consummation, for meeting a lover, or for spiritual communion, depending on the interpretive framework.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Song of Solomon 4:6. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse appears in all major traditions without dispute. The main differences in English translations reflect interpretation of whether the day “breaks” (KJV) or “is cool” (WEB, ASV), which stems from the Hebrew verb pûaḥ (“to breathe”) rather than a variant reading.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, Song 4:6 was read allegorically. Origen and Jerome saw the mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense as symbols of Christ's passion and its sweet fragrance. In medieval interpretation, the verse described the soul’s journey to union with God. The Geneva Bible (1599) kept the allegory, while Matthew Henry applied it to the church and Graces. Wesley and Gill explicitly read Christ speaking to His church, promising to be found in the ordinances of worship. With the rise of historical-critical method in the nineteenth century, commentators (Keil & Delitzsch, Ginsburg) returned to a literal-human reading, identifying the speaker as the bride and the location as her native countryside. In modern pastoral use, both streams persist: many evangelical preachers still find Christological typology here, while others honour the poem’s original place as a celebration of marital love.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The waiting time is defined. “Until the day is cool… the shadows flee”, a period of anticipation. The shadows are temporary; the day of full light is coming.
- The place of desire is fragrant. “Mountain of myrrh, hill of frankincense”, a place of beauty and precious aroma. For the bride, it is her home. For the church, it is Christ's presence or Calvary. The place is where we seek refuge and intimacy.
- The journey is purposeful. “I will go”, not passive waiting but active movement. The speaker resolves to venture toward the beloved or the appointed place, even while the shadows remain.
Five-point outline
- The waiting period: “Until the day is cool”, patience during the heat of present trials.
- The fading shadows: The removal of darkness, ignorance, or doubt. In Christ, the shadows flee as the day of grace dawns.
- The resolve to go: “I will get me to”, determined action, not drift.
- The mountain of myrrh: Myrrh speaks of suffering and sacrifice (Mark 15:23) or of precious consecration. The mountain is a place of sacrifice.
- The hill of frankincense: Frankincense symbolizes prayer and worship rising to God (Psalm 66:15) and the sweet savor of Christ’s work.
Illustration hooks
- The evening stroll: After a long, hot day, couples often walk together in the cool of the evening. This verse pictures that kind of anticipated closeness.
- A familiar perfume: The scent of myrrh or frankincense might remind someone of a church sanctuary or a special oil. Smell evokes memory and desire; the verse draws on that power.
- A promised place of meeting: Imagine a husband promising his wife that he will meet her at their favorite coffee shop or park bench. The verse is a promise of a designated meeting place.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know God wants intimacy with me, not just obedience?
- Where do I find God when life feels like a long, hot day without relief?
- What does it mean to “go” to God, is it physical, mental, or spiritual movement?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a turning point in the love poem. The speaker declares an intention to go to a fragrant place, but who is speaking and where is that place? The answers shape how we understand desire, commitment, and God’s presence. In your group, resist the urge to settle the debate too quickly. Let the poetry work on you.
Discussion questions
- Read Song of Solomon 2:17 alongside 4:6. What words and phrases are the same? Does that suggest the same speaker, or different?
- The Hebrew verb for “I will go” includes a reflexive preposition, “I will go for myself.” What does that nuance imply about the speaker’s motivation?
- If the bride is speaking, what might she be seeking? If the bridegroom is speaking, what does he promise?
- Myrrh was used in burial (John 19:39) and in anointing. How does the cross of Christ connect to the “mountain of myrrh”?
- Frankincense was part of the incense offering in the temple (Exodus 30:8). What does that suggest about the “hill of frankincense” as a place of worship?
- How might the “day” refer to the coming of Christ or to our personal meeting with Him? (Compare with 1 Corinthians 13:12, “then we shall see face to face.”)
- Where is your “mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense”, where do you go to meet God intimately?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:24 | You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. |
| Exodus 30:8 | When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations. |
| Exodus 30:23 | “Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; |
| Exodus 30:26 | You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the covenant, |
| Exodus 37:29 | He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer. |
| Deuteronomy 12:5 | But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there. |
| Deuteronomy 12:6 | You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there. |
| Psalms 66:15 | I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, with the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the myrrh mountains are likely the same ones mentioned in Song of Solomon 2:17. He believes these locations produced the myrrh and incense used in that passage.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that this poem follows an ancient song style used at wedding festivals to describe a bride. It shows how love songs often imitate such established forms.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees these words as a woman describing her desire to be with the man she loves. She hopes to spend time alone with him in a place where myrrh and incense grow.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense as the gathered church, where Christ delights in His people's graces and the fragrance of their prayers. He interprets Christ's words as a resolve to dwell with believers in this way until the final day dawns and all shadows vanish.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the hill of frankincense refers to Calvary where Christ offered Himself through the Holy Spirit. He also says the mountain of myrrh is the place of His embalming before resurrection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Shulamith speaks these words not as Solomon but as herself. She says she will leave at dusk for fragrant fields near the palace so she can be alone in a fitting manner on her wedding day.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the speaker does not praise the woman’s appearance to make her proud or to gain her admiration. He says this statement is meant to encourage her in her current sadness and to show her that she should value herself on the grace God has given her rather than on her outer looks.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the bridegroom's words as directing believers to find Christ in the church and its ordinances, symbolized by the mountain and hill. The myrrh and frankincense represent the church's acceptable services and the Spirit's sweet-smelling graces. This remains until the day of glory when all shadows and ordinances cease.