Song of Solomon 6:3 Meaning and Explanation
“I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →The Context of Song of Solomon 6:3
Within the Song of Solomon, this verse is a refrain of mutual belonging spoken by the bride (compare 2:16). It expresses the secure, covenantal devotion at the heart of the Song, two who belong wholly to one another, and has long been cherished as a picture of faithful, settled love.
What Does Song of Solomon 6:3 Mean?
Song of Solomon 6:3 is one of the Song's most beloved confessions of mutual belonging: "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." In a single balanced sentence the bride expresses the heart of devoted love, two people who belong wholly to one another. The order is worth noticing: she names herself as belonging to him before claiming him as her own. Love that is secure begins by giving rather than demanding; it first says "I am yours" and then rests in the joy of "and you are mine."
This is the language of covenant, of love that is settled and sure. The closing phrase, "he feedeth among the lilies," pictures the beloved at home in a place of beauty and delight, and assures the bride of where he is and where she belongs. The whole verse breathes confidence and peace. There is no anxiety here, no fear of loss, only the calm certainty of belonging to and being claimed by another. Many readers have heard in these words a picture of the bond between God and His people, the assurance of being God's own and of God belonging, in love, to them. To be able to say "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" is to know a security that steadies the whole soul: the deep peace of belonging, and of being claimed by a faithful love.
Song of Solomon 6:3 in the Original Language
The Hebrew dod (beloved) is the bride's term of endearment for her lover, and ra'ah (to feed, shepherd, graze) pictures the beloved at home among the lilies.
Bible Verses Related to Song of Solomon 6:3
How to Apply Song of Solomon 6:3 Today
True security in love comes from mutual belonging, freely given. Let this verse shape how you love: giving yourself before demanding, and resting in faithful commitment. And take comfort in the assurance that those who belong to God can say with confidence that they are His and He is theirs, a belonging that steadies the whole soul.
Frequently Asked Questions About Song of Solomon 6:3
What does I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine mean?
It is a confession of mutual belonging, two people who belong wholly to one another. The bride names herself as belonging to her beloved before claiming him as her own, expressing the secure, settled devotion at the heart of love.
Why does the bride say she is her beloved's first in Song of Solomon 6:3?
The order shows that secure love gives before it demands. By first saying I am his and then and he is mine, the verse pictures love that begins in self-giving and rests in the calm certainty of belonging, without fear of loss.