My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Song of Solomon 1:13
What does Song of Solomon 1:13 mean?
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Song of Solomon 1:13
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This beautiful imagery isn't just about pleasant aroma; myrrh was a potent spice used for its preservative and medicinal qualities. The bride's beloved isn't just a source of delight, but someone deeply essential, cherished intimately, and held close for protection and life itself. It speaks to a profound depth of connection that goes beyond mere attraction.
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a passionate, poetic dialogue between a bride and her groom, celebrating their deep love and attraction for one another. The bride is describing her beloved's intoxicating presence and how he brings her comfort and delight, like a fragrant sachet kept close to her heart, in the midst of their joyful anticipation of their union.
The bride uses a powerful image to describe her beloved's presence. What does this aromatic spice reveal about their relationship?
In the ancient world, myrrh wasn't just a perfume; it was a potent symbol.
A Scent of Value and Love
Myrrh was a precious spice, often used in sacred rituals and as a costly perfume. Its inclusion in this verse highlights the immense value and deep affection the bride has for her beloved. It signifies something precious, cherished, and worthy of keeping close.
A Scent of Protection and Comfort
Myrrh was also known for its medicinal and preservative qualities. It could soothe and protect. For the bride to imagine her beloved as a 'sachet of myrrh' between her breasts suggests his presence brings her comfort, security, and a sense of well-being. It's an intimate, personal protection.
Why does the bride place her beloved 'between her breasts'? What does this intimate position communicate about their bond?
The location where the bride keeps her 'sachet of myrrh' is profoundly intimate.
A Place of the Heart
Placing something 'between the breasts' in ancient Near Eastern thought often symbolized the deepest affections of the heart, a place of intense love and belonging. It’s where one's most treasured possessions and deepest feelings resided.
A Sign of Belonging
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This isn't just about love; it speaks to a sense of cherished possession and intimate connection. The bride considers her beloved as belonging to her, and she to him, in a way that is deeply personal and exclusive. His presence is not something distant, but intimately held and guarded.
Understand the original words
mor · Hebrew Noun
A fragrant resin used in ancient times for perfume, incense, and anointing oil; symbolic of sweetness, preservation, and sacrificial love.
This Psalm also describes a royal bride's adornments, highlighting the precious and fragrant nature of her attire, much like the beloved's comparison to myrrh in Song of Solomon.
John 19:39Myrrh was a significant component in burial spices, and here Nicodemus brings a large amount to anoint Jesus' body, showing its value and use in sacred, even sorrowful, contexts.
Proverbs 7:17This passage mentions myrrh being used to perfume a harlot's bed, contrasting the sacred, intimate use of myrrh in Song of Solomon with its use in deception and seduction elsewhere.
Philippians 4:18Paul describes sacrifices as a fragrant aroma, an offering acceptable and pleasing to God, echoing the deep pleasure and preciousness signified by the beloved's comparison to myrrh.
This beautiful imagery isn't just about pleasant aroma; myrrh was a potent spice used for its preservative and medicinal qualities. The bride's beloved isn't just a source of delight, but someone deeply essential, cherished intimately, and held close for protection and life itself. It speaks to a profound depth of connection that goes beyond mere attraction.
This verse is part of a passionate, poetic dialogue between a bride and her groom, celebrating their deep love and attraction for one another. The bride is describing her beloved's intoxicating presence and how he brings her comfort and delight, like a fragrant sachet kept close to her heart, in the midst of their joyful anticipation of their union.
This verse is part of a passionate, poetic dialogue between a bride and her groom, celebrating their deep love and attraction for one another. The bride is describing her beloved's intoxicating presence and how he brings her comfort and delight, like a fragrant sachet kept close to her heart, in the midst of their joyful anticipation of their union.
"My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts." — This beautiful imagery isn't just about pleasant aroma; myrrh was a potent spice used for its preservative and medicinal qualities. The bride's beloved isn't just a source of delight, but someone dee…
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Last reviewed October 2026