Song of Solomon 5:5
I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This isn't just about getting out of bed; her hands are literally coated in precious myrrh, a costly perfume used in ancient times for anointing and burial. The sheer abundance, dripping from her fingers, shows the depth of her desire and her willingness to sacrifice something valuable just to be with her love.
The lover has just described her beloved's insistent knocking, and now she's describing her response. She tells of getting up in the middle of the night to open the door for him, her hands and fingers already coated with the fragrant, precious myrrh she was handling, perhaps for anointing or preparing for a ritual. This detail shows the lengths she'll go to for her beloved, even interrupting her tasks and soiling her hands with valuable myrrh, and sets the stage for their intimate reunion inside.
Imagine hearing a knock in the night. Your heart leaps! But before you can open the door, your hands are suddenly covered in a precious, fragrant oil. What does this mean for love's urgency?
The Beloved's Response
The Shulamite hears her beloved knocking. This isn't just any knock; it's the urgent call of love seeking intimacy. She immediately responds, "I arose to open to my beloved." This shows her eagerness and willingness to meet him.
The Fragrant Sacrifice
But notice the detail: "my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt." Myrrh was a costly, fragrant resin used for anointing, perfume, and even embalming. Her hands becoming covered in it isn't accidental. It speaks to:
The door bolt is a barrier, a point of separation. But the way the myrrh clings to its handles tells a deeper story about overcoming distance in love.
Barriers and Their Overcoming
The 'handles of the bolt' represent the barriers and hesitations that can exist between lovers, even those deeply devoted. It's the point where connection is most difficult.
Sweetening the Separation
The poem's imagery of myrrh, a precious and aromatic resin often used in perfumes, incense, and anointing oils, evokes the wealth and exotic trade of the Solomonic era, highlighting the richness and desirability of the beloved.
c. 970–931 BC
Reign of Solomon
Solomon's reign is often considered a golden age for Israel, marked by peace, prosperity, and extensive building projects, including the First Temple in Jerusalem. His vast wealth and international connections are legendary.
c. 960 BC
Construction of the First Temple
The magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, a central symbol of Israel's devotion to God, was completed during Solomon's reign. This period saw a flourishing of arts, trade, and religious life.
c. 950 BC
Peak of Israelite Influence
During Solomon's reign, the United Monarchy of Israel reached its zenith of power and prestige, engaging in significant trade and diplomatic relations with surrounding nations.
c. 930 BC
Death of Solomon and Division of Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the unified kingdom fractured into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. This marked the beginning of a new era of political instability.
This Psalm speaks of prayer ascending like incense, mirroring the fragrant imagery of the myrrh in Song of Solomon and connecting the act of opening to one's beloved with an acceptable offering.
Luke 7:38Mary's act of anointing Jesus' feet with a costly perfume highlights a similar outpouring of devotion and precious substance in response to love, echoing the generosity and aroma described in Song of Solomon.
John 19:39Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus' body, showing how this fragrant substance, precious and associated with burial rites, is linked to profound acts of love and care even in death.
Song of Solomon 1:13This verse describes the beloved's fragrance as a bundle of myrrh, setting the stage for the physical manifestation of that precious scent dripping from the speaker's hands as she responds in love.
This isn't just about getting out of bed; her hands are literally coated in precious myrrh, a costly perfume used in ancient times for anointing and burial. The sheer abundance, dripping from her fingers, shows the depth of her desire and her willingness to sacrifice something valuable just to be with her love.
The lover has just described her beloved's insistent knocking, and now she's describing her response. She tells of getting up in the middle of the night to open the door for him, her hands and fingers already coated with the fragrant, precious myrrh she was handling, perhaps for anointing or preparing for a ritual. This detail shows the lengths she'll go to for her beloved, even interrupting her tasks and soiling her hands with valuable myrrh, and sets the stage for their intimate reunion inside.
The lover has just described her beloved's insistent knocking, and now she's describing her response. She tells of getting up in the middle of the night to open the door for him, her hands and fingers already coated with the fragrant, precious myrrh she was handling, perhaps for anointing or preparing for a ritual. This detail shows the lengths she'll go to for her beloved, even interrupting her tasks and soiling her hands with valuable myrrh, and sets the stage for their intimate reunion inside.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Song of Solomon 5:5 is available in the Sola app.
That the myrrh drips onto these specific handles is incredibly significant. It implies that even the points of potential separation and difficulty are being permeated and transformed by the fragrance of her love and devotion. It’s as if her very act of preparation and love is smoothing the way, making the opening of the barrier a fragrant, almost sacred, act.
This imagery suggests that true love doesn't ignore difficulties; it works through them, anointing them with its own precious qualities until the barrier itself becomes part of the loving encounter.
c. 900 BC— this verse
Writing of Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon, a collection of love poems, is traditionally attributed to Solomon. While its exact dating is debated, it likely reflects the cultural and aesthetic sensibilities of his era.
"I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt." — This isn't just about getting out of bed; her hands are literally coated in precious myrrh, a costly perfume used in ancient times for anointing and burial. The sheer abundance, dripping from her fin…
