Song of Solomon 4:10 (DRB)

Passage

How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse! thy breasts are more beautiful than wine, and the sweet smell of thy ointments above all aromatical spices.

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 4:8 Come from Libanus, my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

Song of Solomon 4:9 Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy eyes, and with one hair of thy neck.

Song of Solomon 4:10 How beautiful are thy breasts, my sister, my spouse! thy breasts are more beautiful than wine, and the sweet smell of thy ointments above all aromatical spices.

Song of Solomon 4:11 Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments, as the smell of frankincense.

Song of Solomon 4:12 My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beautiful", "breasts", "sister", "spouse", "than", and "wine". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beautiful" and "breasts", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "Thou hast wounded my heart my sister..." into verse 11's "Thy lips my spouse are as a...", so "beautiful" and "breasts" belong inside that flow. In Song of Solomon context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beautiful" and "breasts" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.