Song of Solomon 4:12 (GNV)

Passage

My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed, as a spring shut vp, and a fountaine sealed vp.

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 4:10 My sister, my spouse, how faire is thy loue? howe much better is thy loue then wine? and the sauour of thine oyntments then all spices?

Song of Solomon 4:11 Thy lippes, my spouse, droppe as honie combes: honie and milke are vnder thy tongue, and the sauoure of thy garments is as the sauoure of Lebanon.

Song of Solomon 4:12 My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed, as a spring shut vp, and a fountaine sealed vp.

Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy plantes are as an orchard of pomegranates with sweete fruites, as camphire, spikenarde,

Song of Solomon 4:14 Euen spikenarde, and saffran, calamus, and cynamon with all the trees of incense, myrrhe and aloes, with all the chiefe spices.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sister", "spouse", "garden", "inclosed", "spring", "shut", "fountaine", and "sealed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sister" and "spouse", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Thy lippes my spouse droppe as honie..." into verse 13's "Thy plantes are as an orchard of...", so "sister" and "spouse" 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 "sister" and "spouse" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.