Bible Strands
Song of Solomon 1:3
The fragrance of your perfume is pleasing; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens adore you.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The bride speaks of the beloved (the king), declaring that his reputation is as desirable as his fragrance. This sits between her request for kisses (1:2) and her plea to be taken away with him (1:4).
The words — תּוּרַק (turak), from רָק (raq), "poured out": the name is not merely compared to oil but to oil in the act of being poured, i.e., freely and abundantly given.
The thread — Ecclesiastes 7:1 states the same principle in proverbial form: "A good name is better than fine perfume." Song of Solomon 4:10 repeats the perfume-and-love pairing.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to treat reputation as something that must be poured out, not hoarded; a name that is not freely given is not a name at all.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
Cross-references
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
- Exodus 30:23 “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
- Song of Solomon 4:10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is much better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than all spices.
- John 12:3 Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
- Psalms 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.
- Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
- Revelation 14:4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
- Psalms 45:14 In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.
- Psalms 133:2 It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.
- 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.