“Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.”
My Notes
What Does Song of Solomon 1:3 Mean?
The woman describes her beloved using the metaphor of ointment: his name — his reputation, his character — is like perfume poured out. The fragrance of who he is fills the room. "Therefore do the virgins love thee" — his character draws people. The attraction isn't just physical; it's reputational.
The phrase "ointment poured forth" suggests abundance and generosity. Sealed ointment keeps its fragrance contained; poured ointment fills the space. The beloved's character isn't restrained or hidden — it's lavished, shared, experienced by everyone nearby.
The Song of Solomon operates on multiple levels: the literal love between a man and woman, and the allegorical love between God and his people (or Christ and the church). On both levels, the principle holds: character is attractive. A good name — a reputation that matches reality — draws people the way perfume draws attention.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'fragrance' does your character leave in a room — and would others describe it as attractive?
- 2.How is the beloved's name being 'poured forth' rather than sealed different from how many people manage their reputation?
- 3.On the allegorical level, how have you experienced God's character as 'perfume poured forth'?
- 4.What draws you to a person more — their appearance or the fragrance of their character?
Devotional
His name is like perfume poured out. Not sealed. Not kept in a cabinet. Poured — released into the air, filling every corner of the room. And the response is love. People are drawn to the fragrance of a character this good.
The Song of Solomon is a love poem, and this verse captures something true about attraction at every level: character is magnetic. Not just physical beauty (though the Song celebrates that too), but the fragrance of who someone actually is. A good name — a reputation earned through consistent character — draws people like perfume draws attention.
The image of ointment poured forth suggests something generous. This person's character isn't rationed or carefully managed. It overflows. It fills the space. Everyone in the room benefits from it. This is the kind of person whose presence elevates every environment they enter — not through performance but through the natural fragrance of who they are.
On the allegorical level, this verse describes how we experience God's character. His name — the totality of who he is — is like perfume poured out. Not contained in a theological box but released into your life, filling every corner with his nature. When you encounter the full fragrance of God's character, the response is the same as the virgins': love. You're drawn. You can't help it.
What does your 'name' smell like? If character is fragrance, what fills the room when you walk in?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
the prologue. - The Song commences with two stanzas in praise of the king (now absent) by a chorus of virgins belonging…
Because of the savour of thy good ointments Lit. -For fragrance thy ointments are good," i.e. as R.V. Thine ointments…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture