Song of Solomon 7:2

Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.

Song of Solomon 7:2 (KJV)

Context

The Song of Solomon, also called the Song of Songs, is a poetic Old Testament book that portrays the passionate love between a bridegroom and his bride. In Song of Solomon 7:2 the bridegroom continues a detailed praise of his bride’s beauty, using rich metaphors that celebrate her attractiveness and express the book’s broader spiritual significance.

Meaning

“Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor.” The Hebrew word rendered “goblet” suggests a bowl used for mixing wine, and the phrase “wanteth not liquor” emphasizes abundance and lack of lack. The image conveys fullness, vitality, and the idea of being completely satisfying.

“Thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.” Wheat represents fruitfulness, abundance, and choiceness; lilies suggest beauty, purity, and delicacy. Together they present the bride as both bountiful and beautiful, productive and adorned. Some Jewish wedding customs involved scattering wheat on the heads of married couples to symbolize fruitfulness, which may inform this imagery.

Biblical connections

The verse is part of a larger passage (Song of Solomon 7:1-9) in which the lover admires the beloved from head to foot. The book as a whole has also been understood allegorically as depicting the relationship between Christ and the Church, or between God and His people. In this view the round goblet that never lacks wine pictures the church’s continual supply of spiritual nourishment, and the heap of wheat denotes the fruitfulness of the church in bringing souls to Christ, with lilies surrounding it suggesting that this fruitfulness is marked by beauty and grace.

Application

For the Christian reader, the verse affirms the goodness of marital love and the dignity of the human body as created by God. It also invites reflection on the beauty of the bride of Christ and the abundance of God’s provision. The poetic language should be appreciated for its artistry while also being recognized as pointing to deeper spiritual realities.

Reflection

Song of Solomon 7:2 uses vivid, sensual language to praise the bride’s beauty while simultaneously inviting readers to see a richer, spiritual picture of divine love and communion.