Link Song 5:16 & Eph 5:25 on love?
How does Song of Solomon 5:16 connect to Ephesians 5:25 on love?

Two Verses, One Unbroken Theme of Love

Song of Solomon 5:16 — “His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

Ephesians 5:25 — “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”


What Songs 5:16 Reveals About Covenant Love

• The bride delights in the groom’s words: “His mouth is sweetness itself.”

• She delights in his whole person: “He is altogether lovely.”

• She delights in his relationship to her: “This is my beloved, and this is my friend.”

• The verse captures affection, admiration, and committed friendship within marriage (see also Songs 2:16; 6:3).


What Ephesians 5:25 Commands About Covenant Love

• Husbands are called to active, self-giving love modeled on Christ’s love for the church.

• Love is measured by sacrifice: “gave Himself up.”

• The goal is the wife’s spiritual good and flourishing (Ephesians 5:26-27).

• Christ’s love is the pattern and power for a husband’s love (Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7).


Connecting the Two Passages

1. Delight and Sacrifice Move Together

• Songs 5:16 highlights affectionate delight.

Ephesians 5:25 highlights sacrificial devotion.

• Genuine biblical love holds both qualities in harmony.

2. The Groom as a Foreshadowing of Christ

• The bride calls her groom “altogether lovely,” language later echoed of Christ (Isaiah 33:17; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

• Christ embodies all loveliness and gives Himself for His bride, the church.

3. Friendship Within Marriage

• “My friend” (Songs 5:16) shows companionship at the heart of marital love.

• Christ calls His followers friends (John 15:13-15), then lays down His life for them, the ultimate act of Ephesians 5:25 love.

4. From Poetry to Practice

• The poetic admiration of Song provides the emotional texture.

• Paul supplies the practical mandate: love that feels deeply must act sacrificially (1 John 3:18).


Practical Implications for Today

• Speak words that are “sweetness itself,” building up your spouse (Proverbs 16:24; Ephesians 4:29).

• Cultivate admiration—verbalize what is “altogether lovely” in your beloved.

• Nurture friendship in marriage; pursue shared interests, time, and conversation.

• Love sacrificially, putting your spouse’s well-being ahead of personal comfort, reflecting Christ’s self-giving pattern.


Living It Out in the Power of the Gospel

• Christ, the perfect Bridegroom, is both the model and the source of strength for every husband.

• As His love fills the heart, affection, friendship, and sacrifice flow naturally, weaving Songs 5:16 and Ephesians 5:25 into one seamless tapestry of covenant love.

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