Song of Solomon
Summary of the Book of Song of Solomon
This summary of the book of Song of Solomon provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Song of Solomon.
Song of Solomon, also called Canticle of Canticles, or Song of Songs, an Old Testament book that belongs to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the Ketuvim, or “Writings.” In the Hebrew Bible the Song of Solomon stands with Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther and with them makes up the Megillot, five scrolls that are read on various religious festivals of the Jewish year. This book is the festal scroll for Pesaḥ (Passover), which celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The book in its present form postdates the Babylonian Exile (5th century BC onward), but the poems that it preserves date from about the 10th century BC, the period of the Davidic monarchy.
The title in the Hebrew text is “Solomon’s Song of Songs,” meaning a song by, for, or about Solomon. The phrase “Song of Songs” means the greatest of songs (cf. Dt 10:17, “God of gods and Lord of lords”; 1Ti 6:15, “King of kings”).
Solomon is referred to seven times, and several verses speak of the “king”, but whether he was the author remains an open question.
To date the Song in the tenth century B.C. during Solomon’s reign is not impossible. In fact, mention of Tirzah and Jerusalem in one breath has been used to prove a date prior to King Omri, though the reason for Tirzah’s mention is not clear. On the other hand, many have appealed to the language of the Song as proof of a much later date, but on present evidence the linguistic data are ambiguous.
Consistency of language, style, tone, perspective and recurring refrains seems to argue for a single author. However, many who have doubted that the Song came from one pen, or even from one time or place, explain this consistency by ascribing all the Song’s parts to a single literary tradition, since Near Eastern traditions were very careful to maintain stylistic uniformity.
What is the Book, The Songs of Solomon?
The book, whose author is unknown (Solomon’s name is a later addition), is a collection of love poems spoken alternately by a man and a woman. There is no coherent story in the book. A number of the poems systematically describe the beauty and excellence of the beloved. The Song of Solomon has received various interpretations, the most common being allegorical, dramatic, cultic, and literal. Among Jews, the allegorical interpretation regards the book as an allegory of God’s love for the Israelites, with whom he has made a sacred covenant. Among Christians, the book is interpreted as describing the covenantal love of Christ for his church. In medieval mysticism, the Song of Solomon was construed to apply to the love between Christ and the human soul.
Dramatic interpretations of the Song of Solomon are based on much of the book’s being in dialogue form. According to this view, the speakers in it are enacting roles in a dramatic love story that varies in outline according to the particular interpretation. In view of the absence of drama in ancient Semitic literatures, however, such interpretations are not very probable. The cultic interpretation views the book as a collection of songs associated with the practice of sacred marriage as observed by the Sumerians and other ancient Mesopotamian peoples.
The fourth interpretation, and the one that has perhaps gained the most credence among modern scholars, is simply that the Song of Solomon is a collection of secular love poems without any religious implications. According to this interpretation, the songs celebrate the joy and goodness of human love between the sexes and the sense of inner fulfillment and harmony with God’s creation that arise from such love.
Song of Solomon 1: Solomon’s Love for a Shulamite Girl
Scripture verse (1)
1 The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
1 Solomon penned numerous songs and psalms inspired through his love for God. Though there is much controversy on who the author or authors are for this beautiful book, there seems to be no doubt who penned this one.
There are numerous commentaries on the particular verse in which several interpretations were conceived. Some believe it was Solomon who wrote this. Some believe, though Solomon may have written it, he was writing spiritually on the concept of biblical love in a marriage. While still others are convinced that Solomon could not have written it due to the number wives (700) and concubines (300).
She is only mentioned once by the title “Shulammite,” in Song of Solomon 6:13. Her exact identity is unknown, although there are a couple of theories. [Return to Song of Solomon 6:13]
[1] She is most likely called the Shulammite because she came from an unidentified place called Shulem. Many scholars consider Shulammite to be synonymous with Shunammite (“person from Shunem”). Shunem was a village in the territory of Issachar, north of Jezreel and south of Mount Gilboa. Other scholars link Shulemwith Salem, believing Solomon’s bride was from Jerusalem. Still others believe that the title Shulammite(“peaceful”) is simply the bride’s married name, being the feminine form of Solomon (“peaceful”) and only used after her marriage to the king.
One theory on the identity of the Shulammite is that she is the daughter of Egypt’s king, whom Solomon married (1 Kings 3:1), but there is no evidence supporting this theory in the Song of Solomon. Another speculation points to Abishag, a young Shunammite who served King David in his old age (1 Kings 1:1–4, 15; 2:17–22). It is plausible that Abishag is the Shulammite; we know she was from Shunem, which could be the same place as Shulem. Also, as David’s personal servant, Abishag would have been known to David’s son, Solomon. Solomon’s half-brother Adonijah attempted to have Abishag as his own wife, and Solomon prevented the union (1 Kings 2:13–25).
This points to the fact that the Song of Solomon is the story of Solomon’s first marriage, before he sinned by adding many other wives (1 Kings 11:3). Whoever the Shulammite was, she was Solomon’s first and truest love.
Commentary on verses 2 – 4
First possibility (The Shulamite)
There are a number of interpretations by various commentators on the way in which to read and study verses 2 – 4. Verse 4, in particular, is a long verse that can be interpreted a couple of ways. I am at the opinion that verse 4, since the scriptures have this as one complete verse, is spoken by the Shulamite.
Charles Spurgeon keeps with the scriptures as one unique verse describing the Shulamite and her obsession with the king. She is longing to be with the king, as we long to be with our King, Jesus Christ. She wants to be adopted or picked out among all others to be his. God gives us the free will to ask God to come into our (unique) lives and complete us. Once we have accepted Jesus Christ into our lives, we become His children and pulled into a unique family of God, not deserving but given eternal salvation. As a body of Christ, the church, we all sing praises to our heavenly Father who has promised His everlasting love. We can truly say that the love of God given to us is greater than any wine or any other love that one could give us. In our return for His love, we give ourselves totally to Jesus Christ and show our love to Him every day through our actions and our communion with Him.
Scripture verses (2 – 4)
The Shulamite
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—For your love is better than wine. 3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. 4 Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.
1 – 4a A very strong starting statement from the Shulamite. The word kiss or kissing is widely used throughout the scriptures but what is important to note is the meaning behind the words used. The word kiss, here, comes from the Hebrew text yiš·šā·qê·nî, [let him kiss me]. Though the Strong’s number is 5401 and used 35 times throughout the scriptures, this particular root word varies from the others. The 35 other times uses the root word of nashaq, which simply means kiss.
This also shows the respect the Shulamite has for Solomon where she is not initiating the kiss but rather requesting the kiss, a very passionate kiss. [2] “The theme of sexual enjoyment and consummation runs through the book, and the theme of commitment is central to that whole relationship. This is no passing encounter: this is total dedication and permanent obligation.” (G. Lloyd Carr). Charles Spurgeon regards this as a poem which he states, “a poetic description of the love relationship between Jesus Christ and His people.”
The Shulamite’s description of the ensuing kiss is with anticipation of such a deep romantic kiss that the moisture of Solomon’s lips would feel as fine ointment touching her mouth coupled with the a fine fragrance. She realizes that because the fine qualities of Solomon, he would seek the desire of many women. She wanted him to be drawn exclusively to her.
Spurgeon likens the first part of verse 4 as Christ drawing us to His church. We alone cannot approach the Father. It is with Jesus Christ as our counselor that enables us to draw near to God the Father. Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Second possibility (Broken out by individuals)
4 Most versions of the scripture break down verse 4 almost as in a script.
The Shulamite: Draw me away!
The daughters of Jerusalem (there still is some differences as who the ‘others’ are): We will run after you.
The Shulamite: The king has brought me into his chambers.
The daughters of Jerusalem: We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine.
The Shulamite: Rightly do they love you.
Scripture verses (4b)
The Daughters of Jerusalem
4b We will run after you.
4b The interpretation of others look at the whole scene as a group of ‘other’ women, or could be anyone at all. In either case, they are encouraging the Shulamite.
Scripture verses (4c)
The Shulamite
4c The king has brought me into his chambers.
4c The Shulamite has separated herself from the other virgin women and has drawn the affection of the king. This appears to be the initial meeting of the two.
Scripture verses (4d)
The Daughters of Jerusalem
4d We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine.
4d The other women or whomever, can see the immense passion between the Shulamite and the king simply by his appearance and her desires to be with him and they want to share their love and rejoicing of their love together.
Scripture verses (4e)
The Shulamite
4d Rightly do they love you.
4e The Shulamite acknowledges the other women to her king even though she is the selected, his charm and appearance are greatly loved by the others.
Scripture verse (4)
4 Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.
Scripture verses (5 – 6)
5 I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon. 6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard I have not kept. [Return to Song of Solomon 2:15] [Return to Song of Solomon 6:9] [Return to Song of Solomon 7:4]
5 – 6 The Shulamite stood not only for her beauty but her rich deep skin color set her apart from the other women. Her golden skin was only part of the attraction that Solomon saw in her.
Kedar (Qedar) comes from a Hebrew word that means “dark” n pr m. A son of Ishmael (n pr) people; the descendants of Kedar.
This also indicates that Solomon desired women that were not Israelites, which was against what God had warned him about earlier. Her deep tan was despised by her siblings. In many mixed families, the color of skin can be either shared and uniquely separate. Because of this, there seemed to be not only have an anger with her but possibly discriminated against her and made her the keeper of their belongings. Her personal time to take care of herself was limited due to all of the work put on her by her family.
Scripture verses (7)
The Shulamite to her beloved
7 Tell me, O you whom I love, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself By the flocks of your companions?
7 The Shulamite’s request to the king was for alone time with her. Being called in to his chambers meant that she was escorted by the king’s guards and among others as well as the king. She wanted only the king to see her. It was a culture in those days, as it is in many non-Christian areas of the world today, for women to be veiled all of the time. The Shulamite did not want to present herself as a ‘loose’ woman but humbly before him.
The symbolism of Solomon as Jesus Christ, our shepherd, is the head of His flock.
Scripture verses (8 – 10)
The Beloved
8 If you do not know, O fairest among women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, And feed your little goats Beside the shepherds’ tents. 9 I have compared you, my love, To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots. 10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold.
8 – 10 There are a few ways to interpret these verses; by poetry, inspired scripture, or, a combination of both relating back to verse 7. Solomon was given a great gift from God and he uses it openly in this book. Though the words are from Solomon, we know that God gave him the gift of wisdom, riches and honor. His gift extended to poetry where he uses as a tantalizing and sensual expression of his love for the Shulamite.
By the Shulamites own expressions, Solomon knew she was not just a woman who sat around the house but was familiar with working in the fields. He gives her specific instructions to follow his little sheep (as little children) as they are lead to their owner, leading her directly to him. In a similar fashion, we are born into sin and without Jesus Christ, we can speculate where we will end up. Without Christ in our lives, our attitudes of ‘being a good person’ justify us as heavenly bound. We know, however, that without Christ, our direction is eminent. God opens His door and invites us into His family through only one path and that is through our guiding Shepherd of Jesus Christ. All we need to do is ‘follow Him’ and we’ll end up where we need to be, with our eternal Love.
The smooth words continue from the mouth of Solomon by comparing this lovely woman to his love for his most prize possession. Though customarily stallions were used to pull chariots then, they were the cream of the crop, Solomon places his love for his filly superior to any of them. He then tells her of her beauty as glimmering. Her tanned body and radiant face reflect that of glowing of fine jewelry.
Scripture verses (11)
The Daughters of Jerusalem (Others)
11 We will make you ornaments of gold With studs of silver.
11 The other women who were originally with the Shulamite must have immediately recognized the powerful affection that the Shulamite and Solomon had. To honor the Shulamite, they wanted to adorn her with this jewelry so she would present herself properly before the king.
The Shulamite
12 While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance. 13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, That lies all night between my breasts. 14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms In the vineyards of En Gedi.
12 – 14 A strong word for fragrance is used here, spikenard. The word spikenard comes from the original Hebrew word nir·dî. Spikenard, also called nard, nardin, and muskroot, is a class of aromatic amber-colored essential oil derived from Nardostachys jatamansi, a flowering plant of the valerian family which grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India.
Spikenard
The Shulamite wanted to leave an impression with the king. The alluring perfume smell was an initial step to set her apart from other women. She likens the king as 13 a bundle of myrrh.
Myrrh (/mɜːr/; from Aramaic, but see § Etymology) is a natural gum or resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense, and medicine.
| With its smoky, earthy scent, myrrh has a long history as a favorite among all cultures going back to its first discovery in the far reaches of time. A native to Ethiopia and Somalia, it has been used as long ago as 3000 BCE by the Egyptians in embalming, and as an incense burned during cremations and funerals to disguise any foul odors up through the 15th century. Myrrh is said to be one of the key ingredients in the mythical Egyptian perfume Kyphi. It has also been used to anoint kings, and scent fabrics for those traveling to holy places. Myrrh has had a great value throughout time; the Romans |
Myrrh
Romans even valued it as much as gold, using it as security for monetary debts.
Her love for the king had such an impact on her, even while she slept, the sent of him lingered with her and not only sustained her but was a sense of security for her as well.
[3] Jewish scholars have seen in the bride’s breasts Moses and Aaron; the two Messiahs, Messiah Son of David and Messiah son of Ephriam; Moses and Phinehas; and Joshua and Eleazar. Christian interpreters have been equally ingenious. They have seen the bride’s breasts as the church from which we feed; the two testaments, Old and New; the twin precepts of love of God and neighbor; and the Blood and the Water. Gregory of Nyssa found in them the outer and the inner man, united in one sentient being. (Kinlaw)
Thirty miles south of Jerusalem, En Gedi was one of two fresh water springs on the western shore of the Dead ) Sea. En Gedi’s year around temperate climate and available water made it well known as an agriculture center.
When the Beloved described her lover as a cluster of henna blossoms, she averred that he was beautiful and smelled good. Henna blossoms contain an essential oil used to make perfume
15 Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes.
15 This appears to be the start of the dialog once they were both seated at the king’s table. This is the first of the Beloved statements of erotically describing the Shulamite. He wanted to immediately tell her of her beauty and the attraction he had for her. One can see through the eyes of someone who they are. He may have seen her beauty and love for God through the beauty of her eyes. [4] The large and beautiful dove of Syria is supposed to be here referred to, the eyes of which are remarkably fine. (Clarke) [Return to Song of Solomon 5:12]
Scripture verses (16 – 17)
The Beloved
16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green. 17 The beams of our houses are cedar, And our rafters of fir.
16 – 17 She immediately responds using the same expression for love. Using the same Hebrew word for beautiful (fair) [yā·p̄āh / yapheh: fair, beautiful] and calls him handsome [masculine absolute]. Of course, doves live outside. Her response could be joking by saying that the couple would need a green bed, like grass. Charles Spurgeon states, “Having expressed her esteem of her husband’s person, she next, like a loving spouse, that is transported with joy for having disposed of herself so well, applauds the accommodations he had for her entertainment, his bed, his house, his rafters or galleries”. The Beloved and the Shulamite could be on a walk, or on one of the Beloved buggies, of the courtyard or surrounding areas. As they are touring the grounds, she could be describing the beautiful views. [Return]
Song of Solomon 2: 1 I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.
Scripture verse (1)
The Shulamite
1 The Shulamite has transformed from a person who may have been misunderstood and/or criticized for her looks to now, that she is in the presence of the Beloved and adored by him, as a beautiful and aromatic flower. Since we know where Sharon is located and that it was a place where David had many of his herds, this does seem to lean more towards the Beloved as being David’s son, Solomon.
The original Hebrew word for rose here is ḥă·ḇaṣ·ṣe·leṯ, meadow saffron or crocus. Sharon is located on the maritime slope of Palestine north of Joppa.
David had some of his herds in Sharon where, in I Chronicles 27 (KJV), “Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand.” When we look further in these scriptures we find, I Chronicles 27:29 (KJV), “And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai.”
Other scripture references to Sharon.
Isaiah 33:9 (KJV), “The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.”
Acts 9:35 (KJV), “And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron, (Sarōna / Sharon) saw him, and turned to the Lord.” Strong’s Greek 4565, Sharon, a plain in Palestine.
The rose of Sharon used here is actually chabatstseleth in the original Hebrew meaning, meadow saffron or crocus which is the world’s most costly spice.
Scripture verse (2)
The Beloved
2 Like a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
2 The Beloved affirms her beauty to the Shulamite. Not just as a lily but superior beauty to those who approached the Beloved with her. He sets her distinctly above all women.
Scripture verse (3)
The Shulamite
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
3 As the couple engages on their stroll or ride of the surrounding grounds, they are very infatuated with each other by their back and forth compliments. She puts the Beloved so far above all sons, set apart. She describes him as a fruitful and magnificent apple tree which stands out among all others. A simple description of an apple tree would easily be a tall, sturdy tree that provides shade as well as a bounty of delicious fruit.
[5] “Taste is more correctly palate, often including the lips, teeth, and the whole mouth. The Hebrew word for discipline or training (hanak) is derived from the same root. The first step in teaching a child is the anointing of his lips with honey so that learning is identified with sweetness.” (Carr)
Scripture verses (4 – 7)
The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem
4 He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love. 5 Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, For I am lovesick. 6 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me. 7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the Does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.
4 – 7 The banqueting house is translated in the original Hebrew as hay·ya·yin / yayin (wine) or, most probably, vineyard. The word banner is wə·ḏiḡ·lōw and/ordegel [standard] his demeanor, his physical stature, his presence. The Shulamite is overtaken by the magnificence of the Beloved has become weak or light headed in his presence and is requiring some nourishment to sustain her. The image here insinuates they were laying down with his left hand under her head and, while embracing her, is seeing the beauty of her and, possibly, longing to kiss her. Charles Spurgeon states, “All His saints are in His hand, which tenderly holds their aching heads. To encourage the love-sick soul to continue waiting till He returns: “For, in the meantime, His right hand embraces me, and thereby gives me an unquestionable assurance of His love.’’ Believers owe all their strength and comfort to the supporting left hand and embracing right hand of the Lord Jesus.VI. Finding her beloved thus nigh unto her she is in great care that her communion with him be not interrupted”. [Return to Song of Solomon 8]
We need to remember that this section is implying that the Shulamite again is in the presence of her friends and not physically lying down with her beloved. This could mean that while she is away from him and amongst the other women she maybe daydreaming or just caught up just fanaticizing. The writer of the Songs of Solomon uses gazelles and does of the field throughout the writings as poetic phrasing. She is telling them, under no circumstance, not to interrupt her fantasizing dream; as Charles Spurgeon writes, “The adjuration which she used is a choice specimen of oriental poetry: she charges them, not as we should prosaically do, by everything that is sacred and true, but ‘by the roes, and by the hinds of the field.”
Scripture verses (8 – 14)
The Shulamite
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice. 10 My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. 11 For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away! 14 “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.”
8 – 14 The Psalmist continues in beautiful poetic imagery explaining how and what the Shulamite imagined, describing her lover’s, possibly in her dreams or daydreaming, [The voice of my beloved] voice calling to her. [Behold, he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.] She imagines him bigger than life and majestic in form. She envisions him leaping and skipping over whatever it took to come to her. [My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag] Not only is her beloved seeking her in a bigger than life image but is he full of grace and beauty in the manner that he is approaching her. The original Hebrew word used for gazelle is liṣ·ḇî or tsbiy (Strong’s 6643) / beauty. There are an unlimited number of ways to describe a deer that is running, graceful would capture it the best.
[Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice.] The Shulamite is imagining her beloved admiring her trying to secretly gaze at her while she wasn’t looking, perhaps just staring at her beauty. [My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. 11 For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!] Imagine the Shulamite, as she watches the Beloved’s gracefulness, she catches him staring at her. She then opens her arms and invites him to come to her. Still, at a distance, the Beloved invites her to come away with him. It is springtime and the beauty of God’s creation is at full bloom. Imagine, also, as her eyes are closed, the imagery the Beloved is painting for her.
[“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.”] The Beloved, still at a distance shielding himself from her view, she calls to him in anticipation to see his face. The dove is used as a symbol of beauty here; she wants to hear more from him while she admires the majestic stature of the Beloved.
Scripture verse (15)
Her Brothers
15 Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.
15 The KJV has, “Take us the foxes.” From the Hebrew word ’e·ḥĕ·zū- / achaz: to grasp, take hold, take possession. The use of the word foxes her insinuates sneaky or sly. God spoke to Elijah in the desert concerning the false prophets, Ezekiel 13:4 (KJV), “O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.” When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, after they were criticizing Him for being the company of sinners, they warned Him of what Herod would do to Him; Luke 13:32 (KJV), “And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”
The word used here for foxes is šū·‘ā·lîm / shual; a masculine noun; fox, perhaps jackal. Many commentators are not sure who is actually speaking here. If you look back at Song of Solomon 1:5-6 , you will see where the Shulamite tells of what her brothers had her to take care of. It gives me some impression that it could be her brothers trying to distract her and telling her to come back to them.
The Shulamite
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies.
16 The Shulamite says firmly that we are one and cannot be separated. Lilies, here, is used to describe the Beloved’s lips, as used in Song of Solomon 5:13 (KJV), “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.”
Scripture verse (17)
The Shulamite to Her Beloved
17 Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag Upon the mountains of Bether.
17 The Shulamite again describes her Beloved as strong and full of life. There is no exact location of the mountains of Bether; be’-ther (bether): It is doubtful if a proper name is intended. The Revised Version, margin has, “perhaps, the spice malobathron.” A Bether is prominent in late Jewish history as the place where the Jews resisted Hadrian under Bar Cochba in 135 A.D. Its identity with Bittir, 7 miles Southwest of Jerusalem, is attested by an inscription. But this spice never grew wild in Palestine, and so could hardly have given its name to a mountain, or mountain range. The name Bether ought therefore to be retained, notwithstanding Wellhausen. The spice is the leaf of the Cassia lignea tree. Mountains of cutting, i.e. cleft mountains ᵐ5 These and others; or of separation (between us) Ew and others; ב = malobathron. — Bether as proper name AV RV. [Return]
Song of Solomon 3: A Troubled Night
The Shulamite
1 By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. 2 “I will rise now,” I said, “And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.” I sought him, but I did not find him. 3 The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, “Have you seen the one I love?”
1 The Shulamite was either dreaming or just laying down with thoughts of the one she loved and longing to be with him. The original Hebrew word used here for bed is miš·kā·ḇî / mishkab; place of lying, a couch, act of lying. There is no sexual connotations applicable here.
2 In the middle of the night, she longed to be with her Beloved. This is a continuation of her pursuit to be with and hold the one that she truly loved. In the middle of the night, most likely the streets were empty accept for the night watchmen. Both words used here, seek and sought, come from the same Hebrew word ’ă·ḇaq·šāh / baqash: to seek. She earnestly sought him out but he was nowhere to be found.
3 [6] “She did not sit down, and say to any one of them, “O watchman of the night, thy company cheers me! The streets are lonely and dangerous; but if thou art near, I feel perfectly safe, and I will be content to stay awhile with thee.” Nay (no), but she leaves the watchmen, and still goes along the streets until she finds him whom her soul loveth.” (Spurgeon)
Scripture verse (4)
The Shulamite
4 Scarcely had I passed by them, When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me.
4 Her determination to seek ‘the one she loved’, whether by help (the watchmen) or not, her pursuit was relentless and would not yield until she found him. Upon finding the ‘one she loved’, she clung to him as a vise would lock down anything tightened to it. It is difficult to know if, at this time, the couple was married. The implication can go either way. Dennis F. Kinlaw, perhaps, describes the verse, “Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me”, best, “This passage may also reflect ancient Israelite marital customs now unknown to us. Perhaps we should notice that Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother, even though Sarah was deceased, and there consummated their marriage”. The Psalmist uses similar phrasing later; Song of Solomon 8:2 (KJV), “I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.” In relationship to our Lord, we must cling tightly to Him and never let Him go. When Jacob encountered the Lord who wrestled with him; Genesis 32:26 (KJV), “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” He would not let Him go.
Scripture verse (5)
The Shulamite to her companions
5 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the Does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.
4 This verse almost concedes that the Shulamite was dreaming and was not about to have this beautiful and romantic time together with the ‘one she loved’ to be interrupted at all. Many times we have unexplainable dreams where we are put in places with many people from different times in our past together. This could be an awkward situation in her dream where the two were together and her companions were observing. Most likely it is showing that the two were never in an intimate situation with the onlookers nearby.
Scripture verses (6 – 8)
The Shulamite (The Coming of Solomon)
6 Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant powders? 7 Behold, it is Solomon’s couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel. 8 They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh Because of fear in the night. [
6 – 7 Who is this? The word used here for this is the same word used in Genesis, Genesis 2:23 (KJV), “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Here the reference to ‘this’ is the woman. The original Hebrew word used is zōṯ, pronoun feminine; demonstrative pronoun; adverb. This is undoubtingly talking about her entrance or procession into marriage being escorted by Solomon and accompanied with his well-armed guards. Charles Spurgeon likens this to Christ and His church, [7] “And, doubtless, whenever God shall be pleased to bring forth his Church in power, and to make her mighty among the sons of men, the ignorance of men will be discovered breaking forth in yonder, for they will say, ‘Who is this?’”
Scripture verses (9 – 11)
The Shulamite (The Coming of Solomon)
9 Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin: 10 He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart.
| This particular palanquin was exquisitely designed and built by the daughters of Jerusalem. We know that Solomon was given much riches and wealth from God and had exquisite taste. The Shulamite must have been really taken back by all of this. The adoring king himself being escorted by numerous armed guards and lavishly decorated. |
8 – 11 The word used for palanquin in the original Hebrew is ’ap·pir·yō·wn / appiryon, [a sedan]. Here, sedan is an enclosed chair for conveying one person, carried between horizontal poles by two or more porters.
This is not the crowning of Solomon as king when David instructed Bathsheba that Solomon would be king. This was a marital crown used in a royal coronation or ceremony. The original Hebrew word used for crown is bā·‘ă·ṭā·rāh / atarah [a crown, wreath]. With anticipation and gladness were both and all of their guests. Many of the women of Jerusalem knew of the unconditional love the Shulamite had for the king and were rejoicing over such a wonderful event.
Song of Solomon 4: The Bridegroom Praises the Bride
The Beauty of Consummated Love
The Beloved
1 Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, Going down from Mount Gilead. 2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears twins, And none is barren among them. 3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. 4 Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men. 5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
1 Continuing on from the previous chapter, all of the guests have departed from the ceremony and the two are finally alone, and now married. Solomon is adoring his wife with poetic compliments and praising her for her beauty. The Apostle Paul tells us, 1 Corinthians 7:3 (KJV), “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.” The Wycliffe Bible has, “The hosebonde yelde dette to the wijf, and also the wijf to the hosebonde”, or by today’s words, “The husband should yield his debt to his wife, and also the wife the same to her husband.”
[8] “Within the bonds of wedlock, “the due/debt” should be yielded by each for the satisfaction and according to the rights of the other, [1 Corinthians 7:4 (KJV)], “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” This [9]dictum defends marital intercourse against rigorists, as that of commends celibacy against sensualists, [1 Corinthians 7:1-2 (KJV)], “1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” The word ὀφειλὴ guards, both positively and negatively, the κοίτη ἀμίαντος; what is due to one alone must be given to one alone.”
Prior to any physical love, Solomon continues to address his bride with figurative eloquence in telling the woman that he loves and adores the richness of her beauty. [10] This is the first of seven physical features that the beloved described and praised in his maiden (eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples and cheeks, neck, and breasts). “In their culture seven was the number of perfection. So even in the number of compliments he gives, the king tells his bride how perfect she is for him.” (Glickman)
With his words and presence, Solomon was alluring his Beloved into a sensual state of comfort and security. Her beautiful dove eyes behind her wedding veil. Because of the narrow shape of a dove’s head, they are only able to focus on one object at a time. So a dove always has a singular focus. Both are compared to have the eyes of a dove; Song of Solomon 5:12 (KJV), “His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.” Throughout all of the scriptures, a dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
“Your hair is like a flock of goats.” [11] “Most Palestinian goats have long wavy black hair. The movement of a large flock on distant hill makes it appear as if the whole hillside is alive.” (Carr) The Beloved is describing his bride with long flowing black wavy hair shaping her face.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears twins, And none is barren among them. Shorn sheep are freshly sheared and clean and glimmering white. Each one of our teeth are twins to another one, hers were perfect and full.
3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. The eyes and the lips of a woman often define her beauty. Her lips were thin and outlined with an artist’s scarlet thread. Preparing her soft lips to be clung to; talking to her as to mesmerize her. Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness and beauty, because it is said to have 613 seeds that corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men. The way you carried yourself, upright or stiff, possibly hunched over, displayed your character in those days. The king is describing her neck as a strong shield and with a respect from all who would see her.
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies. We can surmise that, at least, she was still dressed; Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. Solomon may have been describing the outline or her breasts from the gown she was wearing. Gowns were typically loose fitting to hide a virgin’s figure. I particularly like the way in which Adam Clarke and Matthew Poole say; “It may be the nipples especially, which the poet compares to the two young roes; and the lilies may refer to the whiteness of the breasts themselves.” (Clarke) “The lilies being white and swelling, and the roes of a reddish color, and their bodies being hid from sight by the lilies, their heads only appearing above them, bear some resemblance to the red nipples appearing in the top of the lily white breasts… They are compared to roes for their loveliness, of which to young ones for their smallness, which in breasts is a beauty; to twins for their exact likeness.” (Poole). Proverbs 5:19 (KJV), “Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.”
Scripture verses (6)
The Beloved
6 Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.
6 Solomon uses the same words that were expressed by the Shulamite in Song of Solomon 2:17 (KJV), “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.” Solomon will wait until the time is right to be with his virgin bride and will go to where she emerged from previously.
Scripture verses (7 – 8)
The Beloved
7 You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, With me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions’ dens, From the mountains of the leopards.
7 – 8 The original Hebrew used here for fair is yapheh which means fair or beautiful. Also, the original Hebrew word for spot is mum which means blemish or defect. In his anticipation of the joining of their marriage, Solomon beautifully tells his bride that not only is she beautiful but, in his eyes, she is perfect. Ezekiel 27:5 (KJV), “They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.” Charles Spurgeon likens the call of Solomon to his wife as Christ’s call to his children to come with Him to the Father. [12] “This is His command to us daily: “Come with Me, my spouse; come with Me to God as a Father; come with Me onward, heavenward; come forward with Me; come up with Me; come with Me from Lebanon, from the top of Amana, from the lions’ dens.’’ These mountains are to be considered, (1.) As seemingly delightful places. Lebanon is called that goodly mountain, . We read of the glory of Lebanon and its goodly smell. We read of the pleasant dew of Hermon and the joy of Hermon; and we may suppose the other mountains here mentioned to be pleasant ones, and so this is Christ’s call to his spouse to come off from the world, all its products, all its pleasures, to sit loose to all the delights of sense.”
Scripture verses (9 – 11)
The Beloved (The consummation of their love)
9 You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart With one look of your eyes, With one link of your necklace. 10 How fair is your love, My sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, And the scent of your perfumes Than all spices! 11 Your lips, O my spouse, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
9 – 11 Not only has her beauty given him a cause for the anticipated, but he further tells her that his heart is full with the intensity, passion, and delight of the night. Ravished comes from the original Hebrew word labab; to ravish the heart, encourage, make heart beat faster. He looks into her eyes and then the back of her neck and again is overtaken with desire for her. Twice in these verses he calls her his sister and spouse. Under God, we are all His children. All of the church is full of brothers and sisters in Christ. Solomon tells her of the true closeness he, has been and still is, feels for her.
Again, Solomon uses the same poetic words to describe his love for her as she did, Song of Solomon 1:2 (KJV), “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” He compliments his bride on her passionate love making and the scent of her body. 11 Your lips, O my spouse, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; Rabbi Ozer Glickman comments on this verse this way, [13] “Way back then the king tells his bride that honey and milk are under her tongue. But this expression may tell us more than that French kissing was around long before the French.”
The word used for garments is salmah, which can also mean an undergarment or negligee. Solomon continues use of the senses by referencing the smells of Lebanon. Lebanese cedar was and still is used in fragrances, known for its pure scent.
Scripture verses (12 – 15)
The Beloved
12 A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed. 13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna with spikenard, 14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices— 15 A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon.
12 – 15 Solomon is expressing his praise to his wife for her virginity by using words like ‘A spring shut up, a fountain sealed’. ‘A garden enclosed’ would indicate a private area, of keeping to herself. Solomon holds his wife to an extremely high esteem for keeping her virginity. The world today wants to put a taboo on keeping one’s virginity; it is nothing to be embarrassed about. The bible speaks plainly here and in a number of scripture references on the subject of pre-marital sex; Deuteronomy 22:13-29 (KJV). The new testament speaks frequently on sexual immorality; for example 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (KJV), “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.” Webster’s Dictionary 1828 defines fornication as “the incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.”
‘Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna with spikenard.’ Solomon seems to be describing his wife’s anatomy, more directly, the female genitalia, which he opened this section by talking about her garden. The imagery that this commentator hearing is the actual consummation of the marriage. The poetic imagery that Solomon uses stays consistent with the flow of this entire passage. Charles Spurgeon recognizes the fountain of living waters as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; [14] “the church transmits the praise to Christ, and says to Him, All My springs are in thee; thou art the well of living waters, out of which flow the streams of Lebanon, the river Jordan, which had its rise at the foot of Mount Lebanon, and the waters of the sanctuary, which issued out from under the threshold of the house.”
The Shulamite
16 The Shulamite is quite taken by her husband’s poise and poetic speech and welcomes her husband to have her intimately as his wife. She invites him and only him to her protected garden and yields the her garden to him; his garden; “Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.” [Return]
Song of Solomon 5: The Beloved’s Dream
Scripture verse (1a)
The Beloved
1a I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk.
1a Many commentators believe that the first part of verse 1 should have concluded the preceding chapter. We see where the Shulamite left off in chapter 4, “16 Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.” She invites the Beloved, Solomon, to share one of God’s most intimate moments God blessed a husband and wife with, the consummation of the marriage. The Beloved accepts his wife by continuing addressing her as his sister, my spouse keeping in line with Christ and His church. In chapter 4, the Shulamite extends the invitation to ‘her’ garden, and her, the Beloved accepts and then calls it ‘my’ garden. This indicates the union of a man and a woman in God’s marriage as becoming one.
The words used by the Beloved, “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk” indicate the complete satisfaction of sharing God’s gift to a husband and wife. The imagery shows the preparedness of the Beloved through their courtship.
Scripture verse (1b)
The Beloved to his friends
1b Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!
1b Let’s look at the first part of this verse, “Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!” Luke 15:7 & 10 (KJV), “7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Jesus wants all of us to accept Him. We are commissioned to go out into the world in the name of Jesus to spread the gospel.
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV), “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
The Beloved is inviting his friends to enjoy this blessing of the vows of matrimony, which is the truest gift God has given both man and woman. God had joined these two in His image and shared with them God’s intimate blessings and the Beloved wants so much for his friends to only to feel but to enjoy this tremendous gift. John 3:29 (KJV), “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”
Scripture verse (2)
The Shulamite
2 I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.”
2 The Shulamite departed from the banquet and went to bed awaiting her Beloved. ‘I sleep, but my heart is awake’ gives the sense that she was asleep and dreaming from her heart. The strong desires for each other rang deeply inside her as she slept awaiting for husband to join her on their wedding night. Jesus invites us into His arms as the Bridegroom, Revelation 3:20 (KJV), “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (deipneó: to eat, dine) with him, and he with me.” The Shulamite is remembering the expectancy of the experience by describing the emotions and the moment of them getting together.
The Beloved calls her his ‘perfect’ one, the original Hebrew word used is ṯam·mā·ṯî/ tam, complete one. [15] At this moment in the Beloved’s life, she completes him; she is everything that he wants and desires. The Beloved appeals to his wife to let him in. By all accounts, through the beautiful poetry he uses in describing her as well as his own description of what he may have gone through just to get there.
Scripture verses (3 – 6)
The Shulamite
3 I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? 4 My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him. 5 I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. 6 I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
3 – 6 The Shulamite had fallen asleep waiting for her Beloved. In her dreams, when he entered his house and came to the bedroom door, she may have been exceedingly nervous, she was a virgin and had not been with a man and did not know what to expect. It may have taken some time for her to get the nerve to get up and put something on and slippers back on and get to the door to receive him that by then, he turned away and left.
She had taken off her robe. The word used here is kut·tā·nə·tî / kethoneth or kuttoneth, a tunic or an undergarment. This is not the same word used in Song of Solomon 4; this may have been something yet under the negligee.
4 My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door. This verse alone provides many commentators with a couple of meanings. Let’s break this down; My beloved put his hand.
Wycliffe (WYC), “My darling put his hand by an hole (of the door); and my womb trembled at the touching thereof.”
(KJV), “My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.”
(DARBY), “My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door]; And my bowels yearned for him.”
Then many versions used the word, moued toward him, which means to pout or grimace.
Is there a sexual connotation presented here? There is always a possibility that this particular phrasing used here may have a couple of different intentions, when put in perspective and placement of this phrase and verse, most likely it is just as it seems; he reached for the door knob. The Beloved may have started to turn the knob but respected his wife’s privacy. If the Songs of Solomon were taught as God’s biblical way a man and a woman should court, marry and then consummate, this could show a resistance of the bride or a mood swing or some conflict between the two where she took her time to get to the door and he just up and left.
The Shulamite
7 The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me. 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!
7 – 8 All of this is speculated that this is occurring in a dream as she slept. She had thrown on an overgarment and pursued him. As she was wondering around, in search for her Beloved, the night watchmen saw this young lady, adorned in a loose garment around her, running around in the mist of the night. It seems as if they tried, unsuccessfully, at first to detain her but she was determined to keep searching. They possibly grabbed her and slapped her or slightly struck her to settle her down.
‘The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me’, the original Hebrew word used here for veil is different than the previous usages of the word when describing the covering for her temples or her eyes. The word used in Song of Solomon 4:1 for veil is lə·ṣam·mā·ṯêḵ / tsammah which is a women’s veil but the word used here is rə·ḏî·ḏî / radid which here means a wide wrapper, large veil. The watchmen removed her wrapper or the garment covering her to see who this woman was.
‘I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!’ The earlier presence of her being ill-effected was due to her overwhelming love of her Beloved where here she is reaping the pains of her rejection of the reluctance of opening the door for him. Scripturally this can represent when the Holy Spirit tugs at us and we reject Him. This could occur given any situation where we are not saved but feel that tug or, we have accepted our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but we are in an awkward position where we are fighting between the powers of principality and the Holy Spirit calling to us. We then find ourselves abandoned and all alone reaching out to the only One who can pull us back, our first love.
Scripture verse (9)
The Daughters of Jerusalem
9 What is your beloved More than another beloved, fairest among women? What is your beloved More than another beloved, That you so charge us?
9 Remembering that this could all be happening in her dream, our dreams are often skewed with interacting parts and people who pop in and out of our dreams. We can almost envision her friends standing to the side watching this behavior of their friend seemingly out of her mind in a frenzy wondering around. Now, possibly, laughing at her as to why is this man so much more important than any other, please, tell us.
Scripture verses (10 – 13)
The Shulamite
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. 11 His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves By the rivers of waters, Washed with milk, And fitly set. 13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, Dripping liquid myrrh.
10 – 13 The love-struck Shulamite starts from the top of his head all the way down poetically describing her handsome lover. Up until this point, most of the poetic compliments have come from each other describing their love for each other but here, the Shulamite passionately describes her Beloved to her friends.
She starts off saying that her Beloved is white and ruddy. The original Hebrew words for both are ṣaḥ / tsach used for white, meaning dazzling, glowing, clear and the word used for ruddy is wə·’ā·ḏō·wm / adom which means red. He was a stunningly handsome man brightened by the glow of the sun. Chief among ten thousand insinuates that this could be Solomon, though Solomon was king over a much larger number of men; or this could mean that she was saying that he was one in one-thousand among men.
The Shulamite saw her man with sculptured good looks like that of the finest gold. She now uses the same metaphor that he used to describe her eyes. His eyes were beautiful set and glowing white. She describes his face [cheeks and jaw] as a garden with a beautiful fragrance. Some commentators say that she may describing his beard, which was very common in those days. His well-groomed beard, scented with an oil, would distinguish his sculptured good looks. In her dream she is describing his luscious lips which she is desiring to her friends while eyes closed.
Scripture verses (14 – 16)
The Shulamite
14 His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl. His body is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. 15 His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars. 16 His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!
14 – 16 His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl. His body is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. The word used for rods is gə·lî·lê / galil which means turning or folding; describing his hands as cuffed and his body sculptured or chiseled with precious gems.
His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars. She describes her man as a prominent figure in his stature standing firmly as if immovable stability. Adam Clarke describes his countenance this way, “As Lebanon exalts its head beyond all the other mountains near Jerusalem, so my beloved is tall and majestic, and surpasses in stature and majesty all other men.”
Song of Solomon 6:
Scripture verse (1)
The Daughters of Jerusalem
1 Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned side, That we may seek him with you?
1 As a continuation from the previous chapter, the Beloved had departed from the Shulamites house after a certain amount of time waiting for her to come to the door. After searching for him, and being confronted by the night-watchmen, we read, in Song of Solomon 5:8 , “8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!” she seeks help in finding him from the Daughters of Jerusalem. Her friends now express the interest to want to assist their friend in locating her husband. They ask her ‘Where has your beloved turned side’? The original Hebrew word for turned aside is pā·nāh / panah: to turn or to turn away. This could be in reference to when he turned away from the Shulamite at the door. The Shulamite may have mentioned to them exactly what happened. Could this be a sarcastic comment?
Scripture verses (2 – 3)
The Shulamite
2 My beloved has gone to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed his flock in the gardens, And to gather lilies. 3 I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.
2 – 3 When the Shulamite initially asked her Beloved where to find him, we see in Song of Solomon 1:7 (KJV), “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?” Then, he replies with, Song of Solomon 1:8 (KJV), “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.” She suspected that he returned to his garden to attend to his flock. This is the first use of the word garden, in the Song of Solomon, that actually represents a physical garden and does not represent anything sexual.
Though the confrontation was there, the Shulamite is deeply in love with her beloved. 3I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. God tells us, Genesis 2:24 (KJV), “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The original Hebrew words used here mean to forsake dependence upon, leave behind, release, and let go. She is reassuring any doubts that they are one under God. The Beloved fed his flocks among the lilies and while there, he gathered some for his love. Song of Solomon 4:5, “5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.”
Scripture verses (4 – 7)
The Beloved
4 O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with banners! 5 Turn your eyes away from me, For they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats Going down from Gilead. 6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep Which have come up from the washing; Every one bears twins, And none is barren among them. 7 Like a piece of pomegranate Are your temples behind your veil.
4 – 7 O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with banners! The Beloved is quick to forgive his love for not answering his knock on the door. The expressions spoken in these verses almost confirm that they are together again. He is speaking to her of her beauty, much as he did in Song of Solomon 4. The Hebrew word for Tirzah is Tirtsah; translated is daughter of Zelophehad, also a Canaanite city. In the Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB), a Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, more commonly known as Brown–Driver–Briggs or BDB is a standard reference for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, first published in 1906, has the word Tirtsah as a proper name for feminine, of a location, pleasure and beauty. Both Tirzah and Jerusalem were very beautiful cities. Awesome as an army with banners! [Return to Proverbs 3:5-6]
| Ever since the fall, we have been at war with the enemy who comes to steak, kill, and destroy. Christians armed with the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and the helmet of Salvation, have prevailed where oth4ers have retreated. Turn your eyes away from me, For they have overcome me. The Beloved often praises his bride’s beautiful and seductive eyes. His compliments to his bride |
The beauty of an Army with Banners
bride indicate her glimmering beauty is so striking he must turn aside.
We read in Song of Solomon 4 where the Beloved poetically describes his wife’s beauty and physical appearance from the top of her head down to her feet, not leaving out her intimate beauty of her anatomy. The Beloved repeats some of the same poetic praises of her beauty but at this time, they have consummated their marriage. He reminds her that he loves her not just for sex but for her beauty and for the person she is to him.
Scripture verses (8 – 10)
The Beloved
8 There are sixty queens And eighty concubines, And virgins without number. 9 My dove, my perfect one, Is the only one, The only one of her mother, The favorite of the one who bore her. The daughters saw her And called her blessed, The queens and the concubines, And they praised her. 10 Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army with banners?
8 – 10 There are sixty queens And eighty concubines, And virgins without number. This verse has troubled many people and commentators alike. If this book is written by Solomon, could he be writing this beautiful book later in life and remembering his first love? Could he be addressing her after starting his harem telling her that she is unique among them and calling attention to her being different than the others? This could be just a tremendous compliment and reassuring to his bride that there could not possibly be anyone else that his heart could long for or be as beautiful as.
My dove, my perfect one, Is the only one, The only one of her mother, The favorite of the one who bore her. Directly speaking to his wife, he repeats and emphasizes the enduring descriptions of her as his dove, his perfect one, and that she stands along among all others.Song of Solomon 1:6 distinctly mentions that she was not an only child. The Beloved states that she is the only one of her mother that he is drawn to and his favorite of them.
The daughters saw her And called her blessed, The queens and the concubines, And they praised her. He puts her above all and praises her for what other women have said about her (and other loyalty from other countries).
Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army with banners? We should all thank God for all that He gives us, the life we breath. Every morning when we arise, we should give thanks to God for another day and look forward to what He has instore for us. The Beloved compares his wife to this same thankfulness; to awake each morning to her. Married couples should take heed to this poetic act of forgiveness. His obvious reconciliation of any spite or bitterness that may have come out to his initial rejection is quickly forgotten and beautifully presented to her.
Scripture verses (11 – 12)
The Shulamite
11 I went down to the garden of nuts To see the verdure[16] of the valley, To see whether the vine had budded And the pomegranates had bloomed. 12 Before I was even aware, My soul had made me As the chariots of my noble people.
11 – 12 When she realized where her Beloved could be, she went to his garden to pursue him. We read of the forgiveness of the Beloved and now we are assured of the total reconciliation of their marriage. What a perfect time for the renewing of their love by the freshness of the greenery and blooming of spring.
Before I was even aware, My soul had made me As the chariots of my noble people. If we take this verse and directly associate it verse 13, “Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!”, one might imagine her adoring the beauty of the garden and being swept away on a chariot by her friends to her Beloved.
Scripture verse (13a)
The Beloved and his Friends
13a Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!
13a Return, return Shulamite. This is the first and only verse within the Song Of Solomon where the name Shulamite is mentioned. In the original Aramaic text, the word used for Shulamite is haš·šū·lam·mîṯ, [שׁוּלַמִּית]. The literal translation of the Hebrew is Shulamis (שולמית) or Shulamit is the feminine form of the Hebrew name Solomon (in Hebrew, “Shlomo”, שְלמה), related to the word “shalom” (שָׁלוֹם), or “peace”. “Shula” is a shortened form. This reiterates the oneness of their marriage as God has ordained it to be. He is calling her by his name in the feminine form.
Scripture verse (13b)
The Shulamite
13b What would you see in the Shulamite— As it were, the dance of the two camps?
| The entire marriage arrangement in Biblical times could be broken down into five areas: The Betrothal, The friend of the Bridegroom, The procession, The wedding ceremony, and The Wedding Feast. The wedding ceremony comprised of the bride’s dancing. This could symbolize that the Shulamite was modestly dancing for all in attendance. The actual marriage ceremony would last seven days. |
13b [17] Some believe that this half-verse is from the Beloved, speaking to the Daughters of Jerusalem, and this is possible. “The king remarks in fact that they loved to gaze upon her as intensely as if they were looking upon a festive dance.” (Glickman)
Or, this actually could be the Shulamite being humble and modest not knowing what anybody sees in her to being on this kind of attention. Could the friends be encouraging her to dance; the two camps could indicate the Shulamite’s camp and the Beloved’s. [Return]
Song of Solomon 7: Expressions of Praise
Scripture verses (1 – 3)
The Beloved
1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your highs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman. 2 Your navel is a rounded goblet; It lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat Set about with lilies. 3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle.
1 – 3 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your highs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman. Continuing from the previous chapter, the Beloved is again describing the beauty of his bride. The Beloved is now presenting his beautiful wife’s alluring physical appearance to everyone. Initially, he was talking only to her. Later, he was describing her to her friends. Starting from the bottom and working his way up, he describes her lovely feet as she dances. As he was admiring his bride, he continues to describe her beauty by elaborating on her figure as the jewels surrounding provide a glow to her figure. Dennis Kinlaw describes these verses as, [18] “This poem indicates the perpetual charm of the female form to the male.” (Kinlaw)
Scripture verses (4 – 5)
The Beloved
4 Your neck is like an ivory tower, Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon By the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looks toward Damascus. 5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses.
4 – 5 He describes her neck as distinguished and as smooth as ivory. Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon By the gate of Bath Rabbim. This verse seems to have a very deep meaning. This would also indicate that only one with the wisdom of Solomon could pen. This is the only reference to the pools by the gate of Bath Rabbim in the bible. he gate of Heshbon near which were the pools compared to the Shulamites’ eyes. [19] Guthe would translate “by the gate of the populous city.” [20] Cheyne would amend the passage and read – “Thine eyes are like Solomon’s pools, By the wood of Beth-cerem,” + and transfer the scene to the pools of Solomon, S. of Bethlehem (EB, under the word). Not only were her eyes as dove’s eyes but as beautiful as two pools.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looks toward Damascus. [21] Lebanon is one of several words derived from the Hebrew root laben, ‘to be white’. It was probably the whiteness of the limestone cliffs that gave the mountain its name. This suggests that the imagery here is associated with the color of her nose rather than its shape or size. Her face is pale, like the ivory tone of her neck, not sunburnt. Ibid) This would almost contradict how she describes herself in Song of Solomon 1:5 where she describes herself as dark and well-tanned. [22] “Viewed from a distance a [tower] adds symmetry and comeliness to an otherwise nondescript horizon. Her nose complements and sets off her facial beauty.”
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses. As the Beloved is describing her beauty from her feet to her head, all of the beauty, as described, is completed by her glowing and magnificent head and hair. He describes her head as the crown, or royalty, upon her beautiful figure. Her hair as the royal purple. Her all together beauty is stunning and leaves him breathless.
Scripture verses (6 – 9)
The Beloved
6 How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! 7 This stature of yours is like a palm tree, And your breasts like its clusters. 8 I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, The fragrance of your breath like apples, 9 And the roof of your mouth like the best wine. The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, Moving gently the lips of sleepers.
6 – 9 How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! Using the theme as an allegory, this indicates how much God loves us; Isaiah 62:5 (KJV), “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.”
This stature of yours is like a palm tree, And your breasts like its clusters. The way in which she presents herself to him is more than just the beauty she possesses. Proverbs 5:19-20 (KJV), “19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? [23]The sense we have from all this is that this couple has grown and matured in their sharing of love, sexual and otherwise. “This is a different mood from the delicate formality of their wedding night.” (Glickman)
I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” This verse really needs no translation as he describes her descent onto her while lavishly clinging to her.
The fragrance of your breath like apples, 9 And the roof of your mouth like the best wine. He creates quite a picture of the way he is kissing her slowly while making love to her.
Some commentators split verse 9 into two, where 9a is the Beloved speaking and 9b is the Shulamite’s response. I tend to lean towards keeping this verse intact. When the early church scholars put chapters and verse together, they kept this as one verse, one thought. The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, Moving gently the lips of sleepers. This would be the Beloved describing his feelings for himself to her.
Scripture verses (10 – 13)
The Shulamite
10 I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved, Let us go forth to the field; Let us lodge in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, Whether the grape blossoms are open, And the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. 13The mandrakes give off a fragrance, And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved.
I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me. This would seem to be her agreement to love making. Psalm 45:11 (KJV), “So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.”
Come, my beloved, Let us go forth to the field; Let us lodge in the villages. This is now her return invitation to go away with him, as he requested it earlier in Song of Solomon 2:10 (KJV), “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” She got over her initial shyness and matured to an understanding that not only was the man to initiate the request but she must as well. She was now requesting that they go away. Spring is a time of beauty when flowers and trees start to bloom, as a spring relationship starts in its infancy and blossoms to maturity. There I will give you my love. [24] “Song of Solomon teaches that true freedom does not come by someone’s being liberated from marriage. The truth is that genuine liberation comes in marriage. Marriage is a secure hedge that protects love as it grows. As love is nurtured, it produces freedom and fulfillment.”
The mandrakes give off a fragrance, And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved. It seems that the Scripture clearly connects the fragrance of mandrake with sexuality, which is the only known account of direct link between odor and human sexual response. Fifty-five principle odoriferous constituents were identified in rather bizarre chemical composition of mandrake aroma. It will be of assistance for a suggested scientific study of potential aphrodisiac effect of mandrake fragrance. Matthew 13:52 (KJV), “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”
All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved. A particularly difficult passage to interpret. She is inviting her Beloved to make love with her ‘in all manner new and old’. She could be suggesting to him with all natural known ways of making love and to be open to any new explorations. [Return]
Song of Solomon 8: It all comes down to this
Scripture verses (1 – 2)
The Shulamite
1 Oh, that you were like my brother, Who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I should find you outside, I would kiss you; I would not be despised. 2 I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, She who used to instruct me. I would cause you to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate.
1 – 2 Oh, that you were like my brother, Who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I should find you outside, I would kiss you; I would not be despised. It was the custom in those days, and still in some parts of the world, to not display affection openly in public. She wanted to openly display her affection for her Beloved and kiss him in public.
I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, She who used to instruct me. As a girl grows up, typically it would be the mother who would teach her the facts of life. The Shulamite is wanting to instruct or lead her Beloved in the manner in which she was taught.
I would cause you to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate. [25] “Wine rendered peculiarly strong and invigorating. The bride and bridegroom on the wedding day both drank out of the same cup, to show that they were to enjoy and equally bear together the comforts and adversities of life.” (Clarke)
The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem
3 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me. 4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.
3 – 4 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me. These are the same words used in Song of Solomon 2:6 portraying the act of intimacy of her Beloved holding in such a way to passionately kiss her.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases. This is the third time in the Song of Solomon that the Shulamite uses this phrase (2:7 and 3:5). This phrase could be used as her petition to her friends to not even think about interrupting this romantic and intimate dream. It also could be as real as, “Please, don’t let this be a dream” or, in a moment of passion, “Please, don’t let this dream ever end”. In either case, she was so enjoying their love making and never wanted it to end; meaning, throughout their marriage.
Love Renewed in Lebanon
Scripture verse (5)
A Relative
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth.
5 As with many passages in the Song of Solomon, it is not always clear who is speaking and to whom. We can surmise here that it is someone other than the couple speaking. As this person, or persons, approach the couple, they see them cuddled under an apple tree asleep.
There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. This passage would almost indicate that the person or persons speaking would be someone close to her, a brother or other family member, that possibly recollects her mother birthing her in the exact spot. The original Hebrew word used for bore is yə·lā·ḏaṯ·ḵā / yalad; to bear, bring forth, beget.
The Shulamite to Her Beloved
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.
6 – 7 Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death. Breaking this down into the original Hebrew, we have ‘[sum/sim] to put, place, set me as a [chotham] a seal, signet ring upon your [leb] inner man, mind, will, heart, (to the inner depths of him), as a [chotham] a seal, signet ring upon your [zeroa] arm, shoulder, strength; for [ahabah] love (n)(feminine) her love is as [az] strong, mighty, fierce as [maveth] death.’
Genesis 2:18-24 (KJV), “18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 21And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
God does not take marriage lightly. God set the hierarchy in order; God, man, and then women. Ephesians 5:22 (KJV), “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” The maiden understood God’s command for marriage and God’s order. She wanted her Beloved’s love selfishly to her alone, deep, and joining into one flesh. In those days, the use of a signet ring was used to make a claim on something; Jeremiah 22:24 (KJV), “As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;” and Haggai 2:23 (KJV), “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. Proverbs 6:34 (KJV), “For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.” The word used here for jealousy is qin·’āh / qinah; ardor, zeal, jealousy (n) (feminine), her jealousy. For cruel, the word used is qā·šāh / qasheh, hard, severe. Love should be so deep that there should never show a reason for jealousy. As a married couple, we belong to each other and should demand only that love reciprocated to not allow any room for jealousy.
These are very deep words spoken by the Shulamite to her Beloved. The English language has a difficult time translating a lot of the original Aramaic and Hebrew. Many of these original words has no real English translation. The word grave used in this text comes from the Hebrew word ḵiš·’ō·wl / sheol. She’ol, in the Hebrew Bible, is a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of the moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness; which then puts the phrase, “Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame” into perspective. Let’s breakdown this phrase; there are two different words used here for the word flame; Its flames are flames of fire. Its flames, the original Hebrew word used here is rə·šā·p̄e·hā / resheph / riš·pê is a masculine noun for his flame. A most vehement flame derives its origin from šal·he·ḇeṯ·yāh / shalhebeth, meaning flame but the feminine noun. Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. Nothing can extinguish .
If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised. Love cannot be bought. Marrying for money, when recognized, would be despised by many.
Scripture verses (8 – 9)
The Shulamite’s Brothers
8 We have a little sister, And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister In the day when she is spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, We will build upon her A battlement of silver;
And if she is a door, We will enclose her With boards of cedar.
8 – 9 We have a little sister, And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister In the day when she is spoken for? When you put these two sentences together, you see a picture of older brothers being overly protective of their little sister. How and what will they do when someone captures her heart? [26] “Shulamith’s brothers took their responsibility seriously, for long before she was of marriageable age they determined to keep her pure for her husband ([27]Song of Solomon 8:9). They resolved to provide guidance and positive pressure to help Shulamith remain a virgin.” (Estes)
The Shulamite
10 I am a wall, And my breasts like towers; Then I became in his eyes As one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; He leased the vineyard to keepers; Everyone was to bring for its fruit A thousand silver coins. 12 My own vineyard is before me. You, O Solomon, may have a thousand, And those who tend its fruit two hundred.
10 – 11 I am a wall, And my breasts like towers; Then I became in his eyes As one who found peace. In a response to her brothers, she declares herself as a wall, firmly planted. She stood tall and firm as a tower. Earlier in Song of Solomon we saw where she was a bit shy and reserved about herself. As their love had matured, her confidence, not only within herself stood firm, but together as a married couple stood firm in which Solomon saw this and found internal peace.
Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; He leased the vineyard to keepers; Everyone was to bring for its fruit A thousand silver coins. My own vineyard is before me. You, O Solomon, may have a thousand, And those who tend its fruit two hundred. Baal Hamon was a place of a multitude, a place where Solomon had an extensive vineyard. She recognized that Solomon was a man of great wealth and anyone who wanted to come to his vast vineyard had to pay a very high price. She thought of herself as her own vineyard and she would give Solomon a ‘free pass’ worth a thousand coins to have her. We all have our own vineyard to maintain and not worry about others. [28] “There are a great many people, who seem to forget that they have a vineyard of their own to keep; or else, if they remember it, they cannot say, ‘My vineyard, which is mine, is before me,’ for they go about gazing on other people’s vineyards, instead of keeping their eyes fixed upon their own. They say, ‘Look at So-and-so’s vineyard; I don’t think he trims his vines in the new style.’” (Spurgeon)
The Beloved
13 You who dwell in the gardens, The companions listen for your voice—Let me hear it!
13 Throughout the Song of Solomon, the garden has been used to identify a place or the Shulamite herself. [29] “In other words- when I am far away from thee, fill thou this garden with my name, and let thy heart commune with me.” (Spurgeon) Some commentators believe that the last two verses signify that they are separated and showing that their love is strong and he is desiring to hear her voice.
Scripture verse (14)
The Shulamite
14 Make haste, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag On the mountains of spices.
14 Continuing with the possibility that they are separated, distant, she is crying out to her Beloved to hurry, do not waste any time returning. [30] “The final invitation is to a continued celebration of the love and communion which the happy couple shares. The joys of physical union and mutual enjoyment are stamped with God’s approval, for the Song of Songs is part of his holy Word.” (Carr)
[1] GotQuestions.com
[2] G. Lloyd Carr
[3] Dennis Kinlaw
[4] Adam Clarke
[5] David M. Carr
[6] Charles Spurgeon
[7] Charles Spurgeon
[8] Expositor’s Greek Testament
[9] a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source.
[10] S. CRAIG GLICKMAN
[11] G. Lloyd Carr
[12] Charles Spurgeon
[13] S. Craig Glickman
[14] Charles Spurgeon
[15] If the Beloved is Solomon, according to biblical account, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
[16] Lush green vegetation
[17] S. Craig Glickman
[18] Dennis Kinlaw
[19] Hermann Guthe
[20] Robert Murray M’Cheyne
[21] G. Lloyd Carr
[22] Graeme Garrett
[23] C. Craig Glickman
[24] Daniel Estes
[25] Adam Clarke
[26] David Estes
[27] 9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
[28] Charles Spurgeon
[29] Charles Spurgeon
[30] G. Lloyd Carr
Grow in the Word of the Lord 