Song of Solomon
11Sing the songs that belong to Solomon! [This verse is usually translated as "The Song of Songs by Solomon," but this is a possible alternative translation. An invitation to sing Solomon's songs. The name Solomon appears seven times in this book and points to the perfect king, Jesus.]A – Mutual love (1:2-2:7)
The bride's prov
[The first section, , is related to the last section, . Both sections have a chiastic pattern in which the voice that speaks alternates between a woman and a man seven times. The exact same pattern is found in the last part. Even unique words and themes appear in reverse order. The Hebrew word for kiss is used only here and in . Even in the number of words, there is a crescendo toward the central verse. Verses 2-7 have 73 words, verses 8-11 have 48 words, verses 12-14 have 20 words, and the central has 7 words! Then the number of words increases again in the second half of the chiasmus with 13, 12, and 49 words.
The imagery from the Old Testament and the New Testament are related. Here in the Song of Songs, it describes how God kisses us (the bridegroom kisses the bride), and in the NT, the Greek word proskuneo is used, which is translated as worship and means to fall on your knees and kiss someone in reverence. It is used to describe how the Father seeks true worshippers, see . The Old Testament shows how God comes to us, and just as the bridegroom traditionally kisses the bride first, this shows that he wants an intimate relationship with us. Then in the New Testament, the bride's response comes in the form of her kissing God (the bridegroom) and thus giving her consent to also be part of the intimate relationship, which has now become possible because Jesus accomplished everything for us so that we could return to the intimate relationship with God that was broken by the Fall.] 2Let him kiss me
with the kisses of his mouth. For your love (passionate feelings – Hebr. dod) [plural] is better than wine, 3better than the fragrance of your fragrant ointments.
Your name is like poured oil,
therefore you are loved by young women. 4Draw me (to you), we will run after you,
the king has brought me into his chamber [on the wedding night].
[The Hebrew word for love in , dod, probably comes from a verb meaning "to boil"; used of physical attraction and love—perhaps bubbling emotions, see ; ; ; ; .] [Chorus:]
We [the woman, perhaps together with the daughters of Jerusalem, see ] want to be happy and rejoice with (in) you,
we shall find your love (bubbling, passionate feelings) more fragrant than wine. 5I am black (sunburned) [having worked outdoors], but beautiful—you daughters of Jerusalem,
[black] like the [dark] tents of Kedar [woven from black goat hair],
[beautiful] like Solomon's curtains (tents).
6Do not look at me (disparagingly) because I am black,
because the sun has burned me.
My mother's sons (my brothers and/or half-brothers) were angry with me
and forced me to work in their vineyard,
but I have not been able to take care of my own vineyard.
[This verse describes a poor woman who was probably forced to do slave labor.]
7Tell me, you whom my soul (my whole being) loves,
where do you let your flock graze, where do you let your flock rest at noon?
Why should I be like a veiled woman
among your friends' flocks?The words of the bridegroom
8If you do not know, O fairest (most beautiful) among women,
go forth in the footsteps of the flock
and feed your lambs
beside the shepherds' tents. 9I have compared you, my love, to a steed (a sleek and stately horse, a mare)
before Pharaoh's chariots. 10Your cheeks are so beautiful with their jewelry,
your neck with rows of pearls.
11We will make jewelry of gold
with silver settings for you.The bride's prov
12When the king sat at his table,
my nardus gave off its sweet fragrance.
13My beloved (darling) is to me like a cup
of myrrh between my breasts.
14My beloved (darling) is to me like a cluster of henna [beautiful flower]
in the vineyards of Ein Gedi [on the western side of the Dead Sea]. [Henna also appears in . Originally from India, but was probably imported by Solomon and grew in his gardens. It symbolizes an unusual fragrance, is precious, and comes from far away.]The words of the bridegroom
[This is the central verse of the first section:]
15Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved,
behold, you are so wonderful,
your eyes are like doves.The bride's prov
16Behold, you are lovely, my beloved (darling),
yes, delightful,
and our couch is green. 17The beams of our house are of cedar,
the paneling is of cypress.
21
View from Haifa over the Mediterranean Sea. The Sharon Plain stretches south of Haifa below Mount Carmel. The modern city of Natanya (meaning "a gift from God") is the main town in this fertile area, which receives rainfall all year round.
a lily of the valley.
[The plain of Sharon is known for its rich fertility with many different species of flowers.]The words of the bridegroom
2Like a lily among thorns,
so is my beloved among the daughters.The bride's prov
3Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the sons.
I love to sit in its shade,
and its taste is sweet in my mouth. 4He has brought me to the banquet hall [literally "the wine house"; the place of the banquet/wedding feast],
his banner (tribe, clan, or family flag) over (covering) me is love. [There are two Hebrew words for banner. The word nes describes a military flag used in battle, see . Here, however, the Hebr. word degel is used, which is the banner that each of the twelve tribes had, see . It beautifully illustrates how the bride lives under the tribe of love. The same root word is also used in , . The word can also be traced back to the Akkadian diglu, which has to do with "intention" and "desire," in which case the meaning becomes "his desire for her is love."] 5Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love. [Chorus 1 – repeated in :]
6His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me.
7I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and by the does of the field,
not to awaken or stir up love until it pleases.B – The bridegroom's invitation (2:8-17)
[In the second section of the book (verses 8-17), the young man comes to the woman's home and invites her to accompany him to the countryside. This has its parallel in the penultimate section, where it is the woman who wants to invite the man out, see . The passage consists of three parts: the woman's description of the man's invitation, the man's invitation, and a concluding refrain describing how they belong together.] The bride's words 8Hear the voice of my beloved (darling),
see someone coming,
leaping and skipping over the mountains,
running over the hills.
9My beloved (darling) is like a gazelle or a young stag,
he stands behind our wall,
he peeks through the window,
squints through the latticework.The words of the bridegroom
[The bridegroom begins by describing the season in . It is now spring, somewhere around April. What characterizes winter in Israel is that it is a rainy season with snow in higher terrain. There is basically never any rain between Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.] 10My beloved (darling) speaks and says to me:
Arise, my beloved (dearest),
my beautiful one, and come out!
11Winter is over,
the rains have passed and are gone.
12The flowers appear on the ground,
the time for singing is here, and the turtledove is heard in our land. 13The fig tree has green figs (kart)
and the flowers of the vines give off their fragrance.
Arise, my beloved (dearest),
my beautiful one, and come to us.
14My dove, who is in the cleft of the rock,
hidden in the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is pleasant
and your face is attractive.
15Catch the foxes,
the little foxes
that ruin the vineyard,
for our vineyard is in bloom. [This is a poetic paraphrase, a prayer that nothing should disturb or destroy the first delicate and passionate love. See where Jesus places great value on that first love and the importance of preserving it.]The bride's prov
16My beloved (darling) belongs to me, and I belong to my beloved (dearest),
who lets his flock graze among the lilies. 17Until the day cools
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my beloved (darling),
and be like a gazelle
or a young deer
on the divided mountains [].
C – The search in the night
[The third section of the book (verses 1-5) deals with the woman's search for her beloved. In the chiastic pattern, it is thematically related to the fifth section (). Now follows a section in which the woman recounts her search for her beloved. The passage follows the same theme as the previous sections: she misses him, searches for him, and finds him. However, this section has no dialogue. There is also a nice chiastic structure here:
A In bed – alone,
B She leaves home,
C The guards find her,
D Central verse: Her desperate question,
C´ She leaves the guards and finds her beloved,
B´ She returns home,
A´ Back in the chamber – united, ] 31On my bed at night
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him. 2I will rise and go about the city,
in the streets and in the broad ways
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him but did not find him. 3The guards who walk around (patrol) the city found me. Have you seen the one my soul loves?
4I have barely passed them (the guards)
when I find the one my soul (my whole being) loves. I hold him fast and will not let him go
until I have brought him to my mother's house, to her chamber that gave birth to me. 5I implore you, daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles and the does of the field,
not to awaken, not to disturb love
until it itself desires.D – The Wedding Day (3:6-5:1)
The wedding procession – the king on his wedding day
[This section is the fourth and central section of the Song of Songs. In Jewish tradition, it was customary for the bride to wait and prepare herself in her own home (her parents' home) after the betrothal. Meanwhile, the groom prepared the couple's new home. This usually meant that he added a few new rooms to his father's house. When this was done, he would fetch his bride to the wedding in pomp and splendor. It is such a bridal procession that is described in the following verses. Compare Jesus who says that he will go to the Father to prepare a place for us, see . Sometime in the last days before the millennium, he will also come for us in a spectacular way.] 6Who is this coming up from the desert
like a pillar of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and incense,
with all the spices of the merchants?
7Behold, it is Solomon's litter,
60 warriors of the mighty men (heroes) of Israel walk around it.
[Some in front, some behind, and some on the sides in good order.]
8All of them can wield the sword
and are skilled in battle,
each man has his sword at his thigh
because of the terrors of the night.
[They are ready to defend themselves at any moment.]
9King Solomon has made himself a litter
of wood from Lebanon.
[Probably cedar wood, which is Lebanon's national symbol.]
10He has made the posts of silver,
the roof of gold,
and the seat of purple.
Inside, it has been lovingly decorated by the daughters of Jerusalem. 11Go out, daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon,
and also see the crown [perhaps a wreath of flowers]
with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day,
the day of his heart's joy.The words of the bridegroom
41Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved (dearest),
behold, you are beautiful! [Now follows a description of seven body parts, see also :] Your eyes are like doves behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of ewes that swarm down from Mount Gilead. 2Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes [all looking alike] that have come up from the bath,
all have twins and none of them are missing. [The rows of teeth are complete and the bite is symmetrical.]
3Your lips are like a scarlet thread—your speech is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil are like broken (split) pomegranates.
4Your neck is like David's tower built in rows (terraces; elegantly arranged in rows; weapons/defense – Hebr. talfijah) [unusual word; may allude to necklaces],
a thousand shields hang on it, all the warriors' shields.
5Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. 6Until the day cools
and the shadows flee,
I will go to the mountains of myrrh
and the mountains of incense. 7You are altogether lovely, my beloved (dearest),
there is no flaw or blemish in you.
[This verse is central to this passage, and thematically to the entire Song of Songs, see also .] 8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
come with me from Lebanon.
Look out from the top of Amana,
from the top of Senir [the Amorite name for Mount Hermon] and Hermon [Israel's highest mountain],
from the lion's den,
from the mountain of leopards. [Here in verses 9-11, the seven body parts listed in verses 1-5 are reflected. Eyes, neck/necklace, etc. The expression "my sister, my bride" is used three times in verses 9-12. This may have to do with the fact that she is a half-sister or cousin. But it is also significant when we consider the fact that we are siblings with both Jesus and his bride.] 9You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride,
you have captured my heart
with a single glance (literally "with one of your eyes"),
with a pearl from your necklace.
10How wonderful is your love (your passionate feelings – Hebr. dod), my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love (your passionate feelings) than wine!
And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!
11Your lips drip honey from a waxcomb, my bride,
honey and milk are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your clothes is like the fragrance of Lebanon. 12A closed garden is my sister, my bride,
a closed spring, a sealed fountain. [The entire verse is a poetic description of an untouched virgin. This is exactly how Jesus sees us when we have left our self-righteousness behind and accepted that we are justified through Jesus. Then we are as pure and untouched as a virgin.] 13Your shoots (plants; sprouting – Hebr. shelach) are a fruit garden with pomegranate trees,
with selected, precious fruits,
henna with nard,
14nard and saffron,
calamus and cinnamon,
with trees yielding all kinds of incense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all the finest spices,
15a garden fountain,
a spring of living water []
and streams from Lebanon. The bride's prov
16Awake, north wind,
and come, south wind,
blow upon my garden
so that its spices (the fragrance of the spices) may fly (flow, drip) out. Let my beloved (darling) come to his garden
and eat its choice fruits. [The north wind in the Bible represents judgment and misfortune and brings cold weather. The south wind brings warmth. No other direction has as many different words as south. Here, the Hebrew word tejman is used, which literally means "right side" and in this case symbolizes what is right and true, what is on the right side. Since the bride wishes for both the north and south winds to come, it can be interpreted as her asking that both adversity and prosperity in life will cause the fragrance of the garden to spread. This is in accordance with the teachings of Jesus and Paul that we should always be the fragrance of the Messiah regardless of circumstances, see ; .]The words of the bridegroom
51I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride.
I have gathered my myrrh with my spices.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey,
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat, friends, drink,
yes, drink abundantly, my beloved (dear friends).C – The search in the night (5:2-7:11)
[The fifth section (chapters 5-7; the longest in the book) begins with the woman recounting yet another night of searching for the young man. The passage contains questions from the daughters of Jerusalem: "Why" (), "Who" () and "How" (). The passage is thematically related to the third section (). It is structured in the same way as the first six sections, with solitary searching, joint praise, and concluding union.] The bride's words 2I sleep, but my heart is awake.
Listen, my beloved (dearest) is knocking:
Open to me, my sister, my love,
my dove, my immaculate one,
for my head is full of dew,
my curls (my hair) with the drops of the night.
3I have taken off my clothes,
how shall I put them on?
I have washed my feet,
how shall I soil them?
4My beloved (darling) put his hand through the hole in the door (probably a small window shutter),
and my feelings for him overwhelmed me.
5I got up to open the door for my beloved (darling)
and my hands dripped with myrrh
and my fingers dripped with myrrh on the door handle.
6I opened the door for my beloved (darling),
but he had gone away, he was gone.
My soul betrayed me (my whole being was moved) when he spoke.
I searched for him but could not find him,
I called out but he gave me no answer. 7They found me, the watchmen who patrol the city,
they beat me,
they wound me,
the watchmen lift my veil.
8I beg you, daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved (darling), what shall you tell him?
That I am sick with love.The words of friends
9Why is your beloved (darling) more beloved than others [why do you feel such passionate love for him],
you most beautiful among women?
Why is your beloved (darling) more beloved than others,
that you must implore us so (in this insistent manner)?The bride's prov
10My beloved (darling) is dazzlingly white and red-flowered,
prominent above ten thousand [the foremost]. [The woman now praises ten attributes of the man:]
11His head is the finest gold.
His hair is curly and black as a raven's.
12His eyes are like doves [] by flowing waters,
bathed (washed) in milk – beautifully set (perfect) [like precious stones in a ring setting].
[Washed in milk may refer to the whites of the eyes, where the pupils are described as bathing doves moving back and forth by the water. The last word is unusual but has to do with fullness and perfection, perhaps referring to the eyes being like jewels, see .]
13His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
like a collection of towers of delicious herbs.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with liquid myrrh. 14His arms (hands – Hebr. ) are like cylinders (rods) of gold,
set (filled) with chrysolite (golden topaz – Hebr. tarshish).
His body is like polished ivory
with inlays of sapphires. 15His legs are like pillars of marble
standing on foundations (bases) of finest gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
like chosen cedar wood. []
16His mouth
is the sweetest of all. Yes, he is completely wonderful and desirable.
This is my beloved (darling) and he is my friend,
you daughters of Jerusalem.The words of friends
61Where has your friend gone,
you most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved (darling) turned his face,
so that we may seek him together with you?The bride's prov
2My beloved (darling) has gone down to his garden,
to the bed of spices
to feed his flock among the gardens
and to pick lilies. 3I am my beloved's (darling's) and my beloved (darling) is mine,
where he leads his flock to graze among the lilies. [The first phrase, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine," consists of four words in Hebrew, ani ledodi vedodi li. The first letters form the name of the month Elul, which falls just before the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the subsequent holidays. It is the month in which people long for and teach about the Messiah in a special way. Verses such as this one in the Song of Songs form the basis of the longing for the Messiah that exists in Judaism, where Jews long to become the bride of the Messiah.]The words of the bridegroom
[Verses 4-9 are the central verses of the fifth section of the Song of Songs. The bridegroom praises the bride's unique beauty.] 4You are beautiful, my beloved, like Tirzah,
lovely as Jerusalem,
magnificent and terrifying as an army with banners.
[Tirtsah is the name of a Canaanite city (northeast of Shechem; present-day Tell el-Farah) that later became the capital of the Northern Kingdom. It is also the name of one of Zelophehad's daughters (). The word means something like favorable and advantageous. Banners is in the plural, which is shown in the translation by writing "many banners"; see also . The man now repeats and confirms his love for the woman. A similar enumeration occurs in , where the eyes are described as doves. Here he is so overwhelmed that he asks her to turn her eyes away!] 5Turn your eyes away from me
for they captivate me (I am overwhelmed, completely absorbed by your gaze).
Your hair is like a flock of ewes that have come down from Mount Gilead.
6Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the bath,
all of them have twins and none of them are missing. [The rows of teeth are complete and the bite is symmetrical.]
7Your temples behind your veil are like broken (split) pomegranates. 8There are 60 queens
and there are 80 concubines
and virgins without number (countless).
9My dove, my undefiled one, is unique,
she is her mother's only (special) one,
she is the radiant (pure, chosen – Hebr. bar) one of her who bore her.
The daughters saw her and called her happy,
yes, queens and concubines praised her.The words of friends
10Who is she who comes forth (appears) like the dawn [becoming more and more distinct],
beautiful as the moon, radiant (pure, clear – Hebr. bar) as the sun,
magnificent and terrifying as an army with many banners?The words of the bridegroom
11I went down to my garden with walnut trees [literally "nuts," but walnut trees were common at this time and have always been considered the finest type of nut]
to see the green plants of the valley,
to see if the vines had budded
and if the pomegranate trees had blossomed.
12Before I knew it,
my soul (my feelings) set me on my people's princely chariots.The words of friends
13Come back, come back, Sholammit ["the perfect/peaceful one"],
come back, come back, so that we can look at you. The bride's wordsWhy do you stare at Sholammit?
As if it were a couple's dance. [Heb. sholammit is only used here in the Old Testament. The word is in the feminine form and means "the perfect/peaceful one." It may be the feminine form of the name Solomon – which would indicate that she is related to him. It may also be an association with the city of Shunem, a city in the territory of the tribe of Issachar, see ; . If one reads the text as a prophecy about Jesus and the church—his bride—then this name is an excellent description in harmony with what is written in Eph. 5:26-27 about Jesus' perfect bride.]
The words of the bridegroom
[The following passage is thematically related to the description of the bridegroom's physical appearance in . Just as ten parts of the bridegroom were described from head to toe there, the bride is now described from feet to head. This is a typical chiastic feature.] 71How beautiful are your steps in sandals,
princess!
The curve of your thighs is like the link in a chain,
made by the hand of a skilled craftsman. 2Your navel is like a round cup
that is not lacking mixed wine,
your belly is like a heap of wheat
adorned with lilies.
3Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle. 4Your neck is like an ivory tower,
your eyes like the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus. 5Your head upon you is like Carmel [the mountain range in northwestern Israel],
and the hair of your head like purple;
the king is held captive by its locks. 6How beautiful and how pleasant you are,
my love, with your joy. 7Your stature is like a palm tree,
and your breasts like two clusters of grapes. 8I say: I will climb the palm tree
and take its fruit.
May your breasts be like clusters of wine
and the fragrance of your breath like apples.The bride's words – their union
9May your mouth be like the best wine
that glides softly down the throat of my beloved (darling), making sleeping lips speak. 10I am my beloved's
and his desire is toward me. []
11Come, my beloved (darling), let us go out into the fields!
Let us spend the night in the villages.
B – The bride's invitation (7:12-8:4)
[The sixth section of the book consists of a speech by the woman alone. She invites the man to come with her to the countryside.] 12Let us rise early (and go) to the vineyards.
Let us see if the vines have budded,
if the grape blossoms have opened
and if the pomegranate trees are in bloom.
There I will give you my love (passionate feelings – Hebr. dod).
13The mandrake (Hebr. dodaj) gives off its fragrance []
and above our door are all kinds of selected fruits,
both new and old,
which I have gathered for you, my beloved (darling).The bride dreams of her future husband
[The custom in Israel at that time was that women were not allowed to express their love openly, not even to their married husbands! The bride therefore dreams and sings:] 81If only you were like my brother,
nursed at my mother's breast!
If I met you out there
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me for it. 2I would lead you
and bring you into my mother's house,
and you would teach me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
and juice from my pomegranates.
3Oh, if only his left arm were under my head [i.e., they are lying down],
and his right hand embraced (touched) me. 4I beg you, women of Jerusalem, promise me this:
do not awaken love and do not arouse (give birth to) love
until it itself desires it (when it pleases it, when the time is right). A – Mutual love
The words of friends
[The seventh and final unit of the book consists of a series of speeches. Unlike previous sections, which always began with the lovers apart and then reunited, this one begins with them together.] 5[Chorus:] Who is she who comes out of the desert,
leaning on her beloved (darling)?
[Man:] Under the apple tree I awakened you,
there your mother was in labor with you,
there she was in labor and gave birth to her child.The bride's prov
[The bride to her beloved:]
6Set me as a signet ring (a seal) upon your heart,
as a signet ring on your arm. [A signet ring was used to seal documents. It was the most valuable object and the owner wore it constantly around his neck or arm.] For love is as strong as death,
passion (jealous love) is as unyielding (hard, cruel) as Sheol (the grave, the underworld, the place of the dead) [Sheol comes from Hebr. shaal – to ask for].
Its flames are like flames of fire,
it is a violent flame.
7Mighty waters cannot quench love,
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man offered all he owned to buy love,
his offer would be utterly despised.
[True love cannot be bought.]The brothers' provs
[When the family and wedding guests are gathered at the bride's mother's house, the bride says to her stepbrothers: When I was a little girl, you said:] 8"We have a little sister
who doesn't have breasts yet.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day someone comes to ask if he can marry her?" [Literally: "the day someone wants to talk to her."]
9If she is a wall,
we will build a crown of silver [to reinforce the wall].
If she is a door,
we will close it with cedar planks.The bride's prov
10I am a wall
and my breasts are like the towers on it (the wall).
In his eyes, I am
like one who has found peace (shalom). [Here it is the saved bride who speaks, and shalom refers to all the blessings of heaven that have now come to the bride through salvation.]
11Solomon has a vineyard in Baal-Hamon.
He gives the vineyard to stewards.
Each was expected to yield fruit
equivalent to 1,000 pieces of silver (coins). [Compare with the parables about the stewards in the Gospels, see ; ; .]
12My vineyard, which is mine, existed before me.
You, Solomon, shall have a thousand
and those who take care of the fruit two hundred.The words of the bridegroom
13You who live in the gardens,
your friends have listened to your voice,
now let me hear it. [Jesus is the bridegroom. We often share our hearts with people, but Jesus longs to hear our voice.]The bride's prov
14Hurry, my beloved (darling), be like a gazelle or a young deer on the spicy mountains (the mountains that smell of all kinds of spices).
