Song 5:1
The Beloved responds to the invitation to the garden. This is the consummation of their love for each other. He partakes of the sensual pleasures of the garden. He uses description of exotic spices to describe the intimate and physical encounter. He earlier desribed her lips as honeycomb dripping with honey. Now he said he ate the honeycomb and all the honey.
He encourages others to celebrate this kind of love. He would like his friends to also know this kind of love with their wife.
Song 5:2-8
This is probably a dream scene by the woman. Her lover comes calling and knocks at the door; calling to his 'dove' and his 'love'. He is covered with dew, out in the night to come to her. She is not prepared for him because she is already in bed for the night. She goes to the door. The myrrh that drips from her hands is the sensuality of the moment, the excitement and anticipation of the encournter.
Yet, when she opened the door, her lover is gone. She called to her lover and looked for him. The watchman, who previously spoke to her and left her alone, this time assaulted her. She is struck and her garment is stolen from her.
It may be that she had a spat with her husband or they just had to be separated for some reason. She asked the other young ladies to look for her man. If they find him, they were to let him know she was love sick for him (social media of the day).
Song 5:9
We might understand this question as, "What's so great about your man that we should help you find him?" They lead the song into this description of her husband by her bride.
Song 5:10-16
The bride begins to describe her love in great detail to the girls, she give s a general description, then starts at his head and works down:
- 'White' is radiant beauty; 'ruddy' is red; 'chief' is a word of undetermined number. She claims he's better looking than most men.
- His head is like finest gold; with black and wavy locks of hair
- His eyes are like doves – as hers were.
- His 'cheeks' probably meant his beard; smelling of spices and herbs
- His lips were lilies; the myrrh again conveys this sensuality.
- His hands like gold; beautiful to her and valuable
- His body carved ivory; the word literally means 'intestines', understood as the center of emotions. It can also mean his loins. That's probably her meaning here.
- His legs are pillars of marble; the base of this statue. Strength and value.
- His countenance, or physical appearance is like a cedar; grand and majestic
- As if she realized she missed it, she said his mouth is sweet
According to her, everything about him is exquisite! He is not just her lover but her friend. It is the only time she refers to him as a friend.
Song 6:1
The chorus of the daughters asks where her beloved has gone. Now that she described him, they are willing and ready to help find him.
Song 6:2-3
We've already seen the garden scene as a euphemism of their sexual intimacy. He is feeding his flock in the garden among the lilies and spices. She is surrendered to him and he to her.
Song 6:4-9
The man describes the beauty of the woman; much of his descriptions are similar to that of 4:1-7. Tizrah & Jerusalem were likened as twin cities; Jerusalem the capital of southern part of the kingdom and Tizrah the capital of the northern part (920B.C. - 8809B.C.). Her glance captures his heart and overcomes him. Her hair, teeth and temples are described the same as in 4:1-7.
The man then lists three classes of royal women; the queens, concubines and virgins. The young unmarried ladies spoken of are likely female attendants of the royal court. The concubines are secondary wives while the queen was primary. All these women lived privileged lives and were most likely very beautiful. The numbers are probably meaningless and given only to convey that she was more beautiful than the innumerable ladies all around him. She is his one and only; among all the ladies, she is considered blessed.
Song 6:10
This verse is probably a chorus sung by the daughters of Jerusalem. They celebrate her radiant beauty and compare her looks to the morning, moon and the sun.
Song 6:11-12
This may be the woman speaking, but it is somewhat unclear. The Hebrew phrasing of verse 12 is obscure and unknown for sure, so the translation is unsure. The scene seems to be a rendezvous! The NIV makes it sound like she is recounting the first meeting with her man. She went to the gardens for one purpose and the next thing she knew, she was thrust into this new place as a wife.
Song 6:13
The man encourages the Shulamite to return that he might look on her again. The woman responds by asking what he would see in her? The 'two camps' is a military setting; possibly to two opposing camps, facing off and testing each other.
©2018 Doug Ford
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