_ ‘The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.'_ The ‘song of songs' means ‘the most wonderful of songs'. It is attributed to Solomon, and opens with a young woman alone, who is aware that she is loved by her shepherd king, and is dreaming of him as her royal ‘beloved'. She is visualizing his delights,... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” “For your love is better than wine. Your oils have a goodly fragrance. Your name is as oil poured forth. That is why the virgins love you. Draw me. We will run after you.”_ The young maiden reveals her craving to experience a loving relationship wit... [ Continue Reading ]
SECTION 1. The First Assignation of The Lovers (Song of Solomon 1:2 to Song of Solomon 2:7). In this first section a young Northern maiden is thinking about the handsome young shepherd king, Solomon, who has won her heart, and has clearly shown her some depth of affection. She is filled with expec... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “I am dark, but comely, Oh you daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.”_ The maiden assures the king's subjects, especially the young women among them, of her own attractiveness. She wants them to know that she is dark skinned, but comely. Her beauty is like the... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “Do not look upon me, Because I am swarthy, Because the sun has scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me. They made me keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard have I not kept.”_ With becoming honesty the young maiden now admits that all is not quite as she has maintained. While... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it to rest at noon, For why should I be as one who is veiled, Beside the flocks of your companions?”_ She calls on her beloved, the one whom her soul loves, to tell her where he is feeding his flocks, and where he takes... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “If you do not know, O you fairest among women, Go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents.”_ Their reply is probably ironic. They are saying that she may be the fairest among women, but, if she is so naive and insensitive that she cannot immed... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “I have compared you, O my love, To a horse in Pharaoh's chariots. Your cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, Your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you plaits of gold With studs of silver.”_ The young maiden's beloved now speaks, and his words fit in well with the idea that it is Solomon... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent out its fragrance. My beloved is to me as a bundle of myrrh, That lies between my breasts. My beloved is to me as a cluster of henna-flowers, In the vineyards of En-gedi.”_ The young maiden has found her beloved, and now she is sat at his table i... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “Behold, you are fair, my love, behold you are fair. Your eyes are as doves.”_ The beloved speaks to her of her fairness, and likens her eyes to a dove. This was a tender compliment for doves' eyes were well known for their appealing and gentle look. He was clearly very attracted to her. In simil... [ Continue Reading ]
_ “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, yes, handsome (‘pleasant), Also our couch is green. The beams of our house are cedars, And our rafters are firs. I am a crocus of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.”_ The young country maiden replies with similar compliments, and then speaks of her hopes to lie with... [ Continue Reading ]