Song of Solomon 8:1-3

The YOUNG WIFE continues, but now there is a desire to enter more deeply into what her beloved can offer her, for she is aware of his great wisdom. She still wants to kiss him and bring him to her mother's house, but now she also wants to be instructed by him as she lies in his arms.

“Oh that you were as my brother, Who sucked the breasts of my mother! Then should I find you outside I would kiss you, Yes, and none would despise me. I would lead you, and bring you into my mother's house, You would instruct me, I would cause you to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate. His left hand would be under my head, And his right hand would embrace me.”

Her love for Solomon is so great that she cannot stand the limitations put on her as a wife. If only he was her blood brother, she says, then she could boldly kiss him outdoors in front of people without anyone despising her, and he would take her into her mother's house and teach her his wisdom, and no one would think it strange. And she could give him pomegranate wine, and he could embrace her publicly.

These were things that she could do as his sister without anyone frowning, but no one would expect him to do that publicly with his wife (although he had done it to her at the beginning (Song of Solomon 2:6) in his courting). Behavior towards a wife was more restricted in public. If only he was her brother it would give her so much more freedom to enjoy him to the full.

There is a reminder here that God had so much more for Israel than her just being His wife. He wanted Israel also to be strong and firm and to learn from Him, to be instructed in His Law, and to be priests and instructors to the world (Exodus 19:5). She was called not only to love Him but to serve. This hint that Israel has to be taught by her Lord may be preparing for the introduction of the new Temple with its new significance.

We should also see as emphasized here that we must not see our Lord, Jesus Christ, only as the One we love, as a wife loves her husband, but also as our brother and teacher Whom we are proud to acknowledge openly, and learn from continually. He is far more than just our Bridegroom. He is our Elder Brother.

This was recognized in the Jewish Aramaic paraphrase in the Targum which refers it to the Messiah and amplifies it to “I would conduct you, O King Messiah, and bring you into the house of my sanctuary, and you would teach me to fear God and to walk in His ways.” So while the idea of reciprocated love continues it is now embellished with the idea of learning of Him, and being instructed by Him, so that we might walk in His ways.

We may also call to mind here that in Hebrews 2:11 Jesus is depicted as our Elder Brother Who is the trek leader of our salvation, made perfect through suffering, and Who, as the One Who was set apart by God through His death and resurrection, has also Himself set us apart to God in order that we too might have a part in the same. Because He became a man like ourselves He is not ashamed to call us brothers. And it then goes on to add that He became our brother, so that, by partaking of human nature like ours, He might by dying destroy the power of the Devil and deliver us from the fear of death, becoming at the same time our faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. While this is to go beyond the song where the emphasis is on His being our teacher in wisdom and knowledge, it is central to what His wisdom and knowledge is all about. ‘In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Colossians 2:3).