Song of Solomon 8:13-14

The Song Ends As It Began With The Young Woman, Now His Wife, Offering Herself To Him To Be His Completely.

The song now finishes with the young woman, who is now his beloved wife, calling on her beloved, (as she had at the beginning - Song of Solomon 1:2), and telling him that ‘the companions' (the young shepherds - Song of Solomon 1:7) are listening for his voice, (compare ‘the virgins love you -- we will run after you' in Song of Solomon 1:3 a) but that she expects him to call her in such a way that she alone hears him (compare ‘draw me' - Song of Solomon 1:4 a). His reward will be that he will be able to behave like a roe-deer or young hart (which are eager for love - Song of Solomon 2:8; compare Proverbs 5:19) on the mountains of spices (their royal bed with its cushions - compare Song of Solomon 4:6; Song of Solomon 4:16).

“You who dwell in the gardens, The companions listen for your voice, Cause me to hear it. Make haste, my beloved, And be you like a roe deer or a young hart, On the mountains of spices.”

As a result of what we have already seen we can here solve the clues that enable us to interpret these words. ‘The gardens' represent the sphere of the king's activities (compare Song of Solomon 6:2), the ‘companions' are the young shepherds/courtiers who attend him (Song of Solomon 1:7). Their ‘listening to his voice' parallels the situation in Song of Solomon 1:3 a where the young women were responsive to his charms. These companions are always alert for the king's call. The young wife's words ‘cause me to hear it' parallel her call in Song of Solomon 1:4 a, ‘draw me'. She is still concerned that he demonstrate that to him she is unique, and that he wants her above all else, because she is his woman. And she tells him to hurry, because she does not want to have to wait. For she wants him to reveal his prowess, like a young roe-deer or hart eager for love (compare Proverbs 5:19), ‘on the mountains of spices'. Compare how in Song of Solomon 4:16 the spices represent her sexual attractions, while in Song of Solomon 4:6 ‘the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense' may well indicate his bed. Thus one significance of the mountains of spices here is probably the royal bed with its perfumed cushions.

So while the young Solomon before his marriage (in Song of Solomon 1:1) was surrounded by, and taken up with young women (the daughters of Jerusalem), now that he is married and satisfied, he is taken up with his male courtiers and shepherds. For now his true ‘love' is the only love in his life. And she does not want it to be long before they are once again enjoying each other to the full.

However, as we have seen throughout, the song has dual application, and in the second application, the application to Israel, ‘the mountains of spices' can be seen as indicating the mountains on which Jerusalem was built, and especially as indicating the Temple Mount on which incense was offered, with the idea that God is awaiting all Israel on the Temple Mount in order to reveal His love if only they will respond to Him truly.

Its final application is, however, for us who are His people today. Our cry to Him must be that He will summon us (cause us to hear) so that we may be able to come alone with Him and spend time in His presence with Him in the new Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22), and enjoy our glorious position as those who are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), in the heavenly mountains of spices, prior to that final call when we will share for ever with our Beloved in His glory (Colossians 3:4; Revelation 21:23; Revelation 22:5).