Song of Solomon 1:17

So she told him to go away. If he was like a shy animal, then he should go back to the hills. She would not join him.

Her decision was stupid. But he respected her. He went away.

Sometimes we may refuse to allow God to work in our lives. God will allow us to do our own things. But he still loves us. He still encourages us to trust him.

And when we are ready, he will be waiting for us.

December 2005

thorns ~ plants with sharp points that can hurt.
dear ~ someone that you love in a special way.
gazelle ~ an animal.
deer ~ an animal.
dove ~ a bird.
fig ~ a fruit.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
vineyards ~ a place where vines grow.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
lotus ~ a flower.

A Wonderful Song about Love

Song of Songs

Mark Kirkpatrick

About the Song of Songs

The Song of Songs (Song) is in a special group of books in the Old *Testament. This is called the ‘wisdom’ group. Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and some Psalms, are also in this group. There are different opinions about the date of the book. If Solomon wrote the book, the date would be the tenth century B.C. (That is, 1000 years before Jesus’ birth.) Some people think that the book is from the fourth or third century B.C. But this would be a very late date. The book is a poem. Some people think that only one person wrote it. There are similar ideas and pictures in the whole book. The main idea is always love. It is always the spring season in the book. People speak to each other in the whole book. There are certain words (‘my love’) that the writer often uses. So the same types of ideas happen again and again. However, it is possible that other people made a few changes to it during a period of time. It is a poem about love. It shows the best way in which we can show love. This is when a man and a woman marry. Then they can enjoy each other in a closer way. At the start of the book, the man and woman are careful about their behaviour. But they get closer together in the later part of the book. They do not have sex until they are married to each other.

The Author

We do not know who wrote the book. Perhaps Solomon wrote it. This would not be a surprise. He had 700 wives. He also had 300 other women who could comfort him (1 Kings 11:1-3). Perhaps the song was part of a royal wedding. Solomon really cared about the women whom he loved. In this way, he was like many men. Perhaps the book uses him as a *symbol of these men. The name ‘Solomon’ appears many times in the book. Often this refers to luxury. It is probably a *symbol of the best thing. Perhaps the author was a poet who lived at the palace of Solomon. Maybe he wrote the poem as a present for Solomon.

The poem as a *symbol

Many people have said that the poem is a *symbol. The book is about love and this has worried people. It surprises them that the book is in the Bible. Because of this, different people have suggested different meanings for the book. One is that the lover (the man) is God. And the woman is Israel. Another idea is that the man is Christ. And the woman is the church. People have complicated these ideas. It then becomes difficult to know which *symbol means which person. Therefore, it is much easier to take a simple approach to the poem. It is easier to say that the poem is about love. It is also about sex after marriage.

When people marry

The book shows that there is a right use of sex. This should only happen when people marry. The two lovers probably marry each other during the story. God says that this is the right way (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6-9). Other types of agreements may be like the time when people marry. But they are not part of God’s plan.

Chapter 1

v1 The most beautiful of songs, by Solomon.

Verse 1 These words tell us about the book. They are similar to the words at the beginning of many psalms. But there are no musical instructions. The book was in a collection of songs. The *Hebrew words might mean that the song belonged to Solomon. The *Hebrew words might also mean that someone else wrote the song for Solomon.

The First Song

The Woman

v2 Your lips give me many kisses.

Your love is better than wine.

v3 Your *perfume smells wonderful.

But your name is better than the best *perfume.

That is why the young women love you.

v4 Take me away with you, and we will run away.

Let the king bring me into his room.

We are very happy for you.

We will say that your love is better than wine.

How right the women are to love you!

v5 I am dark but lovely too, young women of Jerusalem.

I am dark like the tents of Kedar.

But I am beautiful as Solomon’s curtains.

v6 Do not stare at me because I am dark.

The sunshine has made me dark.

My brothers were angry with me.

They made me look after the *vineyards.

So I could not look after my own *vineyard.

v7 You are the only person that I love.

Tell me where you feed your sheep.

Tell me where you rest your sheep at midday.

Or I will be like a woman who *veils herself.

And I will sit among the *flocks of your friends.

Verse 2 A woman begins to speak. In the *Hebrew, the word ‘kiss’ sounds similar to the words ‘to give a drink’. Proverbs 7:18 says ‘Let us drink until we are completely full of love.’ Song of Solomon 4:10 has a similar idea.

Verse 3 This is the only place in the book where there is the word ‘name’. But the man means much more to her than his name. Perhaps he uses expensive *perfumes. Oils of *perfume have the idea of good health. So, many women love him.

Verse 4 This is a difficult verse. The *Hebrew can mean different things. Perhaps the room is in Solomon’s palace. But it does not really matter where the room is. The appeal to run away together happens often in the book. It is a strong desire of the woman. Then she can be free from her brothers. She and the man only want to be alone.

Verse 5 The sunshine has affected her skin. It has made her darker than her companions. She is still beautiful. It is only the woman who speaks to the young women of Jerusalem. This group helps in the Song. So the Song is also like a play. They can ask questions. Perhaps they are part of a wedding group. Kedar was south-east of Damascus. Kedar also refers to a group of people who travelled near the desert. The woman contrasts the tough tents with the beautiful curtains of Solomon.

Verse 6 Her brothers have forced her to work in the sunshine. So she is dark. She does not say why the brothers were angry with her. Perhaps they wanted to keep her away from young men. Her *vineyard was important to her. Then, after her marriage, she could give her ‘fruit’ to her husband (Song of Solomon 4:16). *Vineyard is probably a *symbol in the Song. It probably means the woman’s body.

Verse 7 The word ‘sheep’ is not in the *Hebrew. But it probably means what our translation says. Solomon was a ruler. So he looked after people. A shepherd is a man who looks after sheep. So it was as if Solomon was the shepherd of the people. The woman pretends that she cannot find the man.

The Friends

v8 You are such a beautiful woman!

Perhaps you do not know where to go.

Follow the tracks of the sheep.

Let your young goats eat by the *shepherd’s tents.

The Man

v9 Let me describe you, my *dear.

You are like a *mare of one of Pharaoh’s *chariots.

v10 Your hair is beautiful upon your cheeks.

So is your neck with its precious stones.

v11 We will make a chain of gold for you.

We will use silver to make you pretty.

Verse 8 The woman is looking for the man. The young women from Jerusalem tell the young girl to look carefully. She is not looking hard enough. Perhaps it is the man who speaks here. If so, he pretends that it is difficult to find him. But she will find him with his sheep. In other words, he will be working.

Verse 9 This is the first time that we have the words ‘my *dear’. These words appear nine times in the Song. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt. In fact, *mares never pulled *chariots in Egypt. Male horses pulled the *chariots. And Pharaoh’s soldiers trained these horses to behave well. But sometimes a mare would be among the male horses. And that would excite them. But perhaps the verse means that both *mare (the woman) and horse (the man) look good.

Verse 10 The woman is wearing something round her neck. However, it is not clear what this is. It might be her hair that goes round and round. This then makes a pattern. Or the man may be describing different types of precious stones.

Verse 11 The man wants to use the best materials to make her pretty. Then she can look like a royal person. And she will be suitable to be his wife. Remember that the man might be King Solomon.

The Woman

v12 The king is at his table.

The smell of my *perfume is in the air.

v13 My lover is like a collection of *perfumes.

This lies all night between my breasts.

v14 My lover is like a bundle of henna flowers.

These flowers are from Engedi.

It is where people make wine.

Verse 12 The word ‘king’ means the woman’s lover. This verse seems to describe a special meal. But some people have other ideas. The *Hebrew uses the word ‘circle’ here. This could also mean a bed. So perhaps this verse refers to sex. The woman may be thinking about the special times that she and the man would enjoy after their marriage.

Verse 13 The ‘collection’ is a small bag of *perfume. It is something that is very close to her. She has a strong feeling for her man.

Verse 14 Henna is a type of bush. It has white flowers that have a *perfume. Engedi is near the Dead Sea. It was an important place where people made wine.

The Man

v15 How beautiful you are, my *dear!

Oh! How beautiful!

You have eyes like *dove’s eyes.

The Woman

v16 You are so handsome, my *dear;

You are such a delight to me.

Our bed will be green.

v17 We can have wood from tall trees.

We can use it in our house.

We can use other types of wood for our ceiling.

testament ~ collection of books in the Bible. The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus came.
symbol ~ something that represents something else; a sign of an object; something that actually means something else.
Hebrew ~ the language that Song of Songs is written in.
perfume ~ a sweet smell.
vineyard ~ a place where vines grow.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
veil ~ a piece of cloth; a woman wears it over her face; it is possible to see through it.
flock ~ a group of sheep, goats or other animals.
vineyard ~ a place where vines grow.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
shepherd ~ someone who looks after sheep.
dear ~ someone that you love in a special way.
mare ~ a female horse.
chariot ~ a vehicle with two wheels. A horse pulls it.
dove ~ a bird.'

The Beautiful Woman behind the Veil

Song of Songs

Sarah Ruth

About the Song of Songs

People in the book

This is a book about love. It is a story about a man and a woman. The man loves only the woman. The woman loves only the man.

We read about the woman’s brothers. We read about the woman’s mother. We do not read anything about her father. There is also a group of friends. All or almost all of them are women.

We do not know a lot about the man or about the woman. In parts of the story, the writer calls the man a king. He may be King Solomon. But maybe the writer uses the word ‘king’ only to show that the woman *respects him.

Also, we must ask, ‘Did the man and woman really live? Or, is this about any man and woman who love each other?’

The words in the book

Some people believe that this book is a set of songs. Together they make one larger song. The songs are like each other. The songs may be words only with no music. The songs have the same ideas. The writer repeats ideas in different ways. Maybe the songs are about different people. It is difficult to find the beginning and the end of each song.

Other people believe that this is one song, not a set of songs. It tells one story only. It is about the same people. It is not the whole story from beginning to end. It seems that the writer has told only parts of the story. The story is not easy to understand. But love is not easy to understand!

The person who wrote this book was from the East. The way that the writer puts the words together shows this fact to us. Sometimes we have to ask, ‘Has an event already happened?’ ‘Is this happening now?’ ‘Will this happen at some future time?’ We are not always sure.

We do not know, always, who is speaking. Also, we may not know which person they are speaking to. For example, the woman sometimes speaks to the man. Sometimes she speaks to the group of women friends. Sometimes she may only be speaking aloud. This is to show her thoughts to us. Maybe sometimes the woman is only thinking and hoping. It may not be happening outside of her mind. To help you, we have put the names of the people above their words. This is how we understand it.

When you read this book, you may feel certain things. You may think that you are with the man and woman in the story. The writer has caused this to happen. We read about how the man and the woman touch. And we read about how they kiss. We read about how they taste *wine and apple. We read about the smell of things. We know that the story is really happening!

The man and the woman in the book

We do not know what the man and the woman are like. But we see how they are together. They have a large and very strong love for each other. They do not love anyone else as much. They do not love anyone else in the same way. They are beginning to know each other more. The book describes how they are feeling then.

The book tells us that we can be very happy about love like this. It shows how a man and a woman can show this love to each other. When God made the world, he made both male and female. He said that they were very good. Now we see that God makes them for each other. A man and a woman are different. But God has made a man and his wife to be as one person.

The book is more about how the woman, rather than the man, feels. Sometimes she thinks that she is not beautiful. Sometimes she is very happy. Sometimes she is afraid to be away from the man. Sometimes she is afraid that he may not love her any longer.

The man sees that the woman is beautiful. The woman thinks that the man is handsome. There are many ways that this is true. They show that they want to be together in their *spirits. That is, they want to be friends. And they want to agree about many things. God knows what they are thinking about each other. God sees this. And God says that this is good.

The song tells us what the man and the woman say to each other. It describes how they kiss. The way that they touch each other is important. The song explains this. It describes the way that they show love by sex. God has rules about how we should show love like this. And he has rules about when we should show it. Other parts of the Bible teach us this. But Song of Songs is not a book about rules. Here what we see are the results of love and sex together. That is all.

Men and women are very different. They are different in how they think. They are different in what they do. But in this book, we often see them the same. For example, the man is sometimes the leader. Sometimes the woman is the leader.

The man and the woman sometimes do things when they have not asked the other person. But also, they do things because they want to make the other person happy. The man is not powerful over the woman. He does not cause her to do something that she does not want to do.

Marriage in the book

In some countries, the parents decide about the person that their child will marry. The man and woman may not know each other much until after they are married. In other countries, they meet each other. But their parents have not decided this. The man and woman may have a long time to be best friends. Then they marry.

This book does not say anything about the marriage. It seems that the man and woman do have some time together before the marriage. They enjoy that time. But they do not have sex until after the marriage.

There may be a time when the husband and his wife become parents. The book seems to say that they can have children. But it is not about the birth of children. It is not about *families. The book is about the man and woman as best friends.

How the writer describes things in the book

The book describes what God has made. It also describes things that people have made. These ideas cause the reader to think about the man and woman. For example, we read about land where there are farms. This gives the idea that a man and his wife can make a new life. They may have a baby together. The man can see a long way from the hills. This shows that his love can become larger. Valuable stones show that the man and woman are very valuable to each other.

Often a word or a group of words can mean two things. For example, the word *vineyard can mean that the woman is in a *vineyard. Also, the word *vineyard can mean that she is like a *vineyard. The word garden can mean that the man and woman are in a garden. But it can also mean that the woman’s body is like a garden. The writer uses the word garden to mean the woman’s body in chapter 4. This is when the man and woman are enjoying sex.

Chapter 1

The writer

v1 Solomon’s Song of Songs.

Solomon was a very rich king. He lived more than 900 years before Christ (BC). He had a group of about 1000 songs. This is the most important song. Perhaps he liked this song best.

Solomon may have written the book. Or it may be a book about Solomon, or about another rich man. Many people *respected King Solomon. So the writer may have used Solomon’s name here. Another person may have written the book. He or she put it with Solomon’s other songs.

King Solomon accepted this book. He had a very good mind. He understood many things. This is how it became part of the Bible.

The book is more about the woman than about the man. Also, the book is more about how a woman, rather than a man, thinks. And it is more about how a woman feels. So a woman may have written the book.

Woman

v2 I really want him to kiss me with his lips.

Your love makes me happier than *wine does.

v3 You have put something on your body.

Certainly, it has a lovely smell.

The sound of your name causes me pleasure like that too.

I am not surprised that the young women love you!

v4a Take me away with you. Come quickly.

I want the king to take me into his rooms.

The woman may be with the man. Or, he may be near to her. She can see him. But he may not hear her because he is not very near to her. She may glance at him. In this way, she tells him that she loves him.

Or maybe the woman is only thinking about him. She may say some words aloud and some words may be thoughts. She talks about what she wants. Perhaps there will be a time when she will go into his house. That is what she is hoping for. We read about when the man and woman are near each other. We read about what they are like at that time. The writer tells us that the woman really wants to be with the man.

It does not take long to read about this. What the woman feels happens quickly. She did not know that she would feel this. It seems like a strong powerful wind that is blowing round her. This is something that she cannot stop. The woman does not know the man yet. So we do not know if she really loves him yet.

The man may be a king. Or, to her, he may be like a king. This is because she has a lot of *respect for him.

Women friends

v4b We are very happy!

You make us happy.

Your love is better than *wine. We will speak and sing about it.

The woman is with some friends. The women friends are speaking about the man, not about the woman. They like the man very much also. But they are happy for the woman to be his best friend.

Woman

v4c I agree! They are right to think about you like that. And they are right to love you like that.

v5 *Daughters of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but lovely.

It is dark like the *tents of Kedar.

It is dark but lovely like the curtains in Solomon’s *tent.

v6 Do not continue to look at me because my skin is dark.

The sun has made my skin like this.

My mother’s sons were angry with me.

They caused me to work in the *vineyards. I had to watch over the vineyards.

So I could not watch over my own *vineyard.

The writer calls the friends the ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’. Jerusalem was the capital city where Solomon was king. Kedar was a group of people. They moved from place to place. They lived in *tents. They made *tents of black goats’ hair.

Her brothers are not very kind to her. She does not even call them ‘brothers’ here. This may be because she does not know them very well. They are not kind or friendly to her as some brothers are to their sisters. We do not read about the woman’s father. Maybe he is dead. Or maybe he has left the *family.

The woman has worked in the *vineyards. This may have been her duty. But she has had too much work to do. She has not had enough time to make herself beautiful. Her skin is dark because she has been in the sun. Maybe she has not washed her hair. She may be wearing old clothes.

A *vineyard is like a country place. In country places, we see what God has made. We see plants and wild animals. It is beautiful. Verse 6 says that the woman’s body is like a *vineyard. God makes women’s bodies beautiful. But people watch over a *vineyard. So it is also like a garden. Women can watch over their bodies. And they can be careful about their bodies. They can dress well. They can change their hair with a brush to make it lovelier. Women can become even more beautiful.

The women are looking at her with eyes that are completely open. This may be because she is very pretty. But she thinks that the women see something different or strange about her. This is because the sun has made her skin too dark.

Or maybe the woman only thinks that they are looking at her a lot. Perhaps the man will think that she is beautiful. She believes that he will think that.

Maybe now the man walks near to the woman. The woman speaks to him.

Woman

v7 I love you.

Tell me where your sheep eat the grass.

Where do you lead your sheep so that they can rest at midday?

When I am near your friends with their animals,

I do not want to wear a *veil over my face!

Man

v8 You are the most beautiful woman of all.

If you do not know where to find me,

follow the marks from the feet of the sheep.

Let your young goats eat grass by the *tents of those who watch over the sheep.

The woman wants to be the man’s friend. She wants to know him more. She wants to know him in a different way. She wants to show her love to him. This makes her a stronger person in her *spirit. She becomes brave when she speaks to the man.

A man’s work is very important to him. He must be free to do his work and to have his own interests. But the woman wants to be with him all the time!

She speaks to him. She wants to know where he will be. She does not want to look here and there for him. She might wear a *veil. Nobody except the man would recognise her. But she does not want to seem like a woman who has sex for money. So she does not want to cover her face.

The man has sheep. He will be out with the men who watch over the sheep. So he suggests that she meets him there. She can go with her goats to where the sheep are eating.

She will also be with other people. So they will not think that she does anything wrong. While everyone is resting at midday, she will be with the man. Perhaps they will have some time alone together.

So the man and woman meet as they have agreed.

Man

v9 You are my best friend. I love you more than anyone else.

You seem to me like a female horse that pulls one of *Pharaoh’s *chariots.

v10 Your face is beautiful with ear-rings.

Round your neck are valuable stones, which make it very pretty.

v11 We will make ear-rings for you. We will make them out of gold with pieces of *silver in.

Pharaoh is the name that people use for all the kings of Egypt. Egypt is a country near to where King Solomon lived.

The man says that people will see the woman easily in a group of men and women. He sees that she is wearing pretty things. They are hanging from her ears and round her neck. She has dressed very well. So, he is happy to be with her when other people are there.

The word ‘we’ in verse 11 shows that the man is already thinking about himself and the woman together. He wants her to wear even more beautiful things than she wears now.

After this meeting, the woman talks to her friends about her time with the man.

Woman

v12 The king was lying down and he was eating.

I had put something on my skin that has a lovely smell.

This smell moved into the air.

v13 To me, the man that I love is like a little bag of *myrrh.

He is like the little bag of *myrrh that lies between my breasts.

v14 To me he is like a group of *henna flowers.

He is like flowers that grow in the *vineyards at En Gedi.

The woman is out again in the fields with the man. They are resting together. They are eating. They are very near to each other. They are enjoying this!

En Gedi is the name of a lovely pool of water in a very dry place.

Man

v15 How beautiful you are!

My best friend, you are very beautiful! Your eyes are like *doves.

*Doves are small, beautiful birds. They cause us to think about people who are kind to each other. They move their *wings quickly when they fly. The woman may move her eyes like this. The shape of her eyes may be like a *dove’s shape.

The man and woman are lying down and they are resting after their lunch. They look up into the branches of the trees. Maybe they are thinking about a time when they will be living together.

Woman

v16 You are very handsome and you love me.

You are very lovely!

This green field of fresh, long grass is our bed.

Man

v17 The beams of our house are the *cedar trees.

The trees, with green leaves all of the time, are above us like a roof.

respect ~ this is when someone wants another person to be happy. So he or she wants to do the right things. It is because that person is important to him or to her. The person may be important because the person is special, for example, a father. Or the person may be important because the person has authority, for example, a king.
wine ~ a drink that has alcohol in it. People make it from grapes.
grape ~ a small soft fruit.
spirit ~ the part of us that lives when our body dies. It is the person himself, his nature.
family ~ family means a father, a mother and their children; but sometimes it includes grandfathers and their children or those that they were born from.
vineyard ~ a place where someone has planted vines.
vine ~ the name of the tree on which grapes grow.
grape ~ a small soft fruit.'Daughters of Jerusalem ~ this is a name for the woman’s friends.
tent ~ a place where people live for a short time. Then they can pack it and they can move to another place. They put the tent up to make a home again.
veil ~ a piece of thin cloth that covers the face. The person who is wearing it can see through it. Or it may not cover the eyes.
Pharaoh ~ Pharaoh is the name that people used for all the kings of Egypt.
chariot ~ one or two people sit in a chariot. A horse pulls it. Kings and important people might use it. Someone has made it so that it can move quickly. So soldiers also use it when they have to fight. Or men use it to find out who can go the fastest.
silver ~ a valuable metal that shines; it is almost white.
myrrh ~ something that has a lovely strong smell. People get it from a plant. They use it to make incense or perfume.
incense ~ something that makes a lovely smell when it burns.
perfume ~ something that has a very nice smell; people put it on their bodies.
henna ~ a plant that has a lovely smell. People can use it to change the colour of their hair, for example.
doves ~ small, beautiful birds. They move their wings quickly when they fly.
wings ~ parts of a bird. The bird uses them to fly.
doves ~ small, beautiful birds. They move their wings quickly when they fly.
wings ~ parts of a bird. The bird uses them to fly.
wings ~ parts of a bird. The bird uses them to fly.
cedar ~ a tall, strong tree. People get good wood from it. This tree grows in Lebanon.

A Wonderful Song about Love

Song of Songs

Mark Kirkpatrick

Chapter 2

v1 I am only a wild flower from Sharon,

a wild flower of the valleys.

The Man

v2 You are like a wild flower,

a wild flower among *thorns.

You are my very *dear woman among women.

Chapter 1 Verse 15 In this group of verses, the lovers praise each other.

Jeremiah 48:28 describes a *dove that likes high places. Perhaps the man means that he is looking at her eyes. But, for the moment, he cannot reach her. *Doves are birds with a pleasant character. So the man may be saying that she has a pleasant character.

Verse 16 In the Bible, the word ‘green’ is almost always with the word ‘tree’. The bed is probably very pretty, like a tree. It is not a simple one.

Verse 17 This is the only place in the Old *Testament where we have the word ‘ceiling’. So it is not certain what the *Hebrew means. Perhaps the house is not a real house. Perhaps the couple are outside. The branches of the trees seem to make their ‘ceiling’.

Chapter 2 Verse 1 People do not agree about this verse. Perhaps the woman says that she is not special. She is only one among many girls. But this is not likely. She probably means that she is the centre of his life. The flower is probably the lotus. Many people used this flower in art. Some psalms (Psalms 45; Psalms 69; Psalms 80) have music for the *lotus.

Verse 2 The man says that she is very special. She is better than the other women. If she is like a flower, the other women seem like *thorns to him. It is as if she is the only flower for him. He loves only her.

The Woman

v3 You are like an apple tree.

This tree is among the trees of the forest.

This is what you are like among young men.

I sit in your shade with great pleasure.

Your apples taste good. They are sweet.

v4 He has taken me to his house.

It is where he has special meals.

Everyone can see how much he loves me.

v5 He has made me strong again with his fruit.

I feel much better with his apples!

I am weak with love.

v6 His left hand is under my head.

And he touches me softly with his right hand.

v7 Women of Jerusalem, make a promise to me.

Think about the wild *gazelles and *deer as you make this promise.

Do not think about love until the right time.

Verse 3 The woman says that the man is also very special. Fruit trees do not usually grow in a forest. At this period, some people associated apples with women and desire for sex. Also, people used apples in art. They painted them on pots. The man’s shade (or shadow) has the feeling of delight and comfort. Or perhaps she means that the man is protecting her.

Verse 4 In the *Hebrew, the ‘house’ is a house of wine. This might be a *vineyard. The *Hebrew also uses the word ‘flag’ in this verse. It was a type of *symbol. An army would carry flags so that everyone could see it. And everyone could see that this couple love each other. Perhaps the ‘special meals’ refer to a wedding meal.

Verse 5 She needs his love. She feels weak without him.

Verse 6 Both the man and woman now seem to be lying down. He is gentle. And his love seems wonderful to her.

Verse 7 At this period, *gazelles and *deer were *symbols of the joys of love. These animals mate only at the right time of year. The woman asks the young women of Jerusalem to make a promise. She does not want anyone to tempt her with love before the right time. In the future, there will be another part to their love – marriage.

She does not yet want to have sex with the man. It is not yet the right time to marry him.

The Second Song

The Woman

v8 Listen! My lover!

Look! Here he comes!

He is jumping across the mountains.

He is jumping over the hills.

v9 My lover is like a *gazelle.

Or, like a young *deer.

He is like an animal that can run fast.

Look at him, as he stands next to the wall.

He looks in through the window.

He looks through the wooden bars.

v10 My lover speaks to me.

The Man

Come then, woman whom I love.

My *dearest, come with me.

v11 Look, the winter is over,

the rains have come and gone.

v12 Flowers appear in the country;

birds are singing.

In the fields, people can hear the song of *doves.

v13 Young *figs are growing on the *fig trees.

Smell the flowers on the*vines.

Get up, my *dear, my beautiful lady.

Come with me.

v14 You are like a *dove that hides in holes in the cliffs.

It is as if you are hiding in secret places in the cliffs.

Let me see your face.

Let me hear your voice.

Your voice is so pleasant,

and your face is so lovely.

v15 Catch the foxes for us.

These little foxes spoil the *vineyard.

There are flowers in our *vineyard now.

The Woman

v16 My lover is mine and I am his!

My lover eats among the *lotuses.

v17 Turn, my lover,

until the day begins.

And until the shadows go away.

You should be like a *gazelle,

or a young *deer on the mountains of Bether.

Verses 8-10a The woman now uses a *symbol that has energy. She compares the man with a *gazelle. He has few limits. She takes the idea further. She imagines that he is a wild animal. And that animal is looking through her window. But he has courage. He cannot stay away from her. Perhaps the man suggests that they run away together. They could go to the mountains.

Verses 10b-11 The woman is more than a companion for the man. She is his ‘*dear’. Later, in Song of Solomon 4:8-15, he will call her his ‘sister’ and ‘bride’. We now have a beautiful picture of spring. People often link spring with love. Many other writers have done this. This is the only place in the Old *Testament where we have the word ‘winter’. In Israel, most of the rain comes in winter.

Verse 12 In *Hebrew, the word ‘sing’ can also mean ‘to cut back’. Isaiah sometimes uses this word in this way (18:4-6). People cut their *vines in the spring. *Doves usually arrived in spring. So, in both cases, this is a description of spring.

Verse 13 The *fig tree was an important tree in ancient Israel. It was also a *symbol of peace. In this way, it was like the *vine. The *fig was also a *symbol of Israel itself. But probably this verse is still about spring.

Verse 14 The woman is like a bird. In the cliffs, she is difficult for the man to reach. This is a common idea in the man’s songs. He cannot get to her. He wants them to come together. However, he does not use force. Instead, he encourages her gently. But she does not seem ready (verse 17).

Verse 15 This is a difficult verse. Different people give it different meanings. It could be either the man or the woman who speaks this verse. In the ancient world, foxes stole fruit from *vineyards. They are clever animals. Perhaps, in spring, young people tried to catch foxes. Maybe it was a kind of game when the young people chased the foxes. So this game becomes a *symbol. The woman is like a flower but there is no ‘fruit’ yet. They had to protect the fruit.

Verses 16-17 The first line of this verse is perhaps the most beautiful line in the Song. The verse reminds us of Genesis 2:24 – ‘for this reason a man will leave his father’. They should stay with each other if their love is true love.

The *Hebrew for ‘begins’ actually means ‘breathes’. So it means ‘come to life’. The word ‘turn’ might also mean ‘to sit or lie down at a meal’ (see 1 Samuel 16:11). Then she compares him to a *gazelle again. *Gazelles do not lie down to eat. So the writer mixes his *symbols. In verse 2, he said that she was like a flower. So, in verse 16, she says that he is like a *gazelle by the flowers. But she did not want him to be there. Instead, she told him to go back to the mountains. She was not yet ready for their love.

thorns ~ plants with sharp points that can hurt.
dear ~ someone that you love in a special way.
dove ~ a bird.
dove ~ a bird.
testament ~ collection of books in the Bible. The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus came.
Hebrew ~ the language that Song of Songs is written in.
lotus ~ a flower.
gazelle ~ an animal.
deer ~ an animal.
vineyard ~ a place where vines grow.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
symbol ~ something that represents something else; a sign of an object; something that actually means something else.
fig ~ a fruit.
vine ~ a plant with fruit; grapes (a small, soft fruit) grow on them.
gazelle ~ an animal.'

The Beautiful Woman behind the Veil

Song of Songs

Sarah Ruth

Chapter 2

Woman

v1 I am a wild flower of Sharon.

I am a *lily from the valleys.

Man

v2 Among other young women, my best friend that I love is like a *lily among *thorns.

Sharon is a place near to where the man and the woman live. It is near the sea and it is flat. There is a lot of rain there, so there are many pretty wild flowers. The *lily is also a pretty flower but it is very common.

The woman is saying that there is nothing special about her. But the man knows that, to him, she is special. She is really lovely. Now other women do not seem beautiful at all.

Now the woman talks to her friends again.

Woman

v3 Among the other young men, the man who loves me is like an apple tree.

He is like an apple tree among the trees of the forest.

I love to sit in his shade.

His fruit is sweet.

It tastes nice.

v4 He has taken me to the *banquet hall.

Everyone can see that he loves me.

v5 I am weak with love.

So, give *raisins to me to make me strong.

Give apples to me to keep me awake.

v6 His left arm is under my head.

His right arm draws me near to him.

v7 *Daughters of Jerusalem,

please do not cause someone to feel love for another person;

not until he or she wants to.

I am saying this because I really mean it.

I *beg you on behalf of the *gazelles and the young female *deer in the field.

The woman tells her friends about the time when she was with the man.

Where the woman lived, it would not be usual to find an apple tree among the other trees. It was a foreign tree. Someone would have planted it there. So if someone found an apple tree there, it would be a surprise. The woman is saying that the man is a lovely surprise. She has found him. He is special and he is not like other men.

A *banquet hall is a place where there are many happy people. They eat good food and they drink plenty of *wine. The lunch that she has had with the man was, to her, like this special meal. Perhaps she has tasted apple for the first time and she has enjoyed it. This also explains to us something else. She has enjoyed her time with the man. It was *fun! This is what she means. She now knows him a little. Maybe they had kissed each other.

She remembers when she was under the trees. It was lovely to sit under the trees where the sun could not burn her. But she also says that she loves to sit under the man’s branches. A woman likes to have a man to keep her safe. She wants a man to have enough money for what she needs. But a man can give to a woman more than food and a home. He can help her to become stronger in her *spirit. She will not be afraid if he is strong in his *spirit. This is what she explains here.

The man’s love for her is the important thing. He does not hide this from her. She wants other people to know that he loves her.

Now that she is away from the man, she feels weak. She would rather be in the man’s arms. When a woman first loves a man a lot, there are some changes in her body. She may not want to eat. She may feel sick. She wants to be with the man all the time. If she really wants to know the man, this is good. If not, it is better that she does not draw the man near to her.

The woman knows that the man loves her. She knows this because of the way that he has looked at her. He has put his arm round her. This is all that she wants. She does not want him to touch her in any other way. The pleasure that she feels is very strong. She wants to wait before he touches her in any other way.

Woman

v8 Listen! I hear the man who loves me!

Look! He is coming!

He moves quickly across the mountains.

He runs and he jumps. He comes over the hills.

v9 The man who loves me is like a *gazelle or like a young male *deer.

It is best for a man that he is not always with his woman. He needs time alone. He needs time with other men, with no women in the group. This will cause him to feel good. So he will want to be with his woman again.

The woman is happy that the man likes to be outside. She wants him to run and to make himself stronger. She does not want him to be sitting inside a room all the time. But now the woman is very happy that the man is coming to her.

Woman

Look! There he is! He is standing behind our wall.

He is looking through the windows.

He is trying to see through the *lattice.

v10 The man who loves me spoke. He said to me,

‘My beautiful best friend, I love you.

Please get up and come with me.

v11 See! The winter is past. The rains have finished.

v12 Flowers are appearing in country places.

It is now the season to sing.

Near here, we can hear the lovely sound that the *doves are making.

v13 The new fruit on the *fig trees is growing.

The smell from the flowers on the *vines is moving into the air.

My beautiful best friend, I love you.

Please get up and come with me.’

The woman is still telling her friends about the man.

When we read the words ‘window’ and ‘wall’, we think about home. We feel safe and happy inside our home. But when we read the words ‘mountains’, ‘hills’ and ‘*gazelles’ (verses 8-9), we think about outside places. We might feel free and happy outside too. Verses 10 to 13 tell us that the man has asked the woman to come with him already. He wants her to leave things and people that she knows well. He wants her to go outside and to enjoy the spring. The flowers have appeared and the birds are singing. He wants her to have more adventure in her life.

Now he speaks to her again.

Man

v14 You are like a *dove that is hiding in a rock.

You are like a *dove that is hiding in the mountains.

Show your face to me because it is lovely.

Let me hear your voice because it has a beautiful sound.

v15 Catch the *foxes for us.

Catch the little *foxes that destroy the *vineyards.

They destroy our *vines when the flowers are appearing.

The man wants to see her. He wants to see her face. But he also wants to find out about her in every way. He wants her to show to him more about herself.

It seems that she wants to hide. Perhaps she does not want to see him.

When *foxes dig holes they may destroy *vines. Maybe the *foxes in this story mean her brothers. Perhaps they do not want her to see him. She is beginning to become a lovely lady. But the brothers want to make her a child again.

The *foxes may mean anyone or anything that stops the man and woman being friends.

Woman

v16 The man who loves me is mine.

And I am his.

He eats slowly among the *lilies.

v17 My best friend that I love,

turn round until the dawn.

Until the shadows have gone, be like a *gazelle.

Or be like a young male *deer on the hills of rock.

*Lilies are pretty flowers. But the writer uses the word ‘*lilies’ to mean that they are kissing on the lips. The man feels pleasure when he is kissing the woman.

The man and woman are together for a short time, perhaps. She enjoys it when she kisses him. The way that they kiss now is different. It shows that they do not want to be friends only. They want to belong together.

The woman really likes to be with the man. She feels happy now. But she also knows that she is hoping for more than this. She wants those things to become true future events. At some future time, she wants very much to enjoy sex with him. But she may know that she is not yet ready for this. Maybe in some ways she still feels like a child. So, when it is evening, the woman asks him to leave. She asks him to go until the dawn.