Categoria: Song of Songs

The concluding chapter starts with the bride wishing she was the king’s sister so that she could always kiss him, bring him in-doors, give him spiced wine to drink and embrace. She then says: “Place me like a seal over your heart… for love is as strong as death… it burns like blazing fire… many waters cannot quench love!” Some friends then discuss the protection of a younger sister prior to marriage. The Shulammite then remarks about how she brings contentment to her husband, and he replies that he likes to hear her voice, before she calls him to come away with her like a gazelle or young stag.

It should be noted that in the first place this book gives God’s blessing upon human love and romanticism. However Song of Songs can also have an allegoric interpretation of Christ’s love for his people/church.

Chapter 7 starts where the previous chapter left off with the kingly lover extolling his bride’s feet, legs, navel, waist, breasts, neck, eyes, nose, head and hair! Her legs are graceful, her navel is a rounded goblet and her breasts are like two fawns. How beautiful you are, he exclaims. Your breasts are like clusters of fruit, your breath has the fragrance of apples and your mouth is like the best wine. To this the Shulammite replies “I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me”, and invites him to spend the night with her in the villages and “there I will give you my love… both old and new I have stored up for you, my lover.”

 Chapter 6 starts with friends asking the Shulammite where her lover had gone? She answered that he had gone to care for his garden to gather lilies, but she assured them of the sureness of their relationship saying “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine”. The king returned saying “you are beautiful my darling and your eyes overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats and your teeth are like a flock of sheep. You are unique and better than 60 queens, 80 concubines and countless virgins. You are as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun and as majestic as the stars.”

Chapter 5 starts with the lover king going into his bride’s garden and eating honeycomb and drinking wine and milk! The bride then hears her love knocking on her door. His hair was damp from the night air and he asked whether he needed to put his robe back on? He put his hand through the latch opening and her heart pounded! When she finally opened the door for her lover he had gone. She couldn’t find him anywhere! Her lover, she said, is radiant and ruddy with black wavy hair. His eyes are like doves, his lips are like lilies, his arms are like rods of gold, his body like ivory, his legs like marble and his mouth is sweetness itself. He is altogether lovely!

 “How beautiful you are, my darling”, exclaims the king. “Your eyes behind the veil are like doves… your hair is like a flock of goats… your teeth are like a flock of sheep… your lips are like a scarlet ribbon… your neck is like the tower of David… your breasts are like two fawns… you are totally beautiful without a flaw… come with me my bride because you have stolen my heart… how delightful is your love my bride and much more pleasing than wine… your lips are as sweet as honey my bride and milk and honey are under your tongue.. you are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water.” To this the Shunammite called upon the wind to come and spread the fragrance of her love saying “Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.”

Chapter 3 is the Shunammite speaking non-stop as she looks for her king but can’t find him. “I will search for the one my heart loves”. She searched and eventually found him and so she held him and would not let him go. Then she again envisages the King coming from the desert perfumed with myrrh and incense and escorted by 60 warriors with a gold and silver carriage on a purple seat. He is wearing his crown and she calls on the daughters of Zion to come and see him.

The romantic dialogue continues with the Shunammite declaring that she is a rose of Sharon and a lily of the valleys, to which the king replies that his darling is a lily among thorns. She responds comparing him to an apple tree with sweet fruit, and that he has taken her to the banquet hall and his banner over me is love! Refresh me with apples, she sighs, because she is faint with love. They embrace. My lover, she says, is like a your stag who called to arise because the winter is past and the rains have gone. Flowers appear for the season of singing has come and the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. The King responds asking for his dove to show her lovely face from her hiding place in the clefts of the rock. She reacts saying her lover is hers and she is his until day break. 

The Song of Songs involves a strong poetic loving and sensual dialogue between a young bride or Shulammite (6:13) and her lover King Solomon or a shepherd-king. The bride starts asking to be kissed because her lover’s love is better than wine. His name is like perfume, she says, and she asks him to hurry to take her way! She remarks how sun-tanned she is and she hopes to meet her lover grazing his sheep. The lover replies calling the Shulammite the most beautiful of women and his darling and he promises her ear-rings of gold. My love, she replies, is myrrh resting between her breasts. The king remarks on her beautiful eyes and she responds about how handsome he is and how verdant their bed is.