I. The scene opens 1:1-27
B. The dark guardian of the vineyard 1:5-6
C. Seeking love among the footprints of the flock 1:7,8
D. The marks of slavery are removed 1:9-11
E. The language of love 1:12-17
F. The thorns and the trees 2:1-6
G. The first spell 2:7
II. In search of tenderness 2:8-3:5
B. The joy of love in the chill of dawn 2:16,17
C. The determined search for the desired end 3:1-4
D. The second spell 3:5
III. The search for reciprocal love 3:6-5:8
B. Declaration of love to the Shulamite 4:1-7
C. A view of the land from the top of Mount Hermon 4:8
D. The joy of the intimacy of love in the garden 4:9-5:1
E. The Shulamite's nightmare 5:2-7
F. The third spell 5:8
IV. In search of communion 5:9-8:4
B. The excellencies of the Shulamite 6:4-10
C. The Shulamite's noble land 6:11,12
D. The dance in memory of Manahaim 6:13-7:9
E. The uninterrupted communion 7:10-8:3
F. The fourth spell 8:4
V. Beauty of love 8:5-14
B. True love 8:6,7
C. Motherhood and peace 8:8-10
D. A vineyard like Solomon's 8:11,12
E. Receiving the inheritance 8:13,14
Introduction to Song of Songs - Ch. 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - Truth in Action throughout Song of Songs
Song 1:1 The Shulamite It would be good to determine who speaks in the first verse.
Song 1:1 Introduction (HBH) This verse is the title; the song actually begins in 1:2. In Song of Songs the groom, the bride,and the chorus each take turns singing their parts, but they do not follow a consistent sequence. At times it is difficult to tell who is singing a given line of lyrics because the Hebrew text does not delineate the parts. But usually the singer is evident.
Song 1:2-4 See section 1 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 1:2-4 These verses reveal the great passion that awakens the king due to the excellence of his love, who is better than the vineyard (the word "better" appears twice in the Hebrew, in its plural form).
Song 1:5,6 Dark Denotes a dark skin color. But desirable (KJV-comely): Proud response to the daughters of Jerusalem, who suggest that the tone of her skin is due to some natural defect that diminishes her beauty. She was exposed to the sun because of the anger of the sons of her mother. Human anger is exactly opposed to the blessings of divine love, and generally distills hatred against GOD. The Shulamite's family is characterized by its violence (or embarrassment).
Song 1:7 See section 2 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 1:7 The Shulamite is asked why she must live like a nomad. This is better described by the isolation of a leper who must live outside the encampment, in a different situation that those who are found in the community that enjoys the blessings of the divine covenant. Sharing the blessings of divine love is crucial to curing the "loneliness of the leper". This is, perhaps, the specific reason why Jesus sent his disciples "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" with the mandate to "cleanse lepers" (Matt. 10:6-8).
Song 1:8 See section 2 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 1:8 The footprints of the herd: Literally, prints of the "heel", a term from which Jacob took his name (Gen. 25:23-26). All the patriarchs of Israel were shepherds, which is why Jacob's profession symbolizes the Hebrew people (Hosea 12:12,13). Therefore, his beloved tells him that she looks at history to comfort her loneliness.
Song 1:12-14 (HBH) Semitropical vegetation, including henna, grew at the oasis of En Gedi on the western shore of the Dead Sea.
Song 1:12-17 This brief series of loving compliments is a model of communication and reveals the intimate nature of the dialogue of love. En-gedi is a beautiful oasis next to the Dead Sea, where David refused to harm Saul. The language of love puts an end to all hostility in the dialogue, because it speaks of a shared life and exalts the communion of the lovers: Our bed...our house.
Song 2:1 (HBH) The flower mentioned here is not the modern rose of Sharon but probably a crocus, daffodil, or narcissus.
Song 2:1-6 The phrase in verse 5 is emphatic: I am sick of love. Love is a matter of life or death, a personal question; without the love of the being whom one loves, one feels alone and incomplete, starving for love. The banner over the house where the banquet is celebrated is a joyful sign that love has found a suitable place, the necessary provisions, and the power to triumph.
Song 2:7 See section 1 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 2:7 This spell appears four times and resumes the central theme of the Song (v.7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4). The urgent message says that an illegitimate love shouldn't be awakened or stimulated. In other words, there's no true love without self-control and ethical responsibility. In these spells, love appears personified; it obeys its own laws and behaves naturally, as the other laws of the universe. The spell invokes the ores and the hinds of the field, magnificent animals impossible to catch that belong to the wild and obey their own instincts of joy and unlimited freedom.
Song 2:8-15 Love can skip over the mountains, but can't scale the wall of the beloved person; it is strong, but never uses violence. The beloved can go behind the wall to enjoy spring. There are no giants in our land, but there are little foxes, like unbelief and hard-heartedness (Num. 13; 14). Hard-heartedness is the great enemy of love, since everything depends on our receptivity and frankness.
Song 2:14,15 See section 2 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 2:14,15 (HBH) Despite the endless variety of interpretations that have been heaped upon 2:15, the "little foxes" probably do not represent anything. The man simply invites the woman to join in a chase. This is the kind of childlike play that young lovers often engage in.
Song 2:16,17 The Song frequently introduces a series of joyful loving phrases (verses 6,16,17; 4:6; 6:2,3; 7:10; 8:3,14), that affirm the value of unity and recognize the need for mutual edification.
Song 2:16-3:5 (HBH) The woman concludes the first section of Song of Songs in 2:16-17 and sings a separate solo in 3:1-5. This section is symbolic of the woman's longing for the groom and is not to be read literally. The proverb that says not to arouse love until it desires (3:5; also 2:7 and 8:4) means that sexual love is to be avoided until the proper time and person arrive.
Song 3:1-5 The Shulamite is disillusioned because her beloved hasn't appeared, and suffers nocturnal hallucinations. Finally she gets up and decides to go out looking for him.
Song 3:5 See section 1 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 3:6-11 The experts interpret this section in different ways. Many consider it to be the approach of the beloved and his marriage to the Shulamite. In this case, the carriage (or palanquin) used in the wedding, which makes up part of the royal procession, is characteristic of wedding ceremonies before the destruction of the 2nd temple.
Apart from the interpretive difficulties, the principles of the covenant of love between GOD and Israel are clearly revealed.The journey of Solomon's carriage to the desert of Zion, follows the redemptive route of the ark of the covenant. The initial question (v.6) remembers the first manifestation of GOD's glory when the manna was given (Exod. 16:10-15). The fragrant column of smoke remembers the cloud that guided the people and the altar where the incense burned (Exod. 13:21; 30:34-38).
Song 4:1-7 See section 3 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Song of Songs.
Song 4:1-7 This vision of the Shulamite mixes the imagination of the ancient poet with symbols of the blessings of the divine covenant; presenting to the chosen people the complete possession of the Promised Land. Mount Gilead, the highest of Jordan, represents an extension of this land that embraces the rest of the tribes of Israel (Num. 32).
Song 4:1-15 (HBH) The metaphors seem harsh and unnatural to the modern reader because we take them in too literal a sense. What the poet meant was that aspects of the woman's beauty provoke profound emotional responses. Her neck wa like the tower of David (4:4) in that both were statuesque and caused feelings of admiration and wonder. He did not mean that her neck was unusually long. Similarly, he described the pleasures she gave him in terms of fruits and spices (4:13-15).
Song 4:8 All the mountainous scenes of the Song have a positive significance; it isn't an invitation to leave Lebanon, but to tour the land and to see the entire Promised Land from the peaks.
Song 4:9-5:1 One of man's deepest needs is to experience the unity of true love in a sure relationship. The attractive terms sister and wife, applied to the Shulamite, describe a lasting relationship and a permanent communion. She isn't a closed harden that keeps her beloved out, but a reserved garden that invites him to enter. The Shulamite, along with all her wonders, is not his. Together, as friends and lovers, they share the sweet fruit, satisfied and satiated (5:1).
The Music and Instruments of the Bible
| Home | Site Index | Bible Index |
| Kingdom Dynamics | Truth in Action | Links |
