The Book of the Song of Solomon

More Than Skin Deep

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She

12 While the king was on his couch,
    my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
    that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    in the vineyards of Engedi.

He

15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
    behold, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.

She

16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
17     the beams of our house are cedar;
    our rafters are pine. – Song of Solomon 1:12-17 ESV

There is much debate as to whether this poem is in chronological order or if it is a collection of smaller poems that fail to share a common time sequence. If they are meant to follow one another in sequential order, there appear to be some fairly large gaps in the narrative. The dialogue seems to take a fast leap forward between the first 11 verses of chapter one and the remaining six verses.

The relationship between the two lovers deepens in significance and their rhetoric intensifies, describing what seems to suggest is a much more physical and intimate aspect of their growing love for one another. The young Shulammite maiden describes seeing her lover reclining on his dining couch. As she gazes at him she can’t help but feel a deep attraction to him, comparing him to the fragrant blossoms of the henna plant found in the vineyards of Engeddi.

She reveals her hope that the attraction between them is mutual and that her perfume is having its desired effect. She has adorned herself with a necklace featuring a sachet of aromatic myrrh that hands strategically between her breasts. All of this language suggests that she was trying to seduce her lover. She has spared no expense, having anointed her body with costly nard, a fragrant oil that would have filled the room in which they sat. This is the same type of oil that was used to anoint the head of Jesus.

And while he [Jesus] was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” – Mark 14:3-5 ESV

This young woman has gone to great expense to gain the attention of her beloved and her efforts produced the intended result. Despite the strategically placed necklace and the aromatic perfume, his gaze is drawn to her eyes.

“How beautiful you are, my darling,
    how beautiful!
    Your eyes are like doves.” – Song of Solomon 1:15 NLT

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Looking into someone’s eyes can reveal a lot about their character and their intentions. Jesus described them as lamps that provide light for the body. In a sense, they are portals that control what enters into your heart and reveal its condition to all those around you.

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” – Matthew 6:22-23 NLT

In praising the beauty of her eyes, Solomon is looking beneath the surface and complimenting her inner character; she is beautiful inside and out. She has adorned herself with jewelry and expensive perfume, but his gaze is attracted to that which lies within. It is not unlike the earlier compliment she gave to him.

“…your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils…” – Song of Solomon 1:3 NLT

His name, which is synonymous with his character, is like a well-pleasing aroma that follows him wherever he goes. In other words, his reputation precedes him, but in a good way. There is little doubt that this couple shares a mutual attraction to one another but it is more than skin deep. Their emphasis on one another’s inner character is refreshing and provides a wonderful glimpse into a missing ingredient in many relationships today. With our modern-day obsession with externals, it is so easy to overlook the condition of the heart. Social media allows us to create the perfect persona by providing a means of carefully curating only those images that reflect our preferred identity. Few people post unflattering images of themselves online. The increasing availability of software that can enhance or dramatically alter our visage makes it possible to portray ourselves in a way that is more wishful thinking than reality.

Yet, this couple was anything but lovestruck and blinded by passion. They appear to be fully aware of each other’s inner qualities and that knowledge only enhanced their love for one another.

But there is little doubt that this young woman was infatuated with her lover’s outer appearance. She makes that point embarrassingly clear when she states, “You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words!” (Song of Solomon 1:16 NLT). He was good-looking as well as being of good character, and those two traits made him all the more appealing to her. The old adage, “Love is blind,” is meant to convey the idea that outer beauty is not the only factor considered when two people fall in love. There is far more to the equation than simply good looks, and yet, it never hurts to fall in love with someone who is easy on the eyes. That is clearly the case with her beloved.

Just being out in nature with her significant other brings her great joy and pleasure. She describes the great outdoors as if it is their private sanctuary.

“The soft grass is our bed;
    fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house,
    and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters.” – Song of Solomon 1:17 NLT

This should not be taken as a description of sexual intercourse or an inference that this couple was involved in any kind of immorality. She simply describes a carefree afternoon with the love of her life as they share the beauty of God’s creation and one another’s company. Just being together brought her great joy. While they were not yet married and didn’t share a home together, they were able to turn every moment into an opportunity to live as if they were already one.

This relationship was being built on a foundation of mutual respect, shared admiration, unwavering love, and a commitment to the long haul. They were in this for the duration, and while their words reflect a somewhat innocent and inexperienced outlook on love, it is clear that there is more to this relationship than meets the eye.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Love Beyond Degree

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The Bride Confesses Her Love

She

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
3     your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
    therefore virgins love you.
4 Draw me after you; let us run.
    The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

We will exult and rejoice in you;
    we will extol your love more than wine;
    rightly do they love you.

She

5 I am very dark, but lovely,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
    like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
    they made me keeper of the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
    where you pasture your flock,
    where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
    beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

8 If you do not know,
    O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
    and pasture your young goats
    beside the shepherds’ tents.

9 I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

11 We will make for you ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.  – Song of Solomon 1:2-11 ESV

For many, this is a controversial book because of its somewhat lurid and scandalous content. Some think it has no place in the canon of Scripture. Even Origen of Alexandria, an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian, had reservations about the book and its content.

“I advise and counsel everyone who is not yet rid of vexations of the flesh and blood, and has not ceased to feel the passions of this bodily nature, to refrain from reading the book and the things that will be said about it.” – Origen (c.185-c.254)

The book opens with the statement, “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s” (Song of Solomon 1:1 ESV). This would seem to indicate that what follows is from the pen of the great king of Israel, Solomon the son of David. Renowned as a poet, Solomon penned more than 1,005 songs or poems (1 King 4;32), and this one is considered to be one of his best. Some view it as a single poem, while others argue it is a collection of similar but distinctive poetic musings. But few would disagree that this lengthy sonnet is an intimate exchange of affectionate words between two lovers. 

To make the text easier to read, the translators of the English Standard Version provided helpful descriptors that determine who is speaking at any given moment. Without them, it would be quite difficult to determine the exact identity of the speakers.

The text opens with a word from the young Shulamite maiden, who expresses her deep affection and desire for the man of her dreams.  She invites him to embrace and kiss her over and over again because his love is “sweeter than wine” (Song of Solomon 1:2 NLT). Reading this text can be more than a bit uncomfortable because it’s like reading a letter that was not meant for your eyes. This is intimate stuff that leaves the reader feeling awkward; as if they are overhearing a private conversation. The very language of these verses is intended to convey the idea that the speakers are unaware that their words are being read by an unseen audience. The young woman shows no signs of reservation or embarrassment. Her love drives her choice of words and they are meant to reflect her deep and abiding affection for the man of her dreams.

The Shulamite maiden may be young but she is anything but shy. Her words are almost brazen in nature, reflecting a boldness that borders on shamelessness. She describes his love for her as more intoxicating than wine; leaving her mental faculties compromised as if she is no longer in control of her senses. These are the words of a woman who is more than in love; she is infatuated.

She even lets her lover know that the mere scent of him drives her crazy. His anointing oils make her head swoon. But more important than the smell of his cologne is the character of his name.

“…your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils.” – Song of Solomon 1:3 NLT

In essence, she’s saying that he has a “sweet-smelling” reputation. In fact, this young man is so well thought of that all the other young maidens are jealous of her relationship with him. This man wasn’t just good-looking; he had a good reputation. He was the complete package; handsome, loving, and a well-respected member of society. This guy was from superficial or an empty suit. He was the real deal with a quality of character that more than matched his outer appearance.

In verse four, the maiden expresses her deep desire for her lover to seize the initiative and take her away. She wants him to make the next move and reveal his love for her through action. She reveals her admiration for him by referring to him as her king.

Verse four could be translated, “O king, bring me into your chambers!” She is anxious to consummate the relationship and is unashamed to admit it. But she knows that the two of them must follow societal customs and protocols. Her lover needed to be the one to take the next step in their relationship. But she wasn’t above providing a bit of enthusiastic encouragement.

But her words are interrupted by a response from the other maidens in the community. They have been listening and watching, and now express their joy over the prospect of her marriage to this one-of-a-kind find.

“How happy we are for you, O king.
    We praise your love even more than wine.”  – Song of Solomon 1:4 NLT

They address their excited words of congratulations to Solomon, the king, and echo the words of the Shulamite maiden in praising the superiority of his love. There is a sense in which these young women are eager to see what happens with this match made in heaven. Rather than jealousy, these maidens exhibit joy and excitement at the good fortune of their friend.

In verses 5-8, the young maiden responds to the kind words of her peers, but in doing so, she reveals her own struggle with a low sense of self-worth. She describes her skin as being dark in appearance, a trait she believes to be unattractive for the future wife of a king.

“I am dark but beautiful,
    O women of Jerusalem—
dark as the tents of Kedar,
    dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents.
Don’t stare at me because I am dark—
    the sun has darkened my skin.” – Song of Solomon 1;5-6 NLT

She recognizes her own natural beauty but fears that her long days spent caring for her brothers’ vineyards in the hot Middle Eastern sun, had left her skin uncharacteristically darkened. It appears that her brothers forced her to serve as their own personal slave, tending their grapes while having to neglect her own “vineyard” or body. She is deeply in love but questions her own attractiveness and worthiness to be loved by the king.

But her love for him makes her long to be in his presence. She lets him know that she desires to be where he pastures his flocks. This description of the king as a shepherd was common in that day, as they believed the sovereign was responsible for caring for the flock of God. In a rather obscure statement, the maiden expresses her reluctance to “be like one who veils herself” (Song of Solomon 1:7 ESV). This is most likely a reference to the actions of a prostitute. In that day, it was common for women of ill repute to cover their faces so their true identity could be hidden from the general public. This young love-struck woman is anxious to see her lover but doesn’t want to chase after him and be mistaken as a “loose woman.” So, she asks for the best time of day to meet with him; at a time that would guarantee their union without a lot of prying eyes.

Her beloved responds with an invitation for her to “follow in the tracks of the flock” (Song of Solomon 1:8 ESV). She will find it easy to discover his location by simply looking for the fruits of his labor. He describes himself as a shepherd by cares for all those under his care. Wherever the “flock” of his kingdom is enjoying the blessings of his leadership, she will find him.

Anxious to see this beautiful young maiden, the king vocalizes his admiration for and attraction to her beauty.

“You are as exciting, my darling,
    as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions.
How lovely are your cheeks;
    your earrings set them afire!
How lovely is your neck,
    enhanced by a string of jewels.” – Song of Solomon 1:9-10 NLT

He is equally taken by her beauty as she is by his and makes it clear that he is not alone; other men (Pharaoh’s stallions) share his admiration. This rather crass-sounding statement is intended to let her know that her beauty has attracted the eyes of many men, and he counts himself lucky to be the one she longs to be with.

To this declaration of his affection and infatuation, the other maidens share their intent to provide gifts to further accentuate her natural beauty.

“We will make for you earrings of gold
    and beads of silver.” – Song of Solomon 1:11

They are willing to provide the earrings and necklace that the king will reward to his future wife; their willing gift to help seal the deal between these two young lovers.

This entire section is designed to describe the depth of love shared between the king and the Shulamite maiden. They are young and in love and their affection for one another is difficult to hide or contain. This mutual love is unbridled and almost impossible to contain. It provides a wonderful illustration of the kind of love that God had for the people of Israel and that which Christ shared with His bride, the Church. But that same selfless love should be met with a reciprocal passion from the heart of the one upon whom that love is poured out. These two young people are meant to be a vivid illustration of the love between the Almighty and His people. They are unashamed and unwilling to hide their love for one another and understand the one-of-a-kind nature of their God-ordained affection.

 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Love on God’s Terms

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The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. – Song of Solomon 1:1 ESV

This is probably one of the most hotly debated books in the Bible. The interpretations of its meaning are countless and questions regarding its purpose are endless. Some see it as an allegory that carries deeper spiritual meaning. Others read it as an actual autobiographical story featuring events from the life of Solomon himself.

There is little debate that it is a love poem. That is clear from a cursory reading of its eight short chapters. But why is it in the Bible? If all Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, and training in righteousness, why is this book included? What is it attempting to teach us? As I read through it this morning I was struck by how many times it caused me to reflect on the love of God. It seems to reveal the kind of love God has for His people and that He longs for them to have for Him. It is the same kind of love that Christ has for His bride, the Church, and that He desires to receive in return. Finally, it is the kind of love that any husband should feel for his wife and she willingly returns to Him.

It is indeed a book about love. Whether it is about real people and real events, I can’t say. But it is about love; a faithful, eyes-for-you-only kind of love that God illustrates in His love for those He calls His own. It is the kind of love that caused Christ to take on human flesh and die a sinner’s death in our place on the cross. This kind of love is selfless and sacrificial. It is passionate and powerful. It is intimate and intense. I can’t help but read this book and be reminded of the Father’s love for me. I am blown away by how Christ expresses His love for me each and every day. God the Father and God the Son call out to me daily, longing to have a love relationship with me that is two-way, not one-way. But so often I am more than willing to accept their love but refuse to return it.

The Song of Solomon shows love that is given and received. Neither character can live without the other. There is a level of infatuation in the poem that will leave the reader a bit embarrassed. The dialogue between the two anonymous lovers are syrupy and saccharine. They almost feel a little bit over the top and uncomfortable to read – like you’re looking at someone’s private love letters. But the love expressed here is genuine and sincere. It is intimate and personal. There is a sense of infatuation and focused quality behind the love expressed in these eight chapters that reflect the way we are loved by God and how we should return that love to Him.

Yet, the book doesn’t mention the name of God a single time. His name is nowhere to be found but His presence is unmistakingly felt as one considers the deep and abiding nature of the love described on the book’s pages.

“God’s name is absent from the entire setting. But who would deny that his presence is strongly felt? From whom come such purity and passion? Whose creative touch can ignite hearts and bodies with such a capacity to bring unsullied delight to another? Who kindled the senses that savor every sight, touch, scent, taste, and sound of a loved one? Whose very character is comprised of the love that is the central subject of the Song? None of this is to allegorize either the minute details or the main sense of the book. It is about human love at its best. But behind it, above it, and through it, the Song, as part of the divinely ordered repertoire of Scripture, is a paean of praise to the Lord of creation who makes possible such exquisite love and to the Lord of redemption who demonstrated love’s fullness on a cross.” – David A. Hubbard, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

In terms of the authorship of the book, the debate has been long and intense and continues to this day. Due to the number of times Solomon’s name is mentioned in the poem, many have concluded that he is its author. Others have ruled him out because of his well-chronicled practice of polygamy. The Book of 1 Kings details Solomon’s over-the-top love affair with the opposite sex by revealing that at one time his harem consisted of 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). This unbridled predilection for the opposite sex would end up driving a wedge between Solomon and his God because it was in direct violation of the will of God. This prohibition against kings accumulating wives for themselves had been given long before Israel had a king.

The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. – Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT

Yet, Solomon ignored God’s command, in a big way. The Book of 1 Kings elaborates on the egregious nature of Solomon’s disobedience.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. – 1 Kings 11:1-6 ESV

Some scholars argue that Solomon could have written this poem earlier in his life, long before his penchant for accumulating wives got the better of him. According to the Book of Ecclesiastes, also attributed to Solomon, the latter years of his life were marked by an obsessive-compulsive need to hoard.

I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. – Ecclesiastes 2:7-8 ESV

This less-than-flattering self-disclosure has led many scholars to reject Solomon as the author of the Book of the Song Solomon. Others get around Solomon’s sexual indiscretions by assuming he wrote this epic poem earlier in life, long before old age and affluence damaged his reasoning and tarnished his reputation.

While the debate about authorship continues unabated, another unresolved conflict concerns how this book should be interpreted. Over the years, a majority of commentators and biblical scholars have argued that its content is meant to be read allegorically. Yet, there is nothing in the book’s content that suggests this is the appropriate interpretative model. It is presented as a series of love poems between Solomon and a woman who is identified as Shulamite.

Return, return, O Shulammite,
    return, return, that we may look upon you.

Why should you look upon the Shulammite,
    as upon a dance before two armies? – Song of Solomon 6:13 ESV

The term “Shulamite” is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word, shulammit, which can be translated as “woman of Jerusalem.” Once again, there has been much debate as to the exact identity of this woman, but no one can deny that she plays a significant role in the poem.

It seems best to take a literal approach when interpreting this book, treating the characters and the content as historical and not figurative. This approach does not eliminate the typological nature of the book. The two individuals whose deep love for one another is on display throughout the book are intended to illustrate something far greater than the relationship between two infatuated lovers. Over the years, scholars have speculated that the content of this book is meant to illustrate the love of Yahweh for the people of Israel. Others have determined that the two characters represent Jesus and His bride, the Church.

“The shepherd is a picture of Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep. The Shulamite mirrors the Church or the individual believer devoted to Him. Solomon represents the prince of this world armed with all worldly pomp, power, and magnificence. The court women are those who admire him and who look askance at those who turn their backs upon the world, its system, and all that it has to offer in favor of an absent and, to them, unknown Beloved.” – John Phillips, Exploring the Song of Solomon

The one thing that is not up for debate is that this is a love story. The words exchanged between the two characters are intimate and unabashedly intense. Reading the dialogue can feel awkward and intrusive. It is like listening in on a private phone call between a husband and his wife. But the unashamed openness of the two lovers is meant to convey a degree of love and desire that borders on the obsessive. Their shockingly candid expressions of love are intended to make the reader blush but are also meant to stir up a desire to experience such unbridled desire for another.

The intimate language found in this book will be offputting to some. They will find it too strong and inappropriate for consumption. But if God divinely inspired its content, then this book is also “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy:16 ESV). May we read it with eyes wide open and our hearts prepared to hear what God has to teach about love – love between a woman and a man, and love between a God and His people.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.