Buildontherock: Song of Solomon

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Song of Solomon

author: buildontherock

published: 2024-01-25

In order to put the issue of sex in Gods perspective I want to have an overview of a book in the Bible that deals with this subject. The book is called Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) and was written by Solomon. This is not intended to be a technical study of the book but an effort to pass on what has given me inspiration and strength. It not going to be graphic either because if you are old enough you will be able to appreciate the physical limitations of left hand under head while right hand embraces and so on.

For more sex from a biblical perspective see: The Birds and the Bees

Who were Solomon and Shulamith?

Solomon lived in the 10th century BC which is about 500 years after the Exodus. Way back then God saw this as an issue and wrote a book. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived

1 Kings 3:12-13 (KJV) Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. ¹³ And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

It stands to reason therefore that Solomon knew what he was talking about. Solomon was not a spiritual minded example but focussed on gathering human wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:25 (KJV) I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

Solomon is from Hebrew shalom meaning peace. Shulamith or the Shulamite is the feminine of Shlomo (Solomon) in Hebrew and one meaning is also peace. Alternatively, the meaning of the Shulamite is perfect or without spot. The two together could therefore mean perfect peace. Solomon and Shulamith were soul mates but the relationship was built, it did not just happen.

It seems like Solomon's skin was golden coloured (head like gold) from chapter 5:11 while Shulamith was a black (chapter 1:5) Egyptian. If these are in fact true then this ideal relationship was what people would call multi-racial. God created all peoples. God is not a racist. This story may be a poetic version of the relationship that Solomon had with his first wife who was Egyptian and hence black (see the article on Egypt).

I Kings 9:16 [KJV] For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife

I Kings 9:24 [KJV] But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.

What is the Song of Solomon?

This book was read at Passover because it also pictures Christ showing ultimate love for His bride. The Song of Solomom is a musical play. There are two main actors (Solomon and Shulamith) plus a chorus (a group which Solomon uses to personify wisdom). It is a series of reflections over his wonderful marriage at that time. It is when Solomon got old that the many wives became a problem but he seems to have enjoyed a wonderful marriage in his youth. It also appears that Solomon neglected his marriage for vain pursuits as found in the book Ecclesiastes which was read at Tabernacles.

Song of Solomon (KJV)

The book is identified and Solomon's title for the book is given. I will use Solomon's title hereafter.

[Chapter 1] 1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

Reflection #1 Physical attraction

This is some time before the wedding. Shulamith defends her interest. She knows that she wants to marry Solomon and that she is not the only one. She makes up her mind to risk her reputation in pursuit of him. She is willing to follow him just to be alone with him (v8). (v4) indicates that some of these competitors had already visited Solomons home and may be in a close (but not improper) relationship; the verse refers to chamber not bedchamber and these girls are upright. Shulamith has been busy on the farm and had no time to pursue men (v5).

Shulamith

² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. ³ Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

Chorus

⁴ Draw me, we will run after thee. The king hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine; the upright love thee

Shulamith

⁵ I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. ⁶ Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. ⁷ Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

Chorus

⁹If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

This reflection tells us something about how a godly man chooses his bride. Solomon had the choice of all the pale princesses, shielded from the ravages of the environment. The verse says draw me indicating that they wanted to be selected but it also says we will run after thee showing that they all were running after Solomon. The odds are that they would continue to prize their lifestyle above being Solomon's help meet (Genesis 2:18) and being his help meet is what he really wanted. To see if Solomon was right read Proverbs 31 which is also very likely about Shulamith. Solomon had it all but he chose a country girl. He did not want the shallow princesses; instead he saw a diamond in the rough. Notice that all of these girls under consideration are upright so their character was not in question. It is when Solomon got old that his heart was turned aside by women but this also shows that he had a wonderful marriage but foolishly lost it by having other women. Somehow in the contest between intelligence and hormones it is the hormones that always win so don't give them the chance.

1 Kings 11:3 (KJV) And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

but when it came to the one that he wanted to be with for the rest of his life wanted an upright girl with some additional qualities. Some people believe that based on 1 Kings 3:1 Shulamith was an Egyptian. If so, this adds some additional considerations. Egyptian Pharaohs did not normally allow marriage outside their own family. This would then put Shulamiths statements about not being loved by her family in clearer perspective. It would also demonstrate a spiritual truism that God does not look at colour or race to define his Church but it is made of what some would consider to be outcasts. Where they see outcasts He sees a prized jewel.

It also tells us something about what an otherwise unexposed farmer girl would be willing to do to attract her potential husband. She wants to be alone with Solomon and she is willing to risk harm by ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. She intends to make herself available, notice verse 8.

Reflection #2 The First Visit

Some commentators believe that this is the wedding night. I believe that it is the first official visit to Solomons home - since he sits at his table.

I want to say something now about horses and women because people like to wrap what happens next in some dispassionate cloak. There are only two living things that I know can cause men to stop and stare at in motion. Horses and women! Men stand in rows along busy streets just liming and what does that mean? Looking at women walk by. Horses come a distant second but the similarities in thinking are blatant. A horse trotting by turns heads and so does a woman.

Solomon shows his reaction when she walks in. This lithe woman reminds him of not one but two gorgeous horses that he is in control of as the chariot rider. Shulamith was probably stately, atheletic and upright and strutting like a prized Arabian. She is adorned beautifully and stands out above all other women as exceptional and fit for a king.

We also see Shulamith's reaction. She is cool as a cucumber on the outside but she knows the effect that she is having on Solomon. He is also having an impact on her. She is drawn to him like a fragrant flower among others in a garden. She wants to pluck him and have him close.

We see that Solomon is affected by what he sees while Shulamith relies on what she senses even without sight. Do not mind TV with stinking men sweeping women off their feet. Men should not smell bad or sound bad around their women because it triggers off bad senses in women that go beyond just that instance. We saw earlier that she liked the sound of his name. Notice also that it is as though there is nobody else in the room. Camphire refers to the fragrant henna flower (or plant). Vineyards are the source of another type of intoxication: wine.

Solomon

⁹ I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. ¹⁰ Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. ¹¹ We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

Shulamith

¹² While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. ¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. ¹⁴ My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

Reflection #3 Shulamith is vulnerable

Mentally Shulamith has already given herself to Solomon. Solomon has told her that he is in love and expressed how lovely she is. She has no more resistance for Solomon. She begins to anticipate and discovers in (v7) that she could not have resisted if Solomon had made sexual advances before the wedding night. All she sees in him is joy; the apple tree appears to represent joy (Joel 1:12). The indication is that she probably would have lost control of herself which would have lead to losing a very precious, once in a lifetime experience. She pleads with other women for help not to become sexually intimate before the wedding night.

Solomon

¹⁵ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

Shulamith

¹⁶ Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. ¹⁷ The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. Chapter ²¹ I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Solomon

² As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

Shulamith

³ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. ⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. ⁵ Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. ⁶ His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. ⁷ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Reflection #4 Solomon gets the nod

Solomon is behaving like an excited child in a juvenile frenzy. Shulamith watches him tearing down to her home and spying for a glimpse of her. She knows that the time is right. (v10) She gives Solomon the nod and it does not appear to have been all that subtle. Everything else out there knows that it is spring, the time for love, except you, Solomon. He is still thinking of her as inaccessible. Solomon thinks that he is controlling the action but Shulamith is pulling the strings.

Shulamith

⁸ The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. ⁹ My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

Solomon

¹⁰ My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. ¹¹ For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; ¹² The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; ¹³ The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. ¹⁴ O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

Reflection #5 The little foxes

There are things that affect intimacy in women. Nothing seems to faze men. Shulamith wants Solomon to know this and she wants him to know how he will benefit if he deals with them. Since they are not yet married these must include stupid things that happen before marriage. Each grape vine represents an opportunity for intimacy. It only takes a small fox (a small problem) to seriously damage a grape vine. They dig at the roots; the source of life for the plant and can kill it or at least cause it to shed its fruit prematurely. If these fruit mature they represent intoxicating love to Shulamith and Solomon so all those little issues should not be allowed to develop. You must catch them early before they become big foxes. Shedding the fruit is contrasted with imagery. Deer have a regular feeding pattern. They feed early in the morning and late in the evening except in full moon. When it is full moon they graze all night continually and only stop when it is morning. Roe and hart refer to male and female deer.

Shulamith

¹⁵ Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. ¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. ¹⁷ Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Reflection #6 Men are Dense

This seems to me to be an example of those foxes. Husbands should spend their nights at home. If they are away from home for any unexpected length of time they should let the wife know. Shulamith does not know where Solomon is. He is not on a journey somewhere or else she would know that and not waste time searching. The same is also true of children. Women worry more than men it seems and they certainly worry when their husbands or children are unaccounted for. Shulamith sets out to find him at her own risk. Shulamith is so scared that she cannot loosen her grip until she metaphorically takes Solomon home to her mother where she feels safe.

Men do not feel fear like women and cannot see the big issue in such matters but whether we see it or not, it is very real in the lives of women. Women open themselves up to fear when they bond with a man. Men are not scared of marriage in the same way: men fear losing their freedom. Women fear being vulnerable. It is not something that you can identify specifically. Shulamith warns her friends that they need to choose carefully before they bond with a man because these fears can become reality i.e. he could really be dead or drunk etc. and even if the man is scum that bond of vulnerability will not easily be broken.

Shulamith

Chapter 3 ¹By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. ² I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. ³ The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? ⁴ It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. ⁵ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Reflection #7 The big day

The big day arrives. Solomon goes to great lengths to prepare. First he looks good: he stands out from the crowd like a cloud of smoke rising from the wilderness and he smells good too. (V7-8) He has made sure that they will have their privacy (a honeymoon might be better than the symbolic men guarding the bed). He has taken care of transportation; paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem is a mistranslation and should be paved with love, by the daughters of Jerusalem. He has made sure that Shulamith has the best and he publicly lets all the other women know that he belongs to Shulamith. Solomon had a job and income boys.

Chorus

⁶ Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? ⁷ Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. ⁸ They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. ⁹ King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. ¹⁰ He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. ¹¹ Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Reflection #8 The wedding night

I will not go through the details of this reflection because it is somewhat x-rated. It shows the freedom and bliss of a marriage that is built up the right way. Notice that up to chapter 4:12 Shulamith is still sealed shut. It is what youngsters can look forward to when they follow God's directions. This is confirmed in the second part of Chapter 5:1 where God speaks and this is echoed in the New Testament

Hebrews 13:4 (Authorised Version) Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Solomon

Chapter 4¹ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. ² Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. ³ Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. ⁴ Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. ⁵ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. ⁶ Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. ⁷ Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. ⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. ⁹ Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. ¹⁰ How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! ¹¹ Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. ¹² A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. ¹³ Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, ¹⁴ Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: ¹⁵ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. ¹⁶ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. [chapter 5]^1a I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk:

God

Chapter 5^1beat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Reflection #9 I have a headache

This reflection is broken into two by some commentators because it shows a change of attitude in Shulamith and Solomon but it is one continuous reflection. It deals with the I have a headache attitude. Notice that Solomon is married and when his wife says no he leaves her alone. People who are not married yet should be able to do the same. Youngsters must learn to deal with rejection before you are married.

Both the rejecting and the response may or may not be appropriate; it depends, but be aware of the consequences. Women are free to discourage perceived advances; men are free to pursue whatever they think is an appropriate distraction. Neither party may like the consequences so chose carefully. Within marriage this can generate a vicious cycle unless someone has a change of heart, so children need to learn maturity before marriage. Outside of marriage it is a good strategy to avoid potential indiscretions. Before marriage, if you (especially girls) think that in your frame of mind you are vulnerable then you are right to refuse to entertain your guest. Within marriage women should feel free to discourage unwanted advances. If you (especially boys) have been rejected just go and find something to take you mind off of it whether or not you are married. No bitterness! If you do it right Shulamith shows in her second half of the reflection that reconciliation is bliss!

Shulamith

² I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. ³ I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. ⁵ I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

Chorus

⁹ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

Shulamith

¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. ¹³ His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem [chapter 6]¹ Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. ² My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. ³ I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

Reflection #10 Monthly blues

Shulamith is on the warpath and poor Solomon does not know what to do. He has to look at how beautiful she is and have a great desire for her but when he thinks of approaching her he sees spears and daggers ready to cut him to pieces.

Women are the original lunatics. They go through a monthly cycle called the menstrual cycle which can completely alter their personalities without them being conscious of it. The woman who could not get enough of you yesterday can hate your guts the next. They have no control of it and men (and children) have to learn to be patient and understanding. It is part of what makes love stronger.

Solomon

⁴ Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. ⁵ Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. ⁶ Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. ⁷ As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. ⁸ There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. ⁹ My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. ¹⁰ Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

Reflection #11 The fever breaks

Shulamith reflects on the status of the relationship. The relationship is losing something. She seems to take a break (accompanied by Solomon) to visit beautiful wholesome surroundings, not carnival. She was looking for the answer outside of herself perhaps in things like vacations or maybe in Solomon himself. She begins to look at things differently through the chorus. I believe that the chariots of Amminadib were a welcome sight after they returned from battle. She ( and Solomon too as the other army) was caught up with fighting battles (children, Solomon, the house maybe). There is no time for romance on the front line. She had not been living up to her name. After she works through her problems she once again issues a warning in chapter 8:4. If you are not ready to deal with all of this then leave out the sex and marriage. It is important to remember that Shulamith means peace. I think that it is important to point out that Shulamith does not want Solomon to be her brother she wants him to be inconspicuous so that nobody would suspect when they were together alone.

Shulamith

¹¹ I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. ¹² Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

Chorus

¹³ Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. [Chapter 7]¹ How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. ² Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. ³ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. ⁴ Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. ⁵ Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. ⁶ How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! ⁷ This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. ⁸ I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; ⁹ And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

Shulamith

¹⁰ I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. ¹¹ Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. ¹² Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. ¹³ The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. [chapter 8] ¹ O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. ² I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. ³ His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. ⁴ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

Reflection #12 The value of building true love

Love is intensified by the ability to cope with challenges before and during marriage. Marriage shows us that we can be different but still one. As a matter of fact that is the miracle and the wonder of it. Becoming one in flesh enhances our ability to learn how to become one in spirit and that is when true joy multiplies. The rewards are blissful and we see a glimpse of that in v5-7 (also remember that the apple tree represents joy). It is so wonderful that no amount of money is equal in value (chapter 8:7) hence a strategy begins in chapter 8:8. If a girl is like a sister to you and she is strong against premarital sex then adorn her so that she attracts attention. If she is not capable of resisting then protect and hide her until she can resist. Shulamith was a wall and her breasts were unreachable as high towers and that was one of the things that Solomon found attractive in her. Solomon had his wealth and gardens and whatever else but Shulamith knew that her wealth was in her physical appeal. If Solomon wanted it he had to pay the price and it was not mere money.

Trust and reliance are very important to parents who allow their children to be wih friends. If the child is a girl the strategy must begin early. Notice v8 once again. This little girl had no breasts yet, but they were already looking for tell-tale signs. Depending on what they saw they would compensate. To me this is also a clear indication that girls are far more precocious than boys and vigilance must start early.

Solomon warned us about having too many close friends, people that we trust implicitly.

Ecclesiastes 7:27-28 (KJV) Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: ²⁸ Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

It seems to me that from a man's perspective he must be careful having any women as his intimate friend and by the same token men should trust very few men with their most personal interests. Switching the male and female roles would be the corollary for women.

Chorus (Wisdom in this book personified)

⁵ Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. ⁶ Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. ⁷ Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. ⁸ We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? ⁹ If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

Shulamith

¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. ¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. ¹² My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. ¹³ Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. ¹⁴ Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

Conclusion

This book shows us among other things that young people need to be preparing emotionally for marriage. It is not for the emotionally immature. You need to learn these rules of interpersonal relationships and practise them now before you are married. There is no sense waiting until you jump out of the plane to check that you have a parachute. A rewarding marriage is beautiful but it takes sacrifice and maturity.

Welcome! Article Comments Catalog Table of Contents: Who were Solomon and Shulamith? What is the Song of Solomon? Song of Solomon (KJV) Reflection #1 Physical attraction Shulamith Chorus Shulamith Chorus Reflection #2 The First Visit Solomon Shulamith Reflection #3 Shulamith is vulnerable Solomon Shulamith Solomon Shulamith Reflection #4 Solomon gets the nod Shulamith Solomon Reflection #5 The little foxes Shulamith Reflection #6 Men are Dense Shulamith Reflection #7 The big day Chorus Reflection #8 The wedding night Solomon God Reflection #9 I have a headache Shulamith Chorus Shulamith Reflection #10 Monthly blues Solomon Reflection #11 The fever breaks Shulamith Chorus Shulamith Reflection #12 The value of building true love Chorus (Wisdom in this book personified) Shulamith Conclusion	faq about Home log in register
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	Song of Solomon
	author: buildontherock published: 2024-01-25
	In order to put the issue of sex in Gods perspective I want to have an overview of a book in the Bible that deals with this subject. The book is called Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) and was written by Solomon. This is not intended to be a technical study of the book but an effort to pass on what has given me inspiration and strength. It not going to be graphic either because if you are old enough you will be able to appreciate the physical limitations of left hand under head while right hand embraces and so on. For more sex from a biblical perspective see: The Birds and the Bees Who were Solomon and Shulamith? Solomon lived in the 10th century BC which is about 500 years after the Exodus. Way back then God saw this as an issue and wrote a book. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived 1 Kings 3:12-13 (KJV) Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. ¹³ And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. It stands to reason therefore that Solomon knew what he was talking about. Solomon was not a spiritual minded example but focussed on gathering human wisdom. Ecclesiastes 7:25 (KJV) I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: Solomon is from Hebrew shalom meaning peace. Shulamith or the Shulamite is the feminine of Shlomo (Solomon) in Hebrew and one meaning is also peace. Alternatively, the meaning of the Shulamite is perfect or without spot. The two together could therefore mean perfect peace. Solomon and Shulamith were soul mates but the relationship was built, it did not just happen. It seems like Solomon's skin was golden coloured (head like gold) from chapter 5:11 while Shulamith was a black (chapter 1:5) Egyptian. If these are in fact true then this ideal relationship was what people would call multi-racial. God created all peoples. God is not a racist. This story may be a poetic version of the relationship that Solomon had with his first wife who was Egyptian and hence black (see the article on Egypt). I Kings 9:16 [KJV] For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife I Kings 9:24 [KJV] But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo. What is the Song of Solomon? This book was read at Passover because it also pictures Christ showing ultimate love for His bride. The Song of Solomom is a musical play. There are two main actors (Solomon and Shulamith) plus a chorus (a group which Solomon uses to personify wisdom). It is a series of reflections over his wonderful marriage at that time. It is when Solomon got old that the many wives became a problem but he seems to have enjoyed a wonderful marriage in his youth. It also appears that Solomon neglected his marriage for vain pursuits as found in the book Ecclesiastes which was read at Tabernacles. Song of Solomon (KJV) The book is identified and Solomon's title for the book is given. I will use Solomon's title hereafter. [Chapter 1] 1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's. Reflection #1 Physical attraction This is some time before the wedding. Shulamith defends her interest. She knows that she wants to marry Solomon and that she is not the only one. She makes up her mind to risk her reputation in pursuit of him. She is willing to follow him just to be alone with him (v8). (v4) indicates that some of these competitors had already visited Solomons home and may be in a close (but not improper) relationship; the verse refers to chamber not bedchamber and these girls are upright. Shulamith has been busy on the farm and had no time to pursue men (v5). Shulamith ² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. ³ Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Chorus ⁴ Draw me, we will run after thee. The king hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine; the upright love thee Shulamith ⁵ I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. ⁶ Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. ⁷ Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? Chorus ⁹If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. This reflection tells us something about how a godly man chooses his bride. Solomon had the choice of all the pale princesses, shielded from the ravages of the environment. The verse says draw me indicating that they wanted to be selected but it also says we will run after thee showing that they all were running after Solomon. The odds are that they would continue to prize their lifestyle above being Solomon's help meet (Genesis 2:18) and being his help meet is what he really wanted. To see if Solomon was right read Proverbs 31 which is also very likely about Shulamith. Solomon had it all but he chose a country girl. He did not want the shallow princesses; instead he saw a diamond in the rough. Notice that all of these girls under consideration are upright so their character was not in question. It is when Solomon got old that his heart was turned aside by women but this also shows that he had a wonderful marriage but foolishly lost it by having other women. Somehow in the contest between intelligence and hormones it is the hormones that always win so don't give them the chance. 1 Kings 11:3 (KJV) And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. but when it came to the one that he wanted to be with for the rest of his life wanted an upright girl with some additional qualities. Some people believe that based on 1 Kings 3:1 Shulamith was an Egyptian. If so, this adds some additional considerations. Egyptian Pharaohs did not normally allow marriage outside their own family. This would then put Shulamiths statements about not being loved by her family in clearer perspective. It would also demonstrate a spiritual truism that God does not look at colour or race to define his Church but it is made of what some would consider to be outcasts. Where they see outcasts He sees a prized jewel. It also tells us something about what an otherwise unexposed farmer girl would be willing to do to attract her potential husband. She wants to be alone with Solomon and she is willing to risk harm by ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. She intends to make herself available, notice verse 8. Reflection #2 The First Visit Some commentators believe that this is the wedding night. I believe that it is the first official visit to Solomons home - since he sits at his table. I want to say something now about horses and women because people like to wrap what happens next in some dispassionate cloak. There are only two living things that I know can cause men to stop and stare at in motion. Horses and women! Men stand in rows along busy streets just liming and what does that mean? Looking at women walk by. Horses come a distant second but the similarities in thinking are blatant. A horse trotting by turns heads and so does a woman. Solomon shows his reaction when she walks in. This lithe woman reminds him of not one but two gorgeous horses that he is in control of as the chariot rider. Shulamith was probably stately, atheletic and upright and strutting like a prized Arabian. She is adorned beautifully and stands out above all other women as exceptional and fit for a king. We also see Shulamith's reaction. She is cool as a cucumber on the outside but she knows the effect that she is having on Solomon. He is also having an impact on her. She is drawn to him like a fragrant flower among others in a garden. She wants to pluck him and have him close. We see that Solomon is affected by what he sees while Shulamith relies on what she senses even without sight. Do not mind TV with stinking men sweeping women off their feet. Men should not smell bad or sound bad around their women because it triggers off bad senses in women that go beyond just that instance. We saw earlier that she liked the sound of his name. Notice also that it is as though there is nobody else in the room. Camphire refers to the fragrant henna flower (or plant). Vineyards are the source of another type of intoxication: wine. Solomon ⁹ I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. ¹⁰ Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. ¹¹ We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. Shulamith ¹² While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. ¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. ¹⁴ My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. Reflection #3 Shulamith is vulnerable Mentally Shulamith has already given herself to Solomon. Solomon has told her that he is in love and expressed how lovely she is. She has no more resistance for Solomon. She begins to anticipate and discovers in (v7) that she could not have resisted if Solomon had made sexual advances before the wedding night. All she sees in him is joy; the apple tree appears to represent joy (Joel 1:12). The indication is that she probably would have lost control of herself which would have lead to losing a very precious, once in a lifetime experience. She pleads with other women for help not to become sexually intimate before the wedding night. Solomon ¹⁵ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. Shulamith ¹⁶ Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. ¹⁷ The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. Chapter ²¹ I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. Solomon ² As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Shulamith ³ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. ⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. ⁵ Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. ⁶ His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. ⁷ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. Reflection #4 Solomon gets the nod Solomon is behaving like an excited child in a juvenile frenzy. Shulamith watches him tearing down to her home and spying for a glimpse of her. She knows that the time is right. (v10) She gives Solomon the nod and it does not appear to have been all that subtle. Everything else out there knows that it is spring, the time for love, except you, Solomon. He is still thinking of her as inaccessible. Solomon thinks that he is controlling the action but Shulamith is pulling the strings. Shulamith ⁸ The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. ⁹ My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. Solomon ¹⁰ My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. ¹¹ For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; ¹² The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; ¹³ The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. ¹⁴ O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Reflection #5 The little foxes There are things that affect intimacy in women. Nothing seems to faze men. Shulamith wants Solomon to know this and she wants him to know how he will benefit if he deals with them. Since they are not yet married these must include stupid things that happen before marriage. Each grape vine represents an opportunity for intimacy. It only takes a small fox (a small problem) to seriously damage a grape vine. They dig at the roots; the source of life for the plant and can kill it or at least cause it to shed its fruit prematurely. If these fruit mature they represent intoxicating love to Shulamith and Solomon so all those little issues should not be allowed to develop. You must catch them early before they become big foxes. Shedding the fruit is contrasted with imagery. Deer have a regular feeding pattern. They feed early in the morning and late in the evening except in full moon. When it is full moon they graze all night continually and only stop when it is morning. Roe and hart refer to male and female deer. Shulamith ¹⁵ Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. ¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. ¹⁷ Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. Reflection #6 Men are Dense This seems to me to be an example of those foxes. Husbands should spend their nights at home. If they are away from home for any unexpected length of time they should let the wife know. Shulamith does not know where Solomon is. He is not on a journey somewhere or else she would know that and not waste time searching. The same is also true of children. Women worry more than men it seems and they certainly worry when their husbands or children are unaccounted for. Shulamith sets out to find him at her own risk. Shulamith is so scared that she cannot loosen her grip until she metaphorically takes Solomon home to her mother where she feels safe. Men do not feel fear like women and cannot see the big issue in such matters but whether we see it or not, it is very real in the lives of women. Women open themselves up to fear when they bond with a man. Men are not scared of marriage in the same way: men fear losing their freedom. Women fear being vulnerable. It is not something that you can identify specifically. Shulamith warns her friends that they need to choose carefully before they bond with a man because these fears can become reality i.e. he could really be dead or drunk etc. and even if the man is scum that bond of vulnerability will not easily be broken. Shulamith Chapter 3 ¹By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. ² I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. ³ The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? ⁴ It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. ⁵ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. Reflection #7 The big day The big day arrives. Solomon goes to great lengths to prepare. First he looks good: he stands out from the crowd like a cloud of smoke rising from the wilderness and he smells good too. (V7-8) He has made sure that they will have their privacy (a honeymoon might be better than the symbolic men guarding the bed). He has taken care of transportation; paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem is a mistranslation and should be paved with love, by the daughters of Jerusalem. He has made sure that Shulamith has the best and he publicly lets all the other women know that he belongs to Shulamith. Solomon had a job and income boys. Chorus ⁶ Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? ⁷ Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. ⁸ They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. ⁹ King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. ¹⁰ He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. ¹¹ Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. Reflection #8 The wedding night I will not go through the details of this reflection because it is somewhat x-rated. It shows the freedom and bliss of a marriage that is built up the right way. Notice that up to chapter 4:12 Shulamith is still sealed shut. It is what youngsters can look forward to when they follow God's directions. This is confirmed in the second part of Chapter 5:1 where God speaks and this is echoed in the New Testament Hebrews 13:4 (Authorised Version) Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Solomon Chapter 4¹ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. ² Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. ³ Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. ⁴ Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. ⁵ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. ⁶ Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. ⁷ Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. ⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. ⁹ Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. ¹⁰ How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! ¹¹ Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. ¹² A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. ¹³ Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, ¹⁴ Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: ¹⁵ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. ¹⁶ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. [chapter 5]^1a I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: God Chapter 5^1beat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. Reflection #9 I have a headache This reflection is broken into two by some commentators because it shows a change of attitude in Shulamith and Solomon but it is one continuous reflection. It deals with the I have a headache attitude. Notice that Solomon is married and when his wife says no he leaves her alone. People who are not married yet should be able to do the same. Youngsters must learn to deal with rejection before you are married. Both the rejecting and the response may or may not be appropriate; it depends, but be aware of the consequences. Women are free to discourage perceived advances; men are free to pursue whatever they think is an appropriate distraction. Neither party may like the consequences so chose carefully. Within marriage this can generate a vicious cycle unless someone has a change of heart, so children need to learn maturity before marriage. Outside of marriage it is a good strategy to avoid potential indiscretions. Before marriage, if you (especially girls) think that in your frame of mind you are vulnerable then you are right to refuse to entertain your guest. Within marriage women should feel free to discourage unwanted advances. If you (especially boys) have been rejected just go and find something to take you mind off of it whether or not you are married. No bitterness! If you do it right Shulamith shows in her second half of the reflection that reconciliation is bliss! Shulamith ² I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. ³ I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. ⁵ I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. Chorus ⁹ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? Shulamith ¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. ¹³ His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem [chapter 6]¹ Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. ² My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. ³ I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. Reflection #10 Monthly blues Shulamith is on the warpath and poor Solomon does not know what to do. He has to look at how beautiful she is and have a great desire for her but when he thinks of approaching her he sees spears and daggers ready to cut him to pieces. Women are the original lunatics. They go through a monthly cycle called the menstrual cycle which can completely alter their personalities without them being conscious of it. The woman who could not get enough of you yesterday can hate your guts the next. They have no control of it and men (and children) have to learn to be patient and understanding. It is part of what makes love stronger. Solomon ⁴ Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. ⁵ Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. ⁶ Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. ⁷ As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. ⁸ There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. ⁹ My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. ¹⁰ Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? Reflection #11 The fever breaks Shulamith reflects on the status of the relationship. The relationship is losing something. She seems to take a break (accompanied by Solomon) to visit beautiful wholesome surroundings, not carnival. She was looking for the answer outside of herself perhaps in things like vacations or maybe in Solomon himself. She begins to look at things differently through the chorus. I believe that the chariots of Amminadib were a welcome sight after they returned from battle. She ( and Solomon too as the other army) was caught up with fighting battles (children, Solomon, the house maybe). There is no time for romance on the front line. She had not been living up to her name. After she works through her problems she once again issues a warning in chapter 8:4. If you are not ready to deal with all of this then leave out the sex and marriage. It is important to remember that Shulamith means peace. I think that it is important to point out that Shulamith does not want Solomon to be her brother she wants him to be inconspicuous so that nobody would suspect when they were together alone. Shulamith ¹¹ I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. ¹² Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Chorus ¹³ Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. [Chapter 7]¹ How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. ² Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. ³ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. ⁴ Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. ⁵ Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. ⁶ How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! ⁷ This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. ⁸ I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; ⁹ And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. Shulamith ¹⁰ I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. ¹¹ Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. ¹² Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. ¹³ The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. [chapter 8] ¹ O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. ² I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. ³ His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. ⁴ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. Reflection #12 The value of building true love Love is intensified by the ability to cope with challenges before and during marriage. Marriage shows us that we can be different but still one. As a matter of fact that is the miracle and the wonder of it. Becoming one in flesh enhances our ability to learn how to become one in spirit and that is when true joy multiplies. The rewards are blissful and we see a glimpse of that in v5-7 (also remember that the apple tree represents joy). It is so wonderful that no amount of money is equal in value (chapter 8:7) hence a strategy begins in chapter 8:8. If a girl is like a sister to you and she is strong against premarital sex then adorn her so that she attracts attention. If she is not capable of resisting then protect and hide her until she can resist. Shulamith was a wall and her breasts were unreachable as high towers and that was one of the things that Solomon found attractive in her. Solomon had his wealth and gardens and whatever else but Shulamith knew that her wealth was in her physical appeal. If Solomon wanted it he had to pay the price and it was not mere money. Trust and reliance are very important to parents who allow their children to be wih friends. If the child is a girl the strategy must begin early. Notice v8 once again. This little girl had no breasts yet, but they were already looking for tell-tale signs. Depending on what they saw they would compensate. To me this is also a clear indication that girls are far more precocious than boys and vigilance must start early. Solomon warned us about having too many close friends, people that we trust implicitly. Ecclesiastes 7:27-28 (KJV) Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: ²⁸ Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. It seems to me that from a man's perspective he must be careful having any women as his intimate friend and by the same token men should trust very few men with their most personal interests. Switching the male and female roles would be the corollary for women. Chorus (Wisdom in this book personified) ⁵ Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. ⁶ Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. ⁷ Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. ⁸ We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? ⁹ If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. Shulamith ¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. ¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. ¹² My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. ¹³ Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. ¹⁴ Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. Conclusion This book shows us among other things that young people need to be preparing emotionally for marriage. It is not for the emotionally immature. You need to learn these rules of interpersonal relationships and practise them now before you are married. There is no sense waiting until you jump out of the plane to check that you have a parachute. A rewarding marriage is beautiful but it takes sacrifice and maturity.