Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1:1

I. THE 1:1 The writer of this book claimed to be Solomon. [Note: See Delitzsch, pp. 11-12, et al.] Solomon wrote 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32), and this book appears to be one of them (cf. Psalms 72; Psalms 127). “Which is Solomon’s” has led many interpreters to conclude that Solomon was the writer. Another interpretation follows.

““Here Solomon, as the king and symbol of wisdom and love, becomes an image for the male lover in the poem. Thus the female speaker, who dominates the poem, dedicates it to her Solomon, a figure who embodies her greatest desires for the fulfillment of love.” [Note: Hess, p. 39. “Song of songs” means that this is a superlative song (cf. the terms “holy of holies,” “vanity of vanities,” or “King of kings”), not that it is one song made up of several other songs, which it is. The divine Author probably intended us to view this book as a superlative song, the best song. The lack of reference to God in the superscription does not, of course, rule out divine inspiration of the book.

“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.” [Note: Hubbard, pp. 273-74. Another peculiarity of the book is the absence of any identifiable theological theme. The Bible has much to say about marriage.

“But the Song of Songs is different. Here sex is for joy, for union, for relationship, for celebration. Its lyrics contain no aspirations to pregnancy, no anticipations of parenthood. The focus is not on progeny to assure the continuity of the line but on passion to express the commitment to covenant between husband and wife.” [Note: Ibid., p. 268.

Song of Solomon 1:2

The Hebrew word for “love” (dodim) in Son 1:2 refers to physical expressions of love. [Note: Cf. G. Lloyd Carr, “The Old Testament Love Songs and their Use in the New Testament,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 24:2 (June 1981):101. The girl found her boyfriend’s physical affection very stimulating. “. . . figurative language is used more prominently throughout the Song than anywhere else in the Bible.” [Note: Hess, p. 29.

Song of Solomon 1:3

His “oils” (Son 1:3) were evidently the lotions he wore. Since the name of a person represented his character (cf. 2 Samuel 7:9), she meant his character, his whole person, was also as pleasing as oil to her and to other people. Her attraction was not due to physical factors alone. “Maidens” (Heb. ‘alma) refers to young unmarried women of marriageable age (cf. Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Isaiah 7:14).

Song of Solomon 1:4

The last three lines of Son 1:4 were evidently the words of the “daughters of Jerusalem” (Son 1:5; cf. Son 2:7; Son 3:5; Son 3:10; Son 5:8; Son 5:11; Son 5:16; Son 8:4). These may have been hometown friends of the woman, [Note: William S. LaSor, David Allan Hubbard, and F. W. Bush, Old Testament Survey, p. 605. the female inhabitants of Jerusalem, [Note: Deere, p. 1012. women who display the characteristics of city girls, [Note: Carr, The Song . . ., p. 77. or the women of Solomon’s harem (cf. Son 6:8-9). [Note: Tanner, “The Message . . .,” p. 152. Their words here show that they approved of the romance. According to Taylor’s typology, they represent “those who .. . are for the present more concerned about the things of this world than the things of God.” [Note: Taylor, pp. 83-84.

Song of Solomon 1:5-6

The young lady felt embarrassed because she had very dark skin as a result of having to tend her family’s grapevines. Her skin was dark because of the sun’s rays, not primarily because of her race. Female courtiers did not work outdoors, so their skin was lighter than women’s who labored in the fields. The “tents of Kedar” (Son 1:5) were apparently black and were probably animal skins. The Kedarites were nomads who lived in northern Arabia southeast of Damascus (cf. Genesis 25:13; Isaiah 60:7).

“These words express humility without abjectness.” [Note: Delitzsch, p. 25. Her “own vineyard” (Son 1:6) refers to her personal appearance. [Note: Carr, The Song . . ., p. 79. “Vineyard” is a frequent metaphor for the physical body in this poem (cf. Son 1:14; Son 2:15 [twice]; Son 7:12; Son 8:11 [twice], 12) “She had not had available to her the luxurious baths and toiletries or fashionable clothing of the court. There had been no opportunity for her to take care of her hair, skin, or hands according to the obvious courtly style.” [Note: Patterson, p. 37.

Song of Solomon 1:7

Solomon probably was not a shepherd. Ancient Near Eastern love poems commonly pictured men as shepherds. [Note: Deere, p. 1013. The girl simply wanted to be alone with Solomon. If she could not, she would be very sad, like a woman who veiled her face in mourning. “The girl is saying that she does not want to be mistaken for a cult prostitute, a good picture of which is seen in Genesis 38:13-15.” [Note: Kinlaw, p. 1218.

Song of Solomon 1:8

If this is Solomon’s reply, he probably was kidding her and meant that she had no reason to feel he would disdain her. However, these are probably the words of the girl’s friends (cf. Son 1:4 b). They evidently meant that if she thought Solomon would not want her because of her dark skin and hard work, she was being ridiculous and should go back to her flocks. After all, she was a very attractive woman.

Song of Solomon 1:9-10

Here Solomon reassured his love. Stallions, not mares, pulled chariots. A mare among the best of Pharaoh’s stallions would have been desirable to every one of them. In Solomon’s day Egyptian horses were the best, as Arabian horses later were the best. [Note: Delitzsch, p. 33. “A passage from Egyptian literature demonstrates that mares were sometimes set loose in battle to allure and distract the pharaoh’s chariot-harnessed stallions.” [Note: Parsons, p. 416. Solomon meant his love was a woman whom all the best men of his court would have pursued.

“. . . the comparison of the female lover with a mare would first and foremost emphasize her nobility and her value.” [Note: Hess, p. 64. “This is the ultimate in sex appeal!” [Note: Carr, The Song . . ., p. 83. Solomon’s praise would have bolstered his beloved’s confidence that he loved her. This encouragement is often necessary and is always appropriate in such a relationship. “We have forgotten what a thing of beauty a horse can be when compared to other animals. We are also unaware what valuable creatures they were in the ancient world. They were beautiful in themselves, and the ancient royal courts insisted on brilliantly caparisoning [adorning with rich trappings] the ones that pulled the king’s chariot. The beloved’s jewelry, earrings, and necklaces make him think of such.” [Note: Kinlaw, p. 1219. “Such a comparison was not at all unusual in ancient literature. Theocritus, for example, compared ’the rose complexioned Helen’ to a ‘Thessalian steed.’ For Solomon the horse was more a cherished companion than a beast of burden. His praise of Shulamith recognized her beauty and her graceful movements.” [Note: Patterson, p. 39.

Song of Solomon 1:11

Her friends volunteered to make more ornaments for her so she would be even more attractive to Solomon.

Song of Solomon 1:12-3

B. The Growth of Love 1:12-3:5 If there is indeed a chronological progression in the telling of this love story, as seems likely, this section relates the development of the love that Solomon and his loved one experienced before their wedding.

Song of Solomon 1:15

Solomon returned her praise by commending her beauty and tranquil character. Doves were examples of tranquillity in eastern literature (cf. Genesis 2:18-25). “According to Rabbinic teaching, a bride who has beautiful eyes possesses a beautiful character; they are an index to her character.” [Note: S. M. Lehrman, “The Song of Songs,” in The Five Megilloth, p. 4. “The dramatic image is that of the couple staring deeply and lovingly into one another’s eyes.” [Note: Hess, p. 72.

Song of Solomon 1:16-17

The girl probably spoke both of these verses. “Pleasant” refers to Solomon’s charming personality. The references to “couch,” “beams,” “houses,” and “rafters” probably allude to a place in the countryside where the lovers liked to meet and talk, perhaps a country house. [Note: Glickman, p. 39. “Luxuriant” implies a grassy area, and the other terms seem to indicate that trees overarched it.