Song of Solomon 4

Song of Solomon 4:1

IX. AGAIN SOLOMON SEEKS TO WIN THE MAIDEN, BUT SHE IS IMPERVIOUS TO HIS CHARMS (4:1-6)4:1-5 There is a difference of opinion among those who hold the three-character view of the Song of Songs as to whether the speaker in these verses is Solomon or the shepherd. We shall assume that it is the much-married Solomon who has just returned to Jerusalem and is making another attempt to captivate the Shulamite. He launches into a detailed description of her beauty. Her eyes, looking out from behind a veil, remind him of doves’ eyes. The rippled sheen of her hair resembles a flock of goats moving together down the side of Mount Gilead in the sunshine. Her gleaming white teeth make him think of ewes, newly sheared and freshly washed. The teeth are like twin lambs in that every upper has a corresponding lower; not one is missing. Her lips are like a strand of scarlet, and the symmetry of her mouth is perfect. Her temples behind the veil are contoured like a piece of pomegranate. Her neck, like the tower of David, speaks of strength and dignity. Her two breasts, like twin fawns, suggest delicate and tender beauty. 4:6 The Shulamite interrupts to let Solomon know that she is impervious to his flattery, and that she is looking forward to reunion with her beloved. When the day cools and the shadows vanish, she will go . . . to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense, that is, to her shepherd-lover.

Song of Solomon 4:7

X. THE YOUNG SHEPHERD ARRIVES AND APPEALS TO THE MAIDEN TO LEAVE JERUSALEM FOR THE HOME THEY HAVE PLANNED IN THE COUNTRY, AND SHE EXPRESSES HER WILLINGNESS (4:75:1)4:7-15 Now the shepherd appears and urges his fiance9e to come with him from Lebanon, at the same time praising her for her beauty, love, lips, the fragrance of her garments, meaning her life, and her chastity. He likens her to a well-watered garden, bearing the choicest fruits and the most fragrant . . . spices. 4:16 In poetic language, she tells him to come to the garden and claim it as his own.