Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 2:1

God Hates the Distortion of Right

In the administration of justice, what matters is that justice is upheld, that is, the wicked are judged and the righteous are acquitted. If that is reversed and a judge “justifies the wicked” and “condemns the righteous”, then both the one and the other are “an abomination to the LORD” (cf. Isaiah 5:20). We see the clearest and most heinous illustration of this proverb in the ‘trial’ of the Lord Jesus. Pilate acquitted the wicked Barabbas and declared the Righteous One guilty (Matthew 27:24-26).

The great wonder of the grace of God is that the first line of verse applies to God Himself. The letter to the Romans shows this line of verse from God’s side on the basis of Christ’s work. God acquits the wicked on the basis of righteousness. He has declared the Righteous One guilty by imputing to Him the punishment of the wicked, enabling Him to justify the wicked: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

Song of Solomon 2:2

A Fool Has No Sense

A fool is a fool because he does not seek God, whereas that is first necessary to become wise. The fool has no interest in obtaining wisdom in the way it should be obtained. Money has no value in this case, it is of no value, because what is needed –a relationship with God – cannot be bought. He may want the reputation of the wise, but he cannot meet its requirements, for he lacks the mind, the spiritual mind, for it. Simon the magician, who wanted to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit for money, was such a fool (Acts 8:18-19).

There is surprise and indignation in the question. It basically says that it makes no sense for a fool to have money in his hands to buy wisdom because he has no brain. He would not even recognize wisdom if he saw it.

Song of Solomon 2:3

Real Friendship

The love of a true friend is constant. His love does not change with circumstances. He is a friend for better or worse, in good times and in times when friendship is tested. Christ shows that He is such a friend Who always loves in all circumstances (John 13:1). He calls us His “friends” (John 15:14-15). He also calls us “brothers” (John 20:17; Hebrews 2:11-12). By the way, nowhere in Scripture does it say that His followers call Him “friend” or “brother”. Therefore, we will not call Him that either. He is far above us.

Friendship involves sharing thoughts. Friends are there for one another and always help one another (Luke 11:5-8). A brother is a blood relative. There is a family relationship. Ruth and Naomi and also David and Jonathan show what friendship and family kinship means for practice, especially in times of distress.

It is perfectly true of the Lord Jesus, Who shares His thoughts with us as a friend, and Who is as a brother to us in heaven to assist us in our difficulties, which He knows from His own experience. That a brother is born in distress means that precisely when we are “in adversity”, we appeal to Him.

Song of Solomon 2:4

Only a Fool Becomes Guarantor

It is foolish to offer security for guaranty to someone who is in debt (cf. Proverbs 6:1-5). To “pledge” means that it is promised. It is like putting a signature to an agreement, confirming the promise. A person who becomes guarantor for his neighbor is “a man lacking in sense”. After all, you never know what you will face. The debt may well be so great as to be unpayable.

What the Lord Jesus did when He became guarantor Himself may seem “lacking in sense” from a human point of view, but it was not. For He knew how high the price was and He knew He could pay it. It reminds us of the statement in the letter to Philemon where the apostle Paul, as a true follower of the Lord Jesus, also offers himself as guarantor to Philemon with regard to Onesimus (Philemon 1:18).

Song of Solomon 2:5

To Love Strife Comes From a Crooked Mind

We can “get caught in a transgression” (Galatians 6:1) without loving that transgression. Someone else can then restore us. But “he who loves transgression” (Proverbs 17:19) possesses a depraved mind. His actions show that he loves strife. A transgression affects mutual relationships. He who loves to transgress prefers to quarrel. By his pernicious talk, he constantly puts pressure on good relationships.

The meaning of “he who raises his door” is not entirely clear. In the context in which this expression is used, the door here seems to represent “the mouth”. The meaning then may be ‘having a big mouth’ (cf. 1 Samuel 2:3; Psalms 141:3; Micah 7:5). He who loves argument has a big mouth to heaven, to God, and also to his fellow man (Psalms 73:8-9). He does not seek someone’s prosperity, but someone’s “destruction”.

Proverbs 17:20 shows the origin of Pro 17:19. He who loves transgression shows that he “has a crooked mind”. He who has a crooked mind not only seeks the destruction of others, but will himself “find no good”. By “good” are meant the blessings of God that He gives to all who serve Him. He who has a crooked mind seeks what is good in his own eyes. He strives for possession at the expense of others.

He is “perverted in his language”, the words he speaks are false. He speaks falsity, which shows that he is averse to the truth. He pursues the downfall of others, but will himself fall into evil and work his own downfall. Instead of finding true good, he faces a life of calamity. The prosperity he seeks for himself ends in his fall into evil.

Song of Solomon 2:6

To Love Strife Comes From a Crooked Mind

We can “get caught in a transgression” (Galatians 6:1) without loving that transgression. Someone else can then restore us. But “he who loves transgression” (Proverbs 17:19) possesses a depraved mind. His actions show that he loves strife. A transgression affects mutual relationships. He who loves to transgress prefers to quarrel. By his pernicious talk, he constantly puts pressure on good relationships.

The meaning of “he who raises his door” is not entirely clear. In the context in which this expression is used, the door here seems to represent “the mouth”. The meaning then may be ‘having a big mouth’ (cf. 1 Samuel 2:3; Psalms 141:3; Micah 7:5). He who loves argument has a big mouth to heaven, to God, and also to his fellow man (Psalms 73:8-9). He does not seek someone’s prosperity, but someone’s “destruction”.

Proverbs 17:20 shows the origin of Pro 17:19. He who loves transgression shows that he “has a crooked mind”. He who has a crooked mind not only seeks the destruction of others, but will himself “find no good”. By “good” are meant the blessings of God that He gives to all who serve Him. He who has a crooked mind seeks what is good in his own eyes. He strives for possession at the expense of others.

He is “perverted in his language”, the words he speaks are false. He speaks falsity, which shows that he is averse to the truth. He pursues the downfall of others, but will himself fall into evil and work his own downfall. Instead of finding true good, he faces a life of calamity. The prosperity he seeks for himself ends in his fall into evil.

Song of Solomon 2:7

The Sorrow of a Father

It is a sorrow for a father to sire a child who turns out to be a fool. He hoped for a son who would be an asset to the family and the faith, but he only finds disappointment when his son turns out to be a fool. A God-fearing father will not rejoice over his foolish son. The father “was seeking a godly offspring” (Malachi 2:15), but his son turns out to be of the devil. He raised his son “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), that he might live to the glory of God, but he has rejected all his father’s teaching. The father will not rejoice over his son, but his foolishness will break his heart.

No one knows what kind of child he is siring. That is why it is so important to pray before a child is conceived, that God will give a child who will live to His glorification. Yet God-fearing parents can have wicked children. It remains the choice that a child, once he or she is up for that, must make for himself or herself: for or against Christ.

We cannot always blame parents for the choice children make, and parents cannot claim that their children will be God-fearing. Parents do have a responsibility to educate, to make every effort to ensure that the child learns the way of the Lord. Thereby they will show the child in their own live how to go that way. Whether the child then goes that way is the choice he will have to make for himself.

Song of Solomon 2:8

A Joyful Heart or a Broken Spirit

“A joyful heart” is one that rejoices in God and the things of the Lord. A joyful heart someone gets when in it dwells the peace of God. Such a heart “is good medicine” that promotes healing of the body and spirit. Someone who has “a broken spirit” experiences the opposite. There is no joy; it has disappeared because of all the sorrows and miseries under which he is burdened. This process “dries up the bones”. As mentioned earlier, bones give the body the strength to move forward. When bones are dried up, it means that health has disappeared and powerlessness has entered (cf. Ezekiel 37:1-14).

This verse is not a condemnation of someone who is depressed. Its meaning is not that he should just be happy so that the depression will go away. Again, it presents what is generally true without passing judgment on the condition a person is in. Someone who is depressed does know that a joyful heart is good medicine. The problem is that he does not have a joyful heart. He will not get a joyful heart by constantly telling him to have one. Such a person needs a very different approach. What is needed most of all is understanding and patience. Let those who are dealing with this pray to the Lord for wisdom for that.

Song of Solomon 2:9

The Intention of a Bribe

Bribery perverts justice. He who lets himself be bribed is “a wicked man”. It seems to be about influencing a judicial decision, because it is about “perverting the ways of justice”, that is, not letting justice take its course. Justice is not only stopped, but turned into injustice, while the appearance of justice is kept up. The fact that a judge accepts this gift “from the bosom” indicates that it is done secretly. It is a secret transaction, not pure. A corruptible judge is a wicked man.

Perverting the ways of justice can also happen in work situations. A person can bribe his employee with a gift to keep quiet about a criminal offense he has committed. The same thing can happen within a family and in God’s church. The bribe does not have to be money. It can also consist of promotion or gifts or preferential treatment.

Song of Solomon 2:10

What Someone Is Looking at

“One who has understanding” perseveres in following the course of wisdom. He always has wisdom as his compass in mind, he lives in the presence of wisdom. He looks to that and then determines his route through life. He concentrates on wisdom because he understands the real problems of life and knows that only wisdom can guide him around or through them. One who has understanding knows what it is to have a “simple eye” (Matthew 6:22; Luke 11:34), that is, to keep his eye focused on only one object, which keeps him following the straight path.

The fool lacks any serious concentration. He is unable to focus his attention firmly on anything. Because he has no understanding, his eyes roam the whole world, but they find no resting place anywhere. He is like a student who does not hear what his teacher says, because his eyes constantly roam the classroom. As a result, the teaching of the wisdom teacher eludes him.

The eyes are the window of the soul. What is perceived with the eyes affects the soul. Man has become a sinner by seeing, coveting and taking. With television and the Internet, it is possible to direct the eyes “to the ends of the earth”. This is happening en masse. People let themselves be led by what they see on these media and thus remain blind to wisdom, which is Christ, “in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3). As a result, they remain foolish and will perish in their folly unless they gain an eye to the wisdom from Above.

The one who has understanding will keep his eye unfailingly fixed “on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Song of Solomon 2:11

Grief to the Father and Bitterness to the Mother

It is an intense grief to have a child who develops into a fool (Proverbs 17:21). Here the emphasis is on the son who brings this sorrow to his father and is the cause of the bitterness of his mother, who “bore him”. The joy with which the birth was announced has turned into grief. The joy of birth after the sorrow of childbirth is changed into bitterness because of the way the foolish son goes.

A foolish son not only violates his own soul, he is not only rebellious against God, but shows the utmost ingratitude toward his parents. His mother bore him with grief and then taught him. His father taught him wise lessons about life. But he rejects everything. His greatest folly is that he remains indifferent to what he does to his father and mother.

Father and mother share the pain of the path their foolish son is taking. Through this they can sense and comfort and encourage each other to go to the Lord with their distress. This prevents them from blaming each other. They can also help each other deal with this very difficult situation. The mother can help the father deal with his anger, the father can help the mother not succumb to the grief. Sometimes the reverse is also true.

Song of Solomon 2:12

Do Not Punish an Innocent Man

This is another proverb that deals with the evil of unfair legal practices. Everyone will agree that it is “not good to fine the righteous” with the unrighteous, because he has done nothing that justifies it. When it does happen, it shows how decayed society is. God, Who established the rule of law, is not taken into account.

Even more wicked is to “to strike the noble for [their] uprightness”. Here the law is so decayed that people who are upright are physically pained precisely because of that uprightness. The noble are people who want to stand up for justice. That would deserve appreciation, but it is punished. It is in this time that we live. Uprightness means living according to God’s Word. Those who want to do that increasingly face opposition and enmity.

For the righteous and the noble who must pay and suffer for adhering to God’s Word, they suffer for the sake of righteousness. They are called “blessed” (1 Peter 3:14). “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Peter 3:17).

Song of Solomon 2:13

The Control of the Tongue

The first line of Pro 17:27 is about keeping the tongue in check not to say thoughtless and untimely things. Literally it says that he “spares his words”. Those who do so appear to have “knowledge”. The second line of verse is about having “a cool spirit”. This is the opposite of being hot tempered. “A man of understanding” will not lose his temper or become heated during a discussion. We learn here that to have calmness, composure, self-control and restraint, we must develop knowledge and understanding.

A man of understanding has a source of knowledge within him. He has gained that knowledge because he is wise. That he now has that knowledge means that he has understanding and knows what to say and especially what not to say. He will not boast of his knowledge and be a man of few words. He is patient and waits when it is God’s time to say something.

To keep silent is a sign of wisdom (Proverbs 17:28). Even a fool seems wise and is considered wise when he is silent, that is, by those who do not know him. In any case, he hides his foolishness by keeping silent. If this is already true of the fool, how much more is it true of the wise that his silence proves that he is a wise one. Of course the fool does not become wise; he only hides his foolishness. The fool may be silent and give the impression that he is wise, but God knows his heart, and neither will the wise let himself be deceived.

Song of Solomon 2:14

The Control of the Tongue

The first line of Pro 17:27 is about keeping the tongue in check not to say thoughtless and untimely things. Literally it says that he “spares his words”. Those who do so appear to have “knowledge”. The second line of verse is about having “a cool spirit”. This is the opposite of being hot tempered. “A man of understanding” will not lose his temper or become heated during a discussion. We learn here that to have calmness, composure, self-control and restraint, we must develop knowledge and understanding.

A man of understanding has a source of knowledge within him. He has gained that knowledge because he is wise. That he now has that knowledge means that he has understanding and knows what to say and especially what not to say. He will not boast of his knowledge and be a man of few words. He is patient and waits when it is God’s time to say something.

To keep silent is a sign of wisdom (Proverbs 17:28). Even a fool seems wise and is considered wise when he is silent, that is, by those who do not know him. In any case, he hides his foolishness by keeping silent. If this is already true of the fool, how much more is it true of the wise that his silence proves that he is a wise one. Of course the fool does not become wise; he only hides his foolishness. The fool may be silent and give the impression that he is wise, but God knows his heart, and neither will the wise let himself be deceived.

Song of Solomon 2:16

The Fool Who Separates Himself

“He who separates himself” (Proverbs 18:1) does so out of selfishness. His selfishness makes him an enemy of any kind of friendship. Anyone he should take account of hinders him in the pursuit of satisfying “[his own] desires”. All that is before his attention is what gives him pleasure himself. That is why he wants nothing to do with any kind of wisdom, because that confronts him with a higher purpose of life.

If anything is said to him about this, either by God from His Word if it is presented to him, or by a human being, if he wants to point something out to him, he “quarrels” against it. He is like the apostate Jews of whom it is written that they do not please God and are against all men (1 Thessalonians 2:15). His whole attitude shows that he belongs to those “who cause divisions [or: separate themselves], worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 1:19).

By the way, there is a separation that God asks of us in His Word. That involves separation from sin and people living in sin and from those who accept sin in others and do not distance themselves from it (2 Timothy 2:19-21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Hebrews 13:13; 2 John 1:7-11).

Proverbs 18:2 connects with Proverbs 18:1. He who quarrels against all sound wisdom shows that he is “a fool”, one who by nature “does not delight in understanding”. What he does find the greatest pleasure in is giving his opinion and thereby “in revealing his own mind”. He abhors understanding, but enjoys bringing up his own foolish insights. By what he says, he reveals or betrays what is in his mind. Such a person asks questions to show how smart he is (at least that is what he thinks of himself) rather than wanting to be taught. He has a preformed, uncorrectable opinion and lets it be heard.

We find this fool in religious leaders in the days of the Lord Jesus. They cannot delight in the understanding Christ wants to give and even quarrel against it. They only want to air their own understanding and be admired for it.

Song of Solomon 2:17

The Fool Who Separates Himself

“He who separates himself” (Proverbs 18:1) does so out of selfishness. His selfishness makes him an enemy of any kind of friendship. Anyone he should take account of hinders him in the pursuit of satisfying “[his own] desires”. All that is before his attention is what gives him pleasure himself. That is why he wants nothing to do with any kind of wisdom, because that confronts him with a higher purpose of life.

If anything is said to him about this, either by God from His Word if it is presented to him, or by a human being, if he wants to point something out to him, he “quarrels” against it. He is like the apostate Jews of whom it is written that they do not please God and are against all men (1 Thessalonians 2:15). His whole attitude shows that he belongs to those “who cause divisions [or: separate themselves], worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 1:19).

By the way, there is a separation that God asks of us in His Word. That involves separation from sin and people living in sin and from those who accept sin in others and do not distance themselves from it (2 Timothy 2:19-21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Hebrews 13:13; 2 John 1:7-11).

Proverbs 18:2 connects with Proverbs 18:1. He who quarrels against all sound wisdom shows that he is “a fool”, one who by nature “does not delight in understanding”. What he does find the greatest pleasure in is giving his opinion and thereby “in revealing his own mind”. He abhors understanding, but enjoys bringing up his own foolish insights. By what he says, he reveals or betrays what is in his mind. Such a person asks questions to show how smart he is (at least that is what he thinks of himself) rather than wanting to be taught. He has a preformed, uncorrectable opinion and lets it be heard.

We find this fool in religious leaders in the days of the Lord Jesus. They cannot delight in the understanding Christ wants to give and even quarrel against it. They only want to air their own understanding and be admired for it.