Song of Solomon 3
KingCommentsSong of Solomon 3:1
The Wicked Man and What Comes With Him
“When a wicked man comes”, wherever that may be, in his wake follow his sworn comrades “contempt”, “dishonor” and “scorn”. Contempt comes along because the wicked will always look at the righteous with contempt, only to shower him with dishonor and scorn. To this end, he will always find something with him, either in his circumstances or in his way of life.
This conduct belongs to the wicked; it is his nature. To him, God has no meaning or value. The warning is to be wary of the wicked, for in his company are contempt, dishonor and scorn which he pours out on others in his speech and conduct.
Song of Solomon 3:2
Deep Waters and a Bubbling Brook
The “man” here is a wise one. His “mouth” is compared to a place from which water bubbles forth, and his “words” are compared to that water. What he says are simple words, but they have deep meaning. Not only are the words profound, but they never run out and always contain wisdom because they come from “the fountain of wisdom”. The words of a man coming from the fountain of God’s thoughts are both deep and overflowing. It points to the depth and breadth of wisdom.
Wisdom is deep (Job 28:12-28), it is what is in God (Romans 11:33). It is a great grace that God has communicated to us His thoughts of wisdom. He has done so in His Word and by His Spirit. By His Spirit we can now know the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). Wisdom is not an ocean, but a fountain from which comes a stream that overflows. That fountain is the Lord Jesus.
Moses speaks of “deep waters” (Deuteronomy 8:7) as one of the blessings of the promised land. In the spiritual application, we can think of the blessing of eternal life. This is what the Lord Jesus speaks of when He says to the Samaritan woman: “But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14b).
Song of Solomon 3:3
No Partiality in a Court Case
In a world of which satan is god and ruler, it happens that a wicked person is favored and the right of the righteous is bent in judgment. Partiality may come into play if the wicked person is a rich person, or a family member, or someone influential through prestige. A righteous person may be a person who has pointed out evil, like Elijah and John the baptist. God abhors this course of action. He wants justice to be done fairly (2 Chronicles 19:7; Malachi 2:9). It is reprehensible to bend the right of a righteous person, that is, to set aside his right, to deprive him of his right.
This is not just about a judicial error, an unjust judgment, reflected in the acquittal of a wicked person who should be condemned. It is not so much about the outcome as the motive. That motive is favoritism, partiality (cf. 1 Timothy 5:21). It is a judgment because of prestige. It applies not only to a court of law, but in all cases. James applies it to the dealings of the members of God’s people among themselves (James 2:1-9). The Lord Jesus warns: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
Song of Solomon 3:4
The Words of a Fool and a Whisperer
Foolish people bring themselves in trouble because of what they say (Proverbs 18:6). What “a fool” shouts brings “strife” His language is inflammatory or hurtful. Therefore, with what he calls he calls “for blows”, for punishment. What he says is not innocent. Not only wrong deeds must be punished, but also wrong words. Wrong deeds harm someone, wrong someone. Wrong words also disadvantage another and do him wrong.
For this he deserves punishment. That punishment may be administered to him, for example, by his parents, or by his boss, or by a judge. It may also be that he will be disciplined by God, because with what he says, he also calls God’s judgment upon himself.
Proverbs 18:7 is the continuation of Pro 18:6 and goes a step further. There are not only blows attached to what he says, but with what he says, he works his own “ruin” (Ecclesiastes 10:12). The words he speaks with his lips are “the snare of his soul”, they are directed against his life. He becomes ensnared by his words; he is caught in them and perishes. Everything a fool says, even to defend himself, is the ground for his ruin. Everything he says, God will bring as evidence of the righteousness of his condemnation.
In Proverbs 18:8, it is not about the fool’s lips and mouth, but about those who give their ear to it. The fool is also the whisperer, someone who spreads gossip. People enjoy listening to gossip. Gossip is “like dainty morsels”, which is food that is devoured with eagerness. When such ‘tasty’ pieces of food slide in, they fill their “innermost parts of the body”, up to the hiding corners of it, which stimulates the desire for more.
The innermost parts function as a storage chamber, where things that have been said are kept so that they can be brought up again later. Thus, we saw earlier that the listener helps the gossiper by listening to his gossip. His words are sucked in without thought and go down into the deepest inner being, where they do their sickening work, sickening soul and spirit to the point of death. The whisperer speaks with words “smoother than butter” and “softer than oil”, but which are “drawn swords” (Psalms 55:21) and therefore have a deadly effect. They kill any remainders of sound spiritual life that may have been left.
Song of Solomon 3:5
The Words of a Fool and a Whisperer
Foolish people bring themselves in trouble because of what they say (Proverbs 18:6). What “a fool” shouts brings “strife” His language is inflammatory or hurtful. Therefore, with what he calls he calls “for blows”, for punishment. What he says is not innocent. Not only wrong deeds must be punished, but also wrong words. Wrong deeds harm someone, wrong someone. Wrong words also disadvantage another and do him wrong.
For this he deserves punishment. That punishment may be administered to him, for example, by his parents, or by his boss, or by a judge. It may also be that he will be disciplined by God, because with what he says, he also calls God’s judgment upon himself.
Proverbs 18:7 is the continuation of Pro 18:6 and goes a step further. There are not only blows attached to what he says, but with what he says, he works his own “ruin” (Ecclesiastes 10:12). The words he speaks with his lips are “the snare of his soul”, they are directed against his life. He becomes ensnared by his words; he is caught in them and perishes. Everything a fool says, even to defend himself, is the ground for his ruin. Everything he says, God will bring as evidence of the righteousness of his condemnation.
In Proverbs 18:8, it is not about the fool’s lips and mouth, but about those who give their ear to it. The fool is also the whisperer, someone who spreads gossip. People enjoy listening to gossip. Gossip is “like dainty morsels”, which is food that is devoured with eagerness. When such ‘tasty’ pieces of food slide in, they fill their “innermost parts of the body”, up to the hiding corners of it, which stimulates the desire for more.
The innermost parts function as a storage chamber, where things that have been said are kept so that they can be brought up again later. Thus, we saw earlier that the listener helps the gossiper by listening to his gossip. His words are sucked in without thought and go down into the deepest inner being, where they do their sickening work, sickening soul and spirit to the point of death. The whisperer speaks with words “smoother than butter” and “softer than oil”, but which are “drawn swords” (Psalms 55:21) and therefore have a deadly effect. They kill any remainders of sound spiritual life that may have been left.
Song of Solomon 3:6
The Words of a Fool and a Whisperer
Foolish people bring themselves in trouble because of what they say (Proverbs 18:6). What “a fool” shouts brings “strife” His language is inflammatory or hurtful. Therefore, with what he calls he calls “for blows”, for punishment. What he says is not innocent. Not only wrong deeds must be punished, but also wrong words. Wrong deeds harm someone, wrong someone. Wrong words also disadvantage another and do him wrong.
For this he deserves punishment. That punishment may be administered to him, for example, by his parents, or by his boss, or by a judge. It may also be that he will be disciplined by God, because with what he says, he also calls God’s judgment upon himself.
Proverbs 18:7 is the continuation of Pro 18:6 and goes a step further. There are not only blows attached to what he says, but with what he says, he works his own “ruin” (Ecclesiastes 10:12). The words he speaks with his lips are “the snare of his soul”, they are directed against his life. He becomes ensnared by his words; he is caught in them and perishes. Everything a fool says, even to defend himself, is the ground for his ruin. Everything he says, God will bring as evidence of the righteousness of his condemnation.
In Proverbs 18:8, it is not about the fool’s lips and mouth, but about those who give their ear to it. The fool is also the whisperer, someone who spreads gossip. People enjoy listening to gossip. Gossip is “like dainty morsels”, which is food that is devoured with eagerness. When such ‘tasty’ pieces of food slide in, they fill their “innermost parts of the body”, up to the hiding corners of it, which stimulates the desire for more.
The innermost parts function as a storage chamber, where things that have been said are kept so that they can be brought up again later. Thus, we saw earlier that the listener helps the gossiper by listening to his gossip. His words are sucked in without thought and go down into the deepest inner being, where they do their sickening work, sickening soul and spirit to the point of death. The whisperer speaks with words “smoother than butter” and “softer than oil”, but which are “drawn swords” (Psalms 55:21) and therefore have a deadly effect. They kill any remainders of sound spiritual life that may have been left.
Song of Solomon 3:7
Slackness Has a Destroying Effect
Earlier proverbs about laziness are about forsaking one’s own occupations, causing the slacker to fall into poverty. Here it is about one who works for another, but does not do his work with diligence due to laziness. “He also who is slack in his work” is one who lets his hands hang limply. He is inactive. He is no better than one who actively sets out to destroy a work. They are both relatives of “him who destroys”, of an ‘arch-destroyer’; they are, so to speak, of the same ‘blood group’ as the devil. In one case, the work does not get finished; in the other, when it is finished, it is destroyed.
We can apply this to the work for the Lord. The lazy slave is as harmful to God’s kingdom as the wasteful slave (Matthew 25:25; Luke 16:1). If we neglect to serve the Lord faithfully, we are counterproductive. What a person does not do can be just as harmful as what a person does. The Lord Jesus says: “He who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).
Song of Solomon 3:8
The True Safety and the False Safety
That “the name of the LORD is a strong tower” means that God is fully able to protect those who trust Him (Proverbs 18:10; cf. Psalms 71:3). The righteous need this because he lives in a world where the wicked are in control. The righteous person believes that his only safety is the Name of the LORD and therefore “runs into it”.
The metaphor points to one of the attributes of God and that is His power to protect. The word “runs” describes undivided reliance on that protection. We take refuge in that Name when we are in need, or in uncertainty, and then go to Him in prayer (Isaiah 50:10). We do so because we know He will receive us and provide the protection He promises to give to those who trust Him.
“Safe” is literally “set on high” and is a military term emphasizing the effect for those who take refuge in that Name (cf. Psalms 20:1). The strong tower is also a high tower. The righteous one is behind thick walls, preventing hostile weapons from striking him. He is also on a high wall and therefore raised above the attacks, so that hostile weapons cannot reach him. The enemy cannot pass through the wall, nor can he climb it.
Rich people often assume that their property is their “strong city” that provides them with security (Proverbs 18:11; cf. Job 31:24). They thereby build their own “high wall” of safety. But their reliance on this is an illusion. This false safety contradicts the real safety that God’s Name provides (Proverbs 18:10). The rich man expects from his wealth what the righteous man expects from his God. The first metaphor, the strong city, suggests protection from all outside attacks; the second metaphor, the high wall, expresses their thoughts of being invincible.
Any protection that wealth can provide is extremely limited, both in terms of its strength and of its durability. Money can never guarantee absolute safety, unlike the Name of God that can do so (1 Timothy 6:17). Anyone who thinks that money can provide absolute safety is a true dreamer, someone outside the reality of life.
The rich man of Pro 18:11 is the haughty man of Pro 18:12, the man whose “heart … is haughty”. His path ends in “destruction”. The way that leads to “honor”, is the way of “humility”.
The haughty one finds all safety in himself. He boasts in his own ability to protect himself. It is the false assurance of not needing anyone and being able to stand up for himself and take care of himself. But one thing is certain and that is that he faces destruction. There is no protection for him.
In contrast to this is “humility”, the realization that he cannot make it in his own strength, but depends on God. The humble takes refuge in the Name of God and will be honored by Him for it. The humiliation and glorification of the Lord Jesus is the clear example of this truth (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Philippians 2:1-10). In this He is an example to all who follow Him in that way (Matthew 23:12b).
Song of Solomon 3:9
The True Safety and the False Safety
That “the name of the LORD is a strong tower” means that God is fully able to protect those who trust Him (Proverbs 18:10; cf. Psalms 71:3). The righteous need this because he lives in a world where the wicked are in control. The righteous person believes that his only safety is the Name of the LORD and therefore “runs into it”.
The metaphor points to one of the attributes of God and that is His power to protect. The word “runs” describes undivided reliance on that protection. We take refuge in that Name when we are in need, or in uncertainty, and then go to Him in prayer (Isaiah 50:10). We do so because we know He will receive us and provide the protection He promises to give to those who trust Him.
“Safe” is literally “set on high” and is a military term emphasizing the effect for those who take refuge in that Name (cf. Psalms 20:1). The strong tower is also a high tower. The righteous one is behind thick walls, preventing hostile weapons from striking him. He is also on a high wall and therefore raised above the attacks, so that hostile weapons cannot reach him. The enemy cannot pass through the wall, nor can he climb it.
Rich people often assume that their property is their “strong city” that provides them with security (Proverbs 18:11; cf. Job 31:24). They thereby build their own “high wall” of safety. But their reliance on this is an illusion. This false safety contradicts the real safety that God’s Name provides (Proverbs 18:10). The rich man expects from his wealth what the righteous man expects from his God. The first metaphor, the strong city, suggests protection from all outside attacks; the second metaphor, the high wall, expresses their thoughts of being invincible.
Any protection that wealth can provide is extremely limited, both in terms of its strength and of its durability. Money can never guarantee absolute safety, unlike the Name of God that can do so (1 Timothy 6:17). Anyone who thinks that money can provide absolute safety is a true dreamer, someone outside the reality of life.
The rich man of Pro 18:11 is the haughty man of Pro 18:12, the man whose “heart … is haughty”. His path ends in “destruction”. The way that leads to “honor”, is the way of “humility”.
The haughty one finds all safety in himself. He boasts in his own ability to protect himself. It is the false assurance of not needing anyone and being able to stand up for himself and take care of himself. But one thing is certain and that is that he faces destruction. There is no protection for him.
In contrast to this is “humility”, the realization that he cannot make it in his own strength, but depends on God. The humble takes refuge in the Name of God and will be honored by Him for it. The humiliation and glorification of the Lord Jesus is the clear example of this truth (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Philippians 2:1-10). In this He is an example to all who follow Him in that way (Matthew 23:12b).
Song of Solomon 3:10
The True Safety and the False Safety
That “the name of the LORD is a strong tower” means that God is fully able to protect those who trust Him (Proverbs 18:10; cf. Psalms 71:3). The righteous need this because he lives in a world where the wicked are in control. The righteous person believes that his only safety is the Name of the LORD and therefore “runs into it”.
The metaphor points to one of the attributes of God and that is His power to protect. The word “runs” describes undivided reliance on that protection. We take refuge in that Name when we are in need, or in uncertainty, and then go to Him in prayer (Isaiah 50:10). We do so because we know He will receive us and provide the protection He promises to give to those who trust Him.
“Safe” is literally “set on high” and is a military term emphasizing the effect for those who take refuge in that Name (cf. Psalms 20:1). The strong tower is also a high tower. The righteous one is behind thick walls, preventing hostile weapons from striking him. He is also on a high wall and therefore raised above the attacks, so that hostile weapons cannot reach him. The enemy cannot pass through the wall, nor can he climb it.
Rich people often assume that their property is their “strong city” that provides them with security (Proverbs 18:11; cf. Job 31:24). They thereby build their own “high wall” of safety. But their reliance on this is an illusion. This false safety contradicts the real safety that God’s Name provides (Proverbs 18:10). The rich man expects from his wealth what the righteous man expects from his God. The first metaphor, the strong city, suggests protection from all outside attacks; the second metaphor, the high wall, expresses their thoughts of being invincible.
Any protection that wealth can provide is extremely limited, both in terms of its strength and of its durability. Money can never guarantee absolute safety, unlike the Name of God that can do so (1 Timothy 6:17). Anyone who thinks that money can provide absolute safety is a true dreamer, someone outside the reality of life.
The rich man of Pro 18:11 is the haughty man of Pro 18:12, the man whose “heart … is haughty”. His path ends in “destruction”. The way that leads to “honor”, is the way of “humility”.
The haughty one finds all safety in himself. He boasts in his own ability to protect himself. It is the false assurance of not needing anyone and being able to stand up for himself and take care of himself. But one thing is certain and that is that he faces destruction. There is no protection for him.
In contrast to this is “humility”, the realization that he cannot make it in his own strength, but depends on God. The humble takes refuge in the Name of God and will be honored by Him for it. The humiliation and glorification of the Lord Jesus is the clear example of this truth (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12; Philippians 2:1-10). In this He is an example to all who follow Him in that way (Matthew 23:12b).
Song of Solomon 3:11
Listen Before You Give an Answer
The truth of this verse is important for everything we are told in a conversation or discussion. We must first listen to the whole story, let someone speak out, and only then respond. It leads to “folly and shame” if we answer when we have only heard half and fill in the rest ourselves. We must be “quick to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19). This is especially true in the relationship to God and listening to His Word.
Poor listening means that we do not respect the person saying something. This lack of respect comes from being preoccupied with one’s own interests. One’s own thoughts are valued much higher than what the other person is saying. One’s own opinion is the only thing that matters. Those who engage in conversation with the other person in this way will do so to his own “folly and shame”.