Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:1

A False Witness and He Who Tells Lies

“A false witness” will be punished (Deuteronomy 19:16-21); there is no question about that. The same goes for him “who tells lies”. A false witness speaks lies in public. Telling lies is more reminiscent of telling lies in general conversation in the private sphere. A false witness and he who tells lies are on the same level and receive the same judgment.

The saying is general because sometimes a perjury is not punished because it is not discovered, or because the judges are corrupt. We must therefore see this verse in the light of God. He does not hold innocent and will not let any guilty person escape.

Song of Solomon 5:2

Wealth Is Attractive, Poverty Repulsive

People seek the friendship of influential people in order to benefit (Proverbs 19:6). To do so, they seek to gain favor with them (Psalms 45:12; cf. Jude 1:16). To “seek the favor” is literally “to caress the face” or “to soften the face”. The considerable are valued because of their possessions, not because of their qualities.

Likewise, one who is generous may be assured of having numerous friends. Generosity need not have a negative meaning here. One who is generous attracts people. Everyone wants to belong to his friends. It shows that man is an egoist, someone who is only after his own benefit. If there is something to gain that makes his life a little easier, he is the first to go. This is also how it works in business and politics.

That he wants only what makes his life more pleasant is evident in his rejection of God as the great Giver. God gave His Son as a free gift of His grace. But man does not want that Gift, because that means condemning himself as selfish. It puts an end to living for oneself.

People shun those who are poor (Proverbs 19:7). The thought of “hating”, in the sense of rejecting, indicates that family members and superficial friends will leave the poor man because he can no longer do anything for them. We also see this with the Lord Jesus. His earthly family, the Jews, hated Him.

When your luck runs out, even your family shuns you. Your friends wish you to perish. You can shout all you want, but they don’t listen. When they see you coming, they look the other way and pretend not to see you, because it is ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

Song of Solomon 5:3

Wealth Is Attractive, Poverty Repulsive

People seek the friendship of influential people in order to benefit (Proverbs 19:6). To do so, they seek to gain favor with them (Psalms 45:12; cf. Jude 1:16). To “seek the favor” is literally “to caress the face” or “to soften the face”. The considerable are valued because of their possessions, not because of their qualities.

Likewise, one who is generous may be assured of having numerous friends. Generosity need not have a negative meaning here. One who is generous attracts people. Everyone wants to belong to his friends. It shows that man is an egoist, someone who is only after his own benefit. If there is something to gain that makes his life a little easier, he is the first to go. This is also how it works in business and politics.

That he wants only what makes his life more pleasant is evident in his rejection of God as the great Giver. God gave His Son as a free gift of His grace. But man does not want that Gift, because that means condemning himself as selfish. It puts an end to living for oneself.

People shun those who are poor (Proverbs 19:7). The thought of “hating”, in the sense of rejecting, indicates that family members and superficial friends will leave the poor man because he can no longer do anything for them. We also see this with the Lord Jesus. His earthly family, the Jews, hated Him.

When your luck runs out, even your family shuns you. Your friends wish you to perish. You can shout all you want, but they don’t listen. When they see you coming, they look the other way and pretend not to see you, because it is ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

Song of Solomon 5:4

To Love His Own Soul and Find Good

“He who gets wisdom”, is one who has made an effort, has committed himself to it. He thereby proves that he loves his soul, his life. It means that he wants to know God’s will for his life. Thereby he proves to himself a great benefit. He who gets wisdom comes to the point where he does not love his life to death (Revelation 12:11). Indeed, loving his life does not refer to the earthly life, but to the life he received from God to live for Him.

It does not stop there. After getting comes keeping what has been gotten. This proves understanding of what is really important. The result is that he finds “good”. The good is the good life, living with and for Christ. The good is the knowledge of God’s will for his life and that is that it will be conformed to Christ, that He will become visible in his life. In this, wisdom and understanding come into their own.

Song of Solomon 5:5

A False Witness and He Who Tells Lies

This proverb is almost word for word the same as Proverbs 19:5. Proverbs 19:5 still sounds more or less as a warning, he “will not escape”, but here it is clearly stated that he “will perish”. The transgression of the ninth commandment establishes his guilt and God’s judgment. Being a false witness and telling lies go against all that God is. He is “righteous and upright”, “the faithful and true Witness”, the “God who cannot lie” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Revelation 3:14; Titus 1:2).

Song of Solomon 5:6

What Is Not Fitting

There are plenty of fools who live in luxury. That at the same time makes clear the truth of this proverb. A fool always indulges in luxury. It needs wisdom to deal in the right way with luxury. The fool lacks wisdom. That luxury can consist of possession but also of position. He misuses both. He behaves boorishly and insensitively, making himself hated and mocked.

Even worse than a fool who possesses luxury is a servant who gains power (cf. Ecclesiastes 10:7). There are servants who have ruled because they were faithful. Think of Joseph and Daniel. It must be about an unfaithful servant here. The servant here is possibly one who hired himself out to pay a debt. He has fallen into debt through foolishness. If he cannot manage his own property, how will he be able to properly exercise a ruling function over those who can.

In today’s world there are also many people who are in great debt and yet think they can have a ruling function. The same is true in the church. A person who cannot manage his own house cannot have a governing function in God’s house, the church of the living God. Such a function would be inappropriate (1 Timothy 3:5).

Song of Solomon 5:7

Patience and Forgiveness

One who is wronged and then gives his feelings free rein will ignite in wrath and give a vehement reaction. But if his discretion, in the sense of spiritual understanding, prevails, he will be “slow to anger”. This is possible only when. there is fellowship with God. This allows him to heed the word: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

He is then able “to overlook a transgression”. This goes further than in a forgiving mood just once not blaming someone for something. It is also the ability not to attribute insults and not to allow an afterglow of hurt to linger even when the words have inflicted a wound.

Such an attitude is not appreciated in the world but is highly valued by God. This proverb is perfectly true of God (cf. Micah 7:18). He is slow to anger and it is His glory to overlook a transgression. This He can do because of the work of His Son, with respect to Whom He did not slow down His anger and did not overlook the transgression when He made Him sin.

Song of Solomon 5:8

The Wrath and the Favor of a King

We have a wonderful, pictorial contrast here. On the one hand, the “roaring of a lion” that terrifies all who hear it, and on the other hand, the “dew on the grass” that descends inaudibly, that invigorates and can be trampled on just like that. We see these two manifestations in a king. His wrath inspires great terror (Revelation 10:3), while his favor is beneficence (Psalms 72:6).

A king has the power to terrify or to invigorate and refresh. He can look menacing but also friendly. This proverb advises the king’s subjects not to do things that make him wrathful, for then they will not fare well. However, they may count on his favor if they serve him in faithfulness.

We can apply this verse, like the previous verse, to God and Christ. Christ is the Lion from the tribe of Judah. We must fear His wrath if we oppose Him, but we may be assured of His refreshing esteem if we serve Him in faithfulness.

Song of Solomon 5:9

Domestic Misery and Domestic Happiness

“A foolish son” and “the contentions of a wife” are two problems that cause chaos in a family (Proverbs 19:13). “A foolish son” deprives his father of all pleasure by his licentiousness, laziness, self-conceitedness, pride, willful attitude. The word “destruction” is plural, indicating that such a son inflicts grief upon grief upon his father. He is a chain of destructions for his father, under which, of course, his mother will also suffer.

A wife who quarrels does the same thing as the son, for she too by her quarrels makes the house uninhabitable. The house that should be an oasis of peace is full of envy and strife. One quarrel follows another, just as drops of water follow each other steadily, always going on and on. When it starts dripping through the roof, you don’t know where the leak is. As long as the leak is not found and then plugged, the water does its rotting work in the hidden. This is how it is sometimes with a wife’s quarreling. You neither know where it comes from nor how to solve it.

It may be that in this case it is known where the quarreling is coming from, and that is the son’s behavior. When a son, or a child, behaves outrageously, it can be a divisive factor in the marriage. This happens when the wife starts blaming her husband (in practice, it can be the other way around). Fortunately, it can also be the case that the worry for a child makes husband and wife a closer unity. This will be so if they continually bring the child to the Lord in prayer as a common concern.

Obtaining “house and property” is a matter of inheritance (Proverbs 19:14). An inheritance passes from father to son. It is a consequence of being a member of a particular family. It is very different with obtaining “a prudent wife”. There is no family relationship there. When someone obtains “a prudent wife”, it is a special gift from God. The contrast is, on the one hand, wealth that can be acquired from a father and, on the other hand, a prudent wife which is a gift from the LORD.

“Laziness” is another cause that brings misery on others and not just on the lazy person himself (Proverbs 19:15). This proverb is meant to deter laziness. Laziness means a person is completely inactive. “A deep sleep” (cf. Genesis 2:21) is a state of unconsciousness. Time passes without the lazy person having the slightest awareness of it.

He who is lazy wastes time necessary to take care of himself and his family. The family in which the husband and father does not provide safety due to laziness because he does not provide income is a miserable family. There is hunger, but there is nothing to satisfy the hunger with. A lazy person is a poor steward of a precious gift from God: time. Laziness is the coffin of a living.

Song of Solomon 5:10

Domestic Misery and Domestic Happiness

“A foolish son” and “the contentions of a wife” are two problems that cause chaos in a family (Proverbs 19:13). “A foolish son” deprives his father of all pleasure by his licentiousness, laziness, self-conceitedness, pride, willful attitude. The word “destruction” is plural, indicating that such a son inflicts grief upon grief upon his father. He is a chain of destructions for his father, under which, of course, his mother will also suffer.

A wife who quarrels does the same thing as the son, for she too by her quarrels makes the house uninhabitable. The house that should be an oasis of peace is full of envy and strife. One quarrel follows another, just as drops of water follow each other steadily, always going on and on. When it starts dripping through the roof, you don’t know where the leak is. As long as the leak is not found and then plugged, the water does its rotting work in the hidden. This is how it is sometimes with a wife’s quarreling. You neither know where it comes from nor how to solve it.

It may be that in this case it is known where the quarreling is coming from, and that is the son’s behavior. When a son, or a child, behaves outrageously, it can be a divisive factor in the marriage. This happens when the wife starts blaming her husband (in practice, it can be the other way around). Fortunately, it can also be the case that the worry for a child makes husband and wife a closer unity. This will be so if they continually bring the child to the Lord in prayer as a common concern.

Obtaining “house and property” is a matter of inheritance (Proverbs 19:14). An inheritance passes from father to son. It is a consequence of being a member of a particular family. It is very different with obtaining “a prudent wife”. There is no family relationship there. When someone obtains “a prudent wife”, it is a special gift from God. The contrast is, on the one hand, wealth that can be acquired from a father and, on the other hand, a prudent wife which is a gift from the LORD.

“Laziness” is another cause that brings misery on others and not just on the lazy person himself (Proverbs 19:15). This proverb is meant to deter laziness. Laziness means a person is completely inactive. “A deep sleep” (cf. Genesis 2:21) is a state of unconsciousness. Time passes without the lazy person having the slightest awareness of it.

He who is lazy wastes time necessary to take care of himself and his family. The family in which the husband and father does not provide safety due to laziness because he does not provide income is a miserable family. There is hunger, but there is nothing to satisfy the hunger with. A lazy person is a poor steward of a precious gift from God: time. Laziness is the coffin of a living.

Song of Solomon 5:11

Domestic Misery and Domestic Happiness

“A foolish son” and “the contentions of a wife” are two problems that cause chaos in a family (Proverbs 19:13). “A foolish son” deprives his father of all pleasure by his licentiousness, laziness, self-conceitedness, pride, willful attitude. The word “destruction” is plural, indicating that such a son inflicts grief upon grief upon his father. He is a chain of destructions for his father, under which, of course, his mother will also suffer.

A wife who quarrels does the same thing as the son, for she too by her quarrels makes the house uninhabitable. The house that should be an oasis of peace is full of envy and strife. One quarrel follows another, just as drops of water follow each other steadily, always going on and on. When it starts dripping through the roof, you don’t know where the leak is. As long as the leak is not found and then plugged, the water does its rotting work in the hidden. This is how it is sometimes with a wife’s quarreling. You neither know where it comes from nor how to solve it.

It may be that in this case it is known where the quarreling is coming from, and that is the son’s behavior. When a son, or a child, behaves outrageously, it can be a divisive factor in the marriage. This happens when the wife starts blaming her husband (in practice, it can be the other way around). Fortunately, it can also be the case that the worry for a child makes husband and wife a closer unity. This will be so if they continually bring the child to the Lord in prayer as a common concern.

Obtaining “house and property” is a matter of inheritance (Proverbs 19:14). An inheritance passes from father to son. It is a consequence of being a member of a particular family. It is very different with obtaining “a prudent wife”. There is no family relationship there. When someone obtains “a prudent wife”, it is a special gift from God. The contrast is, on the one hand, wealth that can be acquired from a father and, on the other hand, a prudent wife which is a gift from the LORD.

“Laziness” is another cause that brings misery on others and not just on the lazy person himself (Proverbs 19:15). This proverb is meant to deter laziness. Laziness means a person is completely inactive. “A deep sleep” (cf. Genesis 2:21) is a state of unconsciousness. Time passes without the lazy person having the slightest awareness of it.

He who is lazy wastes time necessary to take care of himself and his family. The family in which the husband and father does not provide safety due to laziness because he does not provide income is a miserable family. There is hunger, but there is nothing to satisfy the hunger with. A lazy person is a poor steward of a precious gift from God: time. Laziness is the coffin of a living.

Song of Solomon 5:12

To Keep One’s Soul or Die

“The commandment” at issue here is the commandment of God, for God’s commandment is for life. Obedience to the commandment of God is a protection of life. It also involves obedience to the commandments of a father, for he represents God on earth. The same applies to the commandments of the government. Those who do not keep them, despise his ways and “will die”.

When a person decides for himself how he wants to live, he thereby expresses contempt for what God has commanded. With what God has said about his ways, about his way of life and the choices he makes, he wants nothing to do with it. He thinks he is on the way of life, but he is on the way of death. To be careless of conduct means to disregard God’s commands for his conduct. He will find that at the end of his self-willed way of living s death awaits.

Song of Solomon 5:13

Who Is Gracious to a Poor Will Be Rewarded

When someone “is gracious to a poor man”, it is a form of lending to the LORD (cf. Matthew 25:40). Money given away to a poor person is not lost. God sees it as a loan to Him; it is seen by Him as being “gracious”. He will repay the loan, the “good deed” abundantly. Those who take care of the poor thereby demonstrate a characteristic of God, Who is a gracious, compassionate God (Psalms 116:5; Isaiah 49:10; Isaiah 54:10).

The presence of the poor among God’s people is a test for the rich (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). Our response to their presence shows whether there is faith or not (James 2:14-17). Those who take care of the poor are doing a “good deed”, an act called “your righteousness” by the Lord Jesus (Matthew 6:1-4). The Lord adds that this should not be done in front of people’s eyes, not even in order to make oneself feel good, but that it should be done “in secret”. Those who give in this way receive from Him the promise: “And your Father Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” God blesses the generosity of one of His own with His generosity.

The promise of a reward does not necessarily mean a repayment of what has been given. If it were that alone, it could be seen as the repayment of a favor. It is about a reward that expresses appreciation. When God rewards something, it is much more than repaying what has been given. He will give the compassionate person a deeper sense of the richness of life with Him. No amount of money or gold can compete with this.

Song of Solomon 5:14

Discipline and Accept Discipline

Teaching obedience is a command (Proverbs 19:18). It is at the same time a powerful warning against parental passivity. There is a time to teach children obedience. That time begins as soon as it is clear that a child is acquiring a sense of right and wrong, and that is the case from an early age.

When it is clear that a child is not listening to a command from the parents, the child must learn to obey (Genesis 18:19). This can take a lot of patience. It can sometimes get so bad that a parent loses patience and even his mind. Hence the warning not to let the thought arise of desiring to kill him or making decisions that would result in his death.

“Do not desire his death”, can mean to discipline him so much that he dies. Another meaning is also possible. Which is not to discipline him at all, so that he becomes a fool, goes on the bad path and, because of his bad behavior, finds death. He who does not discipline his child kills him, because then he continues to follow the path that leads to death. Withholding his punishment from him now will put him on the path to a much more severe and eternal punishment. Indulgence works his downfall. False indulgence is real cruelty.

Eli did not teach his sons obedience. As a result, they became fools and succumbed to their folly (1 Samuel 3:12-13). Similarly, David did not rebuke his son Adonijah, causing him to become a fool and die an untimely death (1 Kings 1:6; 1 Kings 2:24).

There are cases where it no longer makes sense to teach someone obedience (Proverbs 19:19). All hope of correction must be given up. This is the case when someone is so angry that he is out of control. Someone who cannot be appeased must experience the consequences of his folly for himself. Whoever wants to help him will never get rid of him, because he will never learn his lesson.

A hot-tempered person will constantly be in trouble. Only repentance and the Holy Spirit can give a change. Christ is the Only One who can save from such behavior. The Son makes free (John 8:36).

Proverbs 19:20 links to the two previous verses. By listening to “counsel” and accepting “discipline”, a person “may be wise”. There will be maturity through all the discipline that has been exercised and all the teaching that has been given. Then there will be steadfast perseverance on the path of life the rest of his days.

Song of Solomon 5:15

Discipline and Accept Discipline

Teaching obedience is a command (Proverbs 19:18). It is at the same time a powerful warning against parental passivity. There is a time to teach children obedience. That time begins as soon as it is clear that a child is acquiring a sense of right and wrong, and that is the case from an early age.

When it is clear that a child is not listening to a command from the parents, the child must learn to obey (Genesis 18:19). This can take a lot of patience. It can sometimes get so bad that a parent loses patience and even his mind. Hence the warning not to let the thought arise of desiring to kill him or making decisions that would result in his death.

“Do not desire his death”, can mean to discipline him so much that he dies. Another meaning is also possible. Which is not to discipline him at all, so that he becomes a fool, goes on the bad path and, because of his bad behavior, finds death. He who does not discipline his child kills him, because then he continues to follow the path that leads to death. Withholding his punishment from him now will put him on the path to a much more severe and eternal punishment. Indulgence works his downfall. False indulgence is real cruelty.

Eli did not teach his sons obedience. As a result, they became fools and succumbed to their folly (1 Samuel 3:12-13). Similarly, David did not rebuke his son Adonijah, causing him to become a fool and die an untimely death (1 Kings 1:6; 1 Kings 2:24).

There are cases where it no longer makes sense to teach someone obedience (Proverbs 19:19). All hope of correction must be given up. This is the case when someone is so angry that he is out of control. Someone who cannot be appeased must experience the consequences of his folly for himself. Whoever wants to help him will never get rid of him, because he will never learn his lesson.

A hot-tempered person will constantly be in trouble. Only repentance and the Holy Spirit can give a change. Christ is the Only One who can save from such behavior. The Son makes free (John 8:36).

Proverbs 19:20 links to the two previous verses. By listening to “counsel” and accepting “discipline”, a person “may be wise”. There will be maturity through all the discipline that has been exercised and all the teaching that has been given. Then there will be steadfast perseverance on the path of life the rest of his days.

Song of Solomon 5:16

Discipline and Accept Discipline

Teaching obedience is a command (Proverbs 19:18). It is at the same time a powerful warning against parental passivity. There is a time to teach children obedience. That time begins as soon as it is clear that a child is acquiring a sense of right and wrong, and that is the case from an early age.

When it is clear that a child is not listening to a command from the parents, the child must learn to obey (Genesis 18:19). This can take a lot of patience. It can sometimes get so bad that a parent loses patience and even his mind. Hence the warning not to let the thought arise of desiring to kill him or making decisions that would result in his death.

“Do not desire his death”, can mean to discipline him so much that he dies. Another meaning is also possible. Which is not to discipline him at all, so that he becomes a fool, goes on the bad path and, because of his bad behavior, finds death. He who does not discipline his child kills him, because then he continues to follow the path that leads to death. Withholding his punishment from him now will put him on the path to a much more severe and eternal punishment. Indulgence works his downfall. False indulgence is real cruelty.

Eli did not teach his sons obedience. As a result, they became fools and succumbed to their folly (1 Samuel 3:12-13). Similarly, David did not rebuke his son Adonijah, causing him to become a fool and die an untimely death (1 Kings 1:6; 1 Kings 2:24).

There are cases where it no longer makes sense to teach someone obedience (Proverbs 19:19). All hope of correction must be given up. This is the case when someone is so angry that he is out of control. Someone who cannot be appeased must experience the consequences of his folly for himself. Whoever wants to help him will never get rid of him, because he will never learn his lesson.

A hot-tempered person will constantly be in trouble. Only repentance and the Holy Spirit can give a change. Christ is the Only One who can save from such behavior. The Son makes free (John 8:36).

Proverbs 19:20 links to the two previous verses. By listening to “counsel” and accepting “discipline”, a person “may be wise”. There will be maturity through all the discipline that has been exercised and all the teaching that has been given. Then there will be steadfast perseverance on the path of life the rest of his days.