Song of Songs

The first part of v. 1 is repeated in v. 7, creating a literary envelope for a section that describes the woman’s physical beauty, starting at the eyes and working systematically downward. Although the metaphors are vivid, they are somewhat obscure to those who do not share the author’s culture, and one must be careful not to press them too far. Nevertheless, they should still cause an emotional response in the reader.

Gilead is the area surrounding the Jabbok River, which flows into the lower half of the Jordan River from the east.

twins … not one … has lost its young. All her teeth are present (a not-so-common occurrence in the ancient world) and attractively matched within her mouth.

Pomegranate is a fruit with an orange-red leathery skin and deep pink succulent fleshy sacks with a subtle taste that is refreshing in the heat of summer. The metaphor is picking up on the beautiful color of either the skin or the flesh of this fruit.

The Tower of David is unmentioned outside of the Song of Solomon and little is known about it. The association with David, however, heightens the sense of dignity already implicit in the image of a tower. Dignity, rather than the physical attributes of the tower, probably provides the point of comparison.

The explicit reference to “breasts” prompted early interpreters to treat the term as symbolic. The Targum (Aramaic translation and explanation of the OT) correlated two breasts with two messiahs, or with Moses and Aaron. Historically, Christian interpreters offered a variety of explanations. Some argued that the two breasts referred to the two Testaments, spiritually nourishing the church. Another perspective correlated the breasts with the dual commands to love God and to love one another. A third view believed the breasts symbolized Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (Dt 27:11-13), located north of Jerusalem, from which the Israelite tribes proclaimed the curses, or sanctions, of the covenant. It is not likely that mention of the breasts is especially intended to suggest the bride’s sexual appeal to the male, even in a literal reading; they were listed here along with other features of the bride that equally impressed the poet (Sg 4:1-7). It is only in modern times that women’s breasts have a “suggestive” connotation in Western culture. In ancient and medieval times they were symbols of their function: providing nourishment or nurture. Medieval illustrations exist, for example, of the Virgin Mary supplying milk from her breasts to the baby Jesus.

Fawns (young deer) refers to the youthful appearance of her two breasts. Gazelle probably refers to her appealingly sleek form.

This verse starts with a phrase similar to that of 2:17, indicating the man’s desire to spend time with the woman. The reference to a mountain and a hill could continue the theme of the previous verse and refer to the woman’s breasts or, alternatively, to the woman as a whole. The point is that being with her is like inhaling an intoxicating fragrance.

In the man’s eyes, this woman is without physical fault or flaw and is altogether beautiful.

Hermon (for which Senir is a synonym) is a peak in a range that starts in the extreme north of Israel near Dan and extends northward into Lebanon (and includes other peaks, such as Amana). These all represent the thought that the man is calling the woman from desolate places that have perils (cf. the references to lions and leopards). The term my bride (six times in 4:8–5:1 and nowhere else in the Song of Solomon) would seem appropriate only after the wedding; this probably indicates that this scene (4:1–5:1) also takes place in the woman’s dream, as she looks forward to what the wedding day will bring.

The heart was considered the center of one’s inner life, the place of thinking, feeling, and choosing (cf. Prov. 4:23). Sister was a common term of endearment between couples in the ancient Near East. glance of your eyes. See note on Song 6:5.

wine. See note on 1:2.

Whereas the woman’s lips and mouth were previously described in terms of beauty (v. 3), here her lips and tongue are described in terms of taste (nectar, honey, and milk, the latter two often being paired together in the Bible, as in the description of the Promised Land in Ex. 3:8). This heightens the sensuality of the man’s continued description of his beautiful bride-to-be.

Clearly, “garden” (v. 15; 5:1; 6:2) is a euphemism, a polite expression used to refer to delicate subjects. The fertility and lushness of the garden figuratively illustrates the woman’s most intimate physical characteristics. Significantly, the garden is “locked,” emphasizing chastity and therefore, inaccessibility to anyone except her husband.

A garden (more like modern parks than flowerbeds) is not only a welcoming place for lovers but is regularly associated with a woman’s sexuality in the ancient Near East. A spring or fountain reflects a similar concept (cf. Prov. 5:15–19). Notice that her garden and spring are locked, indicating that she reserves herself for her lover alone.

Her garden contains choicest fruits and spices in great array and abundance. See notes on 1:12 (nard) and 1:14 (henna).

Saffron is a kind of crocus with a purple flower, while calamus is a cane. Both can be used to produce a sweet-scented oil. Cinnamon is akin to the present-day aromatic bark, although its use was not limited to cooking (cf. Prov. 7:17, which also identifies aloes as a fragrant wood). On frankincense and myrrh, see notes on Song 1:13 and 3:6.

The garden-fountain metaphor is extended to indicate the refreshing quality of the woman’s sexuality. In Hebrew, living water refers to fresh running water, the best kind available (e.g., Lev. 14:5; Jer. 2:13; cf. John 4:10; 7:38), as opposed to ground water or water stored in a cistern.

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. The reference to the winds may reflect the man’s desire for the woman to offer an invitation to him. This is granted in the second half of the verse.