Song of Songs

In 5:6 the woman lamented that her beloved “had turned and gone”; now the chorus asks her: where has your beloved gone, and where has he turned.

The woman’s response may seem odd, given that she has enlisted the help of the group to find her lover, but see the comments at the start of the section (5:2–6:3). garden. See 4:12. The garden is his, for she has committed herself to him.

The lovers gladly declare that they have given themselves to each other (I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine).

Tirzah (lit., “pleasing”) was the capital of the northern kingdom for a short time (920–880 B.C.), while Jerusalem was the long-standing capital of the southern kingdom and an established icon of beauty (Psalms 48; 50). The hostility between the two kingdoms, represented by their capital cities, makes it unlikely that the Song of Solomon dates from the time of the divided kingdom (see Introduction: Author and Date). awesome as an army with banners. Not only is she beautiful, she inspires the most profound respect.

The woman’s glances overwhelm the man (cf. 4:9, where they captivate his heart). On Gilead, see note on 4:1.

pomegranate. See note on 4:3.

While many scholars understand the three categories of women: “queens,” “concubines,” and “young women” as status distinctions within the structure of Solomon’s harem (1Kg 11:3), the text offers no evidence to support the view. One example of an allegorical reading proposes that they represented states of holiness; the queens were “perfected souls,” the concubines symbolized “those who are progressing in their sanctification,” and the young women represented “those who are seeking God.” This interpretation depends on reading the Hebrew ‘almah as “virgin,” in the restrictive sense (see Is 7:14); normally it simply means a young woman up to the age of marriage. The groom mentioned three classes of women for comparative purposes, drawing on the images of stateliness, royalty, and beauty to describe his beloved.

Queens and concubines were positions within a royal harem, the latter being secondary in status to the former. There would usually be only one queen in an ancient Near Eastern harem (although within the harems of the kings of Israel and Judah, queens are never mentioned). Virgins refers to a group of women that were present in the court, but also in society at large. Notice how the numbers increase from sixty to eighty to without number, symbolizing that the woman of the Song of Solomon is without comparison among women, even royal women—all of whom praise her.

Dawn, moon, and sun all reflect the woman’s radiant beauty.

“Walnut grove” is literally “garden of nuts” (or “nut orchard”). The word nut (Hb ’egoz) may here be a euphemistic term denoting either male or female sexual organs. The context, in the words of the bride, suggests that the verse referred to the male’s private parts in a subtle description of sexual intimacy. The wording prompted the early church fathers to suggest that the hard outer covering of the nut signified the Mosaic law, and the wholesome, nutritious center Jesus Christ. In considering passages of this sort, it is well to recall that the composer of the Song discreetly substituted colorful poetic images for any explicit sexual language that may be inferred, allowing for interpretation at a variety of levels.

In what is perhaps the most enigmatic verse in the book, the wide variety of interpretations and suggested emendations fail to yield a scholarly consensus. The mention of chariots seems awkward in the broader context, and the structure of the last phrase (Hb ammi-nadib) makes it unclear to whom the chariots belong. The Greek OT and Vg read the proper name Amminadab. However, the biblical text does not establish any connection with love and a character named Amminadab. Possible translations include “like the chariots of Amminadib” (KJV), or “in a chariot beside my prince” (RSV). The word translated “nobleman” can be vocalized as the preposition “with me,” contributing to the uncertainty of the rendering.

The chorus picks up on the idea of “looking” (v. 11). As she had gone down to the orchard to look, so they want her to return, that they might look upon her. In the question why should you look, “you” is masculine plural (perhaps addressed to other men, or to society at large). Shulammite may be the feminine form of “Solomon,” but here it more likely refers to the woman’s origin; in a poem, however, it could easily evoke the idea of a suitable partner to the young man who is at times referred to and idealized as Solomon. The nature of the dance before two armies is unknown, but the repetition of “look upon” may suggest that if the woman did such a dance it would compromise her honor—and thus the beloved intervenes.