Song Of Solomon 4

Introduction

‘How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with courses of stone; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.’ Song Of Solomon 4:1-5

It’s obvious that Solomon is physically attracted to the Shulammite woman and here we find him describing her physical beauty in seven different ways.

He begins by describing her eyes and then he moves on to her hair. Earlier he described her eyes and compared them to a dove, Song of Songs 1:15, but here they are seen behind a veil.

The name Solomon means ‘peace’, the Shulammite woman later, is called ‘Shulammite’ which is the female form of the word for peace. The dove is often used as a symbol of peace.

He also compares her hair to goats that have gathered upon the side of mount Gilead and have the appearance of long flowing hair alongside the mountain.

Goats in that region were dark-haired, almost black in colour. This gives us an idea of what the colour of Shulammite woman’s hair was.

Although the words Solomon uses to describe the Shulammite woman’s physical beauty may seem foreign to us today, there’s no doubt that she would have really appreciated his thoughts, especially as she spent most of her life outdoors.

Solomon goes on to describe her beauty as seen by her teeth, and he says that her teeth are white as the sheep and perfect in their number.

Sheep wool is normally white, but the wool becomes gray from the dirt in the outdoors. Shearing the sheep exposes the clean, fresh wool underneath and a freshly bathed sheep is even whiter yet. So in a poetic way, Solomon is saying her teeth are pearly white.

He also says that there is beauty in her lips and mouth, her lips and mouth are attractive as is scarlet ribbon.

Her temples can be seen and are compared to pomegranates for beauty. Her complexion is compared to a slice of ripe pomegranate, the flesh inside of a pomegranate is rosy colour.

Her neck is described as the ‘tower of David’, this tower is mentioned in Nehemiah 3:25 as being repaired. Apparently, the tower was a very beautiful structure. This tower, in the city of Jerusalem, was used for hanging the armament of David’s elite guard, 1 Kings 1:8 / 2 Kings 24:14.

Solomon now goes on to describe the Shulammite woman’s breasts and describes them as fawns browsing among the lilies in a field, Song of Songs 2:17.

By calling them twins, he says they are evenly matched and by referring to them as fawns, he gives the allusion to soft, gentle creatures that fills one with a desire to hold, Proverbs 5:18-19. But as gazelles, he acknowledges that he must approach quietly and gently or they may be frightened off.

It’s clear that Solomon is describing almost every part of the Shulammite woman’s physical body, he started from the top of her body and worked his way down to the toes.

Although physical attraction is everything in a relationship, it’s certainly important. Two people who are thinking about getting married are usually physically attracted to each other.

Although the Bible doesn’t tell us that Eve was beautiful, we see from Adam’s reaction that she certainly was very attractive when God created her, Genesis 2:3.

The Scriptures speak of the beauty of Rachael, Genesis 29:17, David, 1 Samuel 16:12, Abigail, 1 Samuel 25:3, Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11:2, Esther, Esther 2:7, and Absalom, 2 Samuel 14:25.

‘Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense.’ Song Of Solomon 4:6

After all those compliments from Solomon, the Shulammite woman acknowledges his praise with the request to go into the mountains and hills where the myrrh and frankincense trees grow.

It appears that on this day she would be wed to Solomon but for now, she wants to meditate alone.

‘You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of leopards. You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice! Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices. You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.’ Song Of Solomon 4:7-15

Solomon has described the Shulammite woman physically in seven ways and comes to the conclusion that she is absolutely perfect, without any flaws, Ephesians 5:25-27. This is also the way that Absalom, David’s son was described, 2 Samuel 14:25.

If you remember Solomon referred to the Shulammite woman as ‘my darling’ back in Song of Songs 4:1, but here he calls her ‘my bride’. It appears that the day of their wedding has arrived.

He asks her to sit upon the high mountains of royalty, which was a place of comfort and protection. The crest of Amana was the same as Abana, one of the rivers of Syria mentioned by Naaman, 2 Kings 5:12. Senir is the Amorite designation of Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 4:48.

The Shulammite woman has stolen Solomon’s heart and he exclaims that he is overwhelmed by a single look and even one chain upon her neck. The most modest of apparel worn by the right person can appear overwhelming, in a good sense.

The Shulammite is viewed not only as beautiful but to experience her love in the smells of aromatic fragrances is better than wine.

It appears that Solomon is looking at his bride and breathes in everything that the Shulammite is to him and she is indeed fulfilling and refreshing.

A garden locked up, a spring enclosed and a fountain sealed, all mean that the Shulammite bride now belongs to Solomon. She is his garden sealed for his eyes and taste alone.

Solomon looks to the Shulammite woman as a garden that belongs to him and so, he now envisions his ravishing garden as a beautiful orchard of pomegranates, fruits, aromatic plants, and spices.

Indeed, this garden is a pleasant place to dwell, 1 Kings 4:33. A fountain within the garden gives life to all its waters, Revelation 22:1-2, and so, the Shulammite woman is viewed by Solomon as one who sustains his innermost desires and fulfils his every need.

Water is sometimes used to describe sexual intercourse in the Scriptures. For example, in Proverbs 5:15-20, Solomon warns of the unreasonableness of seeking sexual satisfaction with someone who isn’t your wife. One should drink water, that is, have intercourse, with his own wife. The water in your own well is clean, pure, and refreshing.

‘Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.’ Song Of Solomon 4:16

The Shulammite woman now continues the illustration used by Solomon in that she is compared to a garden with wonderful fruit and fragrances. She calls upon the wind to stir up the aromatic fragrances and send them to Solomon so that he would be pleased with her.

Up until this point she has been saying, ‘Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.’ Song of Songs 3:1-5 / Song of Songs 2:7, but now she invites Solomon to partake of his garden and to eat ‘his choice fruits’.

This means that she now belongs to Solomon and she is ready to consummate the marriage through the sexual union, 1 Corinthians 7:4.

Go To Song Of Solomon 5

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