The Young Woman Looks for the Young Man
The Young Woman
v1 At night, when I was on my bed, I looked for my man.
He is the man that my heart loves.
I looked for him, but I did not find him!
v2 I will get up now.
I will go round the city.
In the streets and squares,
I will search for the man that I love.
So I looked for him but I could not find him.
v3 The guards who go about the city found me.
I asked them, ‘Have you seen the man that I love?’
v4 As soon as I left the guards, I found my man.
found the man that I love.
I held him, and I would not let him go.
Then I took him to my mother’s house.
It was the room where I was born.
v5 Women in Jerusalem, make a promise to me.
Think about the wild gazelles and deer as you make this promise.
Do not think about love until the right time.
Commentary
Verse 1
The Bible often uses darkness as a word picture for the state of someone who has made a foolish decision. This woman refused when the man proposed marriage to her. Of course, it is not foolish to be cautious. One must be especially careful about such an important matter as the decision to marry. But it is foolish to act without proper thought.
This woman felt genuine love in her heart for the man. He showed her in chapter 2 that the time was right for their marriage. But she still refused his request to marry. She knew her decision was foolish. That is why she could not sleep.
Verse 2
It can be hard to make things right after you have made a foolish mistake. It would have been much easier for this woman if she agreed to marry at the right time. She had her opportunity when he asked her to marry in chapter 2.
But now she must deal with the matter.
Verse 3
Most people lived in ‘cities’. They were not particularly large – today we might consider them to be small towns. But even the small ones had strong walls round them. At nightfall, the city’s guards would lock the gates. Nobody could enter or leave the city until morning. During the night, the guards would walk about the streets or they would watch from the walls. They would suspect anyone who moved about the city during the night.
Verse 4
The woman was, of course, very pleased to find the man. And she was desperate not to repeat her previous mistake. She urged him to come with her. She took him home, to meet her mother. It was the custom for mothers to make arrangements for a marriage (see also verse 11).
The passage does not actually say why the man met the mother. That is probably because any reader would recognize the customs at that time. The man had to meet the mother in order to arrange his marriage to the woman. Together, they would work out the arrangements for the marriage.
So, the man and the woman would become engaged. In other words, they made a serious promise to marry each other.
Verse 5
When the woman spoke these words in 2:7, she seemed unsure about the right time for marriage. Now she seems sure. And she is eagerly making arrangements for her marriage.
The Order of Events
It is clear that 1:1 to 3:5 describe events before the marriage. And it is clear that 7:1 to 8:14 describe events afterwards. But the middle section of the Song is less clear. It contains some events, and some passages that describe the couple’s love. It is clear that the man and woman become engaged and married during the middle section of the Song. But it is hard to recognize the series of events.
That is probably because people had complex traditions for their weddings. And today, we do not know about all of these traditions. There is some useful information about marriage traditions in the Bible:
· Genesis chapters 24 and 29, Judges chapter 14 and the Book of Ruth contain information about more ancient traditions. It is hard to know the dates of these passages. Those weddings in the Book of Genesis may have happened 900 years before Solomon’s rule. The other ones seem to be between 100 and 300 years before Solomon’s rule.
· John chapter 2 contains information about more recent traditions. The wedding in that passage happened about 1000 years after Solomon’s rule.
We do not know the date of the Song of Songs. If the poet wrote it during Solomon’s rule, then its date was about 950 B.C. (years before Christ). But some Bible students think that the book has a much later date.
These seem to be the traditions at the time of the Song of Songs:
(1) Before they became engaged, unmarried men and women would not normally meet each other. They certainly would not meet in private. Possibly, they would not even speak to each other. (So, the conversation in the Song of Songs may just be the poet’s way to describe their thoughts.)
(2) When a man and woman wanted to marry, they became engaged. This means that they made a serious promise to marry each other. There were probably happy parties at this time.
(3) After the man and woman became engaged, they would not live together. And they would not have sex until after their marriage. Often, the man left the woman during this period. He would go back to the town where his family lived. He would prepare a home where he and his bride would live after their marriage.
(4) Several months or even years might pass before the actual marriage. But when the man was ready, he would come to collect his bride. This event would be their wedding. The man’s friends would come with him for this special occasion. And at the bride’s home, there would be a series of special parties. It seems that those parties usually lasted for several days.
The Procession
The Young Woman
v6 Somebody is coming from the desert.
And men are coming with clouds of smoke.
They come with myrrh and incense.
They have a wonderful smell.
v7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage!
Sixty (60) soldiers guard it.
They are the best soldiers in Israel.
v8 All of them are skillful with the sword.
People have trained them to fight.
Their swords are at their sides.
They are ready for any danger during the night.
v9 King Solomon made the carriage for himself.
The wood came from Lebanon.
v10 He made the poles from silver.
And it has a gold base.
A purple cloth covers the seat.
The women in Jerusalem made the beautiful inside of the carriage.
They made it with grace.
v11 Women in Zion, come out and see King Solomon.
Look at the crown that his mother put on him.
This is the crown for his wedding.
And he is so happy because of his wedding.
Commentary
Verse 6
The poet begins to describe a wonderful procession. People in Israel loved processions. They arranged them for many reasons. This one might seem to be a military procession. But we read about wonderful smells in verse 6. Those smells show us that this procession has a different purpose. In the Song, the poet often links those smells with the idea of love. So, clearly, this procession is a happy occasion because of the love that the man and woman have. Perhaps this is their wedding. Or perhaps this happens because they are becoming engaged.
Verses 7-8
This seems like a military procession again, because of the soldiers. But as we have seen, it is not a military procession. It was the man’s friends who would come with him. And they seem so noble and strong that they are like soldiers!
And they seem to bring the king. But again, the poet describes the young man as if he were the king. He is so noble and magnificent that he seems like the king!
Verses 9-10
King Solomon was famous for the things that he made. He used the best materials for everything that he built. He built great palaces and the splendid temple (house of God) in Jerusalem.
This young man has behaved like King Solomon. He has made everything splendid in order to give pleasure and honor to the young woman.
Verse 11
The poet calls the people to come to the party! They will see how this young man is like a king. They will see how his mother approves of the marriage. They will see how happy this occasion is.
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