Song 7 - His first advent and love’s awakening
(Song of Solomon 5:2-16Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 5:2-16 to Song of Solomon 6:1-10)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 6:1-10
Virgins
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
Bride
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
Bridegroom
Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
Queen
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
Song 7 is in many ways the pinnacle of the Song of Songs – due to its remarkable descriptions of our two central characters, the Bride and the Bridegroom. Given our familiarity with the significance of the number 7 (spiritual completeness or perfection) this being so is clearly not accidental, and is yet another example of divine design that we can wonder at!
The Bride describes how her beloved has “gone down into his garden” (6:2), once again providing to us a picture of Eden restored, with all things now returned to harmony / the very good state that had existed (albeit temporarily) at the beginning.
In this garden the Bridegroom “feedeth among the lilies” (6:3), which is surely a picture of the multitudinous saints / Bride (who had individually been compared to a “lily” (singular) earlier in Song of Solomon 2:1-2).Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 2:1-2
“Tirzah” (6:4) – royal city of the northern Kingdom before Samaria, during the time of King Baasha (1 Kings 15:21);Waiting for response for 1 Kings 15:21 “Jerusalem” – “the city of the great King” (Matthew 5:35)Waiting for response for Matthew 5:35 i.e. both cities have royal associations, as does the Bride (she is a “prince’s daughter” Song of Solomon 7:1)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 7:1
Then we have some words of the Bridegroom, who has been silent now for some 18 verses. In verses 5 to 9, then, we have a further description of the Bride, as surveyed by her beloved Bridegroom.
What is immediately interesting is that this description contains some of the same specific details found in Song if Solomon 4:1-5. We might at first wonder why this is, why is there a repetition? Well, perhaps the answer is that we have here a special confirmation, just as with the repeated description of the constituent parts of the Tabernacle in the Exodus record. This principle is also explained by Joseph’s words about Pharaoh’s dream, in Genesis 41:32.Waiting for response for Genesis 41:32
“terrible as an army with banners” (repeated twice, 6:4,10) – the multitudinous Bride, who is gloriously saved (note: Psalm 20:5Waiting for response for Psalm 20:5 “rejoice... salvation... in the name of our God we will set up our banners”). Verse 10 is helpfully translated in the New International Version “majestic as the stars in procession” (which perhaps puts us in mind of the description of the saints “as the stars” in Daniel 12:3)Waiting for response for Daniel 12:3
“hair… flock of goats” “teeth… flock of sheep” “pomegranate… temples” (6:5-7) – these three features are repeated from song 5 (the significance of which we have already indicated in commentary for Song of Solomon 4:1-3)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 4:1-3
“threescore queens… fourscore concubines… virgins without number” (6:8) – amongst so many queens, concubines and virgins, the Bride stands out pre-eminent (see also 6:9). She is the one who has been selected and she is preferred above any other (compare Esther before King Ahasuerus in Esther 2:8-9)Waiting for response for Esther 2:8-9
“but one... the only one... the choice one” (6:9) – there is no other one like the Bride (compare the formation of Eve, as recorded in Genesis 2:20-22)Waiting for response for Genesis 2:20-22
The Bride, we read, has gone down to “the garden of nuts” (Heb. egowz – probably walnuts). It is here that she surveys “the vine” to see whether or not it is flourishing. We are familiar that in scripture the vine is used as a symbol of Israel (e.g. Isaiah 5:1-7;Waiting for response for Isaiah 5:1-7 Jeremiah 6:9;Waiting for response for Jeremiah 6:9 Hosea 10:1).Waiting for response for Hosea 10:1 So it is that we, as the Bride, look to the fortunes of God’s people as an evidence of the nearness of the coming of our Lord (the so-called ‘Signs of the Times’).
After the twenty-five verses of song 7, the 8th song is the joint shortest (along with the 11th), being just 3 verses. The key theme of this brief song is the expectant waiting of the Bride for the Bridegroom’s coming and her need to prepare herself.
The Bride says “My soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib”. So, what does this further symbol mean?
Well, more modern translations have this variously as: “As the chariots of my noble people” (New King James Version), “among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince” (English Standard Version) and “in a chariot beside my prince” (Revised Standard Version). Once again, a royal connection is suggested, with the Bride being elevated to share in a position of considerable rank and privilege. What a wonderful prospect this is for us, through the grace of our merciful Heavenly Father!
An interplay between the Virgins and the Bride concludes this song.
The Bride is described as a “Shulamite”, which is the feminine form of the name Solomon. This form is only found here in the whole of scripture.
Furthermore, still speaking about the Bride, the King James Version describes “the company of two armies”. As an alternative, it is interesting to note that the New King James Version, English Standard Version and Revised Standard Version each have “dance” rather than “company”. There is therefore the suggestion of joy and celebration. This is enjoyed by two armies, Heb. mahanaim (as in Genesis 32:2),Waiting for response for Genesis 32:2 which we feel points to combined spiritual Israel, comprising both Jew and Gentile believers.
Song 8 – Awaiting his coming (Song of Solomon 6:11-13)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 6:11-13
Bride
I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
Virgins
Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee.
Bride
What will ye see in the Shulamite?
Virgins
As it were the company of two armies.