Song 9 – The radiant beauty of the Bride (Song of Solomon 7:1-9)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 7:1-9
Virgins
How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
Bridegroom
How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
“beautiful feet” (7:1) – the assessment of the Bride begins with the feet (figuratively, the walk). As already noted, we can connect this with the gospel (“feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” Ephesians 6:15)Waiting for response for Ephesians 6:15 and preaching (Romans 10:15)Waiting for response for Romans 10:15
“joint… thighs… like jewels” (7:1) – jewels will make up the body of Christ (“my jewels” Malachi 3:17),Waiting for response for Malachi 3:17 being joined together in love (“the body… edifying… itself in love” Ephesians 4:16)Waiting for response for Ephesians 4:16
Firstly, we notice that unlike the 7th song, where the Bridegroom was surveyed from the top downwards, the Bride is looked at starting from her feet. It could perhaps be considered to be a little speculative to think about why the Bridegroom is described from the head and the Bride from the opposite direction. However, maybe it is because Christ is “the head of the body” (Colossians 1:18)Waiting for response for Colossians 1:18 and “the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23);Waiting for response for Ephesians 5:23 he is pre-eminent. By contrast, the beginning of the Bride is with the feet that must be shod with “the readiness produced by the good news” (see Ephesians 6:15Waiting for response for Ephesians 6:15 in The Amplified Bible); she is subservient.
Song 9 is unique in that it is the only song not to feature any words of the Bride. Rather, this song contains the high praises of both the Virgins (7:1-5) and the Bridegroom (7:6-9), who each recognise the radiant and resplendent beauty of the Bride.
“navel... round... belly... an heap” (7:2) – the signs of feminine beauty and fruitfulness, which is linked with a harvest, as will occur at Christ’s return, see Matthew 13:30.Waiting for response for Matthew 13:30 Also, navel cut off from natural parentage
“two breasts… young roes” (7:3) – a feature that is repeated (for confirmation, emphasis) from Song 5, this a secondary witness (being previously said by the Bridegroom)
“neck… tower of ivory” (7:4) – note the use of ivory in Solomon’s throne (1 Kings 10:18),Waiting for response for 1 Kings 10:18 a place of righteous judgement. Ivory reputed for its hardness and apparent incorruptibility
“eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon... Bath-rabbim” (7:4) – “Heshbon” according to Easton means ‘intelligence’ and Hitchcock – ‘invention, industry’ (note: springs, reservoirs, cisterns found in Heshbon, hence “fishpools”) “Bath-rabbim” according to Brown-Driver-Briggs’ means ‘daughter of multitudes’ (note: the multitudinous Bride)
“nose… tower of Lebanon” (7:4) – that is, well proportioned, elegant and prominent. Sense, such as smell, help alert the individual to danger
“hair like purple” (7:5) – purple is majestic / valuable (note: garments of Mordecai in Esther 8:15).Waiting for response for Esther 8:15 Also see Mark 15:17-18Waiting for response for Mark 15:17-18 and the mock coronation of the Lord Jesus Christ
“the king is held in the galleries” (7:5) – according to Strong’s “galleries” means ‘a ringlet of hair’, hence New King James Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version and the New English Translation all have “tresses” rather than “galleries”
“head… like Carmel” (7:5) – Carmel is associated in scripture with fruitfulness (see Isaiah 35:2Waiting for response for Isaiah 35:2 “the excellency of Carmel” and also 2 Chronicles 26:10Waiting for response for 2 Chronicles 26:10 & 1 Samuel 25:2)Waiting for response for 1 Samuel 25:2
In the final four verses of the song, we find the Bridegroom’s further estimation of his beloved Bride.
In stature the bride is described to be like “the palm tree” (Heb. tamar); which we know commonly as the date palm. This tree is from a root meaning to be ‘erect’ or ‘upright’, and is therefore used in scripture to describe the faithful, e.g. “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree” (Psalm 92:12).Waiting for response for Psalm 92:12 [Note: it is perhaps an interesting coincidence that Tamar was the sister of Absalom and the half-sister of Solomon.]
As well as being known for its straightness, the date palm is renowned for its long period of fruitfulness, which can be in excess of 100 years, over which it can bear upwards of 8-9 tonnes of dates! The Bridegroom speaks of going to gather the abundant fruit; “I will go up” he says in verse 8, or “I will climb up” as the Revised Version has it.
In particular, the breasts of spiritual maturity (as in chapter 1) are referred to a couple of times. We can compare this to the sign of fruitfulness that was given to and carried by the spies (Numbers 13:23).Waiting for response for Numbers 13:23 To turn grapes into wine requires a process – sun / light (from God, as with His Word) and the eventual crushing of the fruit (signifying self-humiliation).
The Bridegroom concludes his description by recognising the sweet scent of the Bride. Verse 8 describes “the smell of thy nose [Revised Version: “breath”] like apples”, alternatively translated “apricots” (New English Translation) or “citrons” (Young’s Literal Translation). It is well known to us that citrus scents are at the heart of many modern-day perfumes and fragrances (as well as other scented items, like candles).
In her mouth is “the best wine”, that is the wine of the new covenant, as allegorically described in the events of the marriage at Cana (John 2:10)Waiting for response for John 2:10 and in the parable of the old / new wine bottles (Mark 2:22).Waiting for response for Mark 2:22 It is this new covenant that causes “the lips of those that are asleep to speak” (7:9); that is, those that are spiritually dead (in trespasses and sins) are made alive again by the quickening (or life-giving) hope.
The tenth song, whose 8 verses are all the Bride’s, opens with the words “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me”. At first, we may feel that such a confident assertion is somewhat incongruous and that it does not fit well with the tone of previous songs (e.g. song 1’s self effacing words: “I am black... as the tents of Kedar”).
However, the opening words of song 10 need to be understood in their context, that is following on from the Bridegroom’s words in the second part of song 9. The Bridegroom, we remind ourselves, had just declared “How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” (7:6) and it logically follows that the Bride now rejoices that she is so prized in the eyes of her soul-mate. More than this, we have hinted to us that the love of the Bride toward the Bridegroom is the love of many – the love of a multitude – for her words are in the plural, she says: “there [in “the vineyards”] will I give thee my loves” (7:12).
Firstly, we have the mention of “mandrakes” (7:13), which Strong’s Lexicon describes to be: ‘an aphrodisiac’, or as the Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Lexicon labels this plant: ‘a love-apple’. We know that this fruit features in the narrative of Genesis 30:14-16,Waiting for response for Genesis 30:14-16 when Leah’s conception of Issachar is described. We are again being directed towards the grand theme of love – and its fruits. In fact, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) makes the direct link between the original word for “mandrakes” (Heb. duwday) and the root translated “beloved” in the songs (Heb. dowd).
Secondly, remaining with this 13th verse, we would like to remark on the “pleasant fruits” that are described as being “laid up” for the Bridegroom, which are “new and old”. This immediately brings to mind a scriptural echo and the only other appearance of this phrase in the whole of God’s Word (Matthew 13:52).Waiting for response for Matthew 13:52
When we see the mention of fruit, or treasure, that is “new and old” we note that it is not “new or old”. The treasure and fruit are at the same time both “new and old”; just as the scriptures are remarkable in being both current and at the same time ancient.
Finally, what a parallel and yet at the same time contrast we observe here – the future Bridegroom and his Bride sharing the fruits of obedience in an idyllic unspoilt garden – the obvious parallel being Adam and Eve contrastingly sharing the forbidden fruits of disobedience in Eden.
Song 10 – Her joy in his companionship (Song of Solomon 7:10-13Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 7:10-13 to Song of Solomon 8:1-4)Waiting for response for Song of Solomon 8:1-4
Bride
I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.