Study notes

Song of Solomon 3

Introducing Song of SolomonWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–8:14 Section

The woman is the first one to speak in Song of Songs. Both she and the man she loves are shepherds. For hundreds of years, this job was very common among the people of Israel.

The woman and the man are both adults. This is true even though the woman’s brothers treat her like she is still young. The woman and the man both have very strong desires for each other. For the woman, everything about the man is delightful. For the man, the woman is so beautiful and so delightful. They are completely committed to each other.

Three times the woman talks about how she and the man belong to one another. This shows that they don’t love anyone else the way they love each other. It also shows that neither of them owns or controls the other. They both choose to do things to please the other. They each invite the other to come away with them. They desire to be together. They look for ways to find each other and spend time together.

Most of the woman’s and the man’s poems are about the sexual hopes they have. They hope to enjoy each other’s body fully. The poems are about what they imagine doing together. They imagine these things freely and they explain these things very carefully. But they can’t yet fully take action on their sexual desires.

Three times the woman talks about not waking up love. This means that they must wait to do what they imagine doing with each other. It’s very hard for them to wait.

The woman and the man compare each other’s bodies to many different things. These include things in creation like animals, gardens, mountains, flowers, fruit and spices. They include things in cities like towers, pillars, armies, gates, ivory, gold and silk.

The woman compares love to many things. It can’t be stopped by anything in creation or by death. It can’t be controlled by money. These words are a picture of how strong love is.

2:16–3:5

In this dramatic scene, the woman is already apart from her lover and is terrified that she will not see him soon. One night, her worries push her out of bed to search frantically for him. She finds him and takes him to meet her mother.

3:2

  • The poem partly describes a lover's determination to overcome all obstacles to be with their beloved.

  • Since the women of Jerusalem are mentioned often (Song of Solomon 3:5), the city is likely Jerusalem. Searching all its streets and squares was a bold effort.

  • The king of Israel would probably not be outside in the city at night. If he had his sixty-man entourage with him (Song of Solomon 3:7–8), she would find him easily. Instead, the woman seems to be looking for an ordinary man in everyday places.

3:3

  • The watchmen in ancient towns or cities were like police. They enforced social customs and laws. Positioned on city walls, they watched for attacks and ensured that any traffic entering or leaving the city was safe.

  • The woman may have been stopped because she was not a city resident and was unfamiliar. It was not appropriate for a woman to be out alone at night. This scene highlights the woman's strong desire for the man, as she ignored social rules and safety concerns.

3:6–11

  • In the three-character dramatic interpretation, Solomon's humility and generosity are evident when he attends a wedding of a woman who chose a common shepherd's love over his. With Solomon there, this ordinary wedding becomes a grand ceremony.

  • If the Song is an anthology, this poem seems to describe Solomon's wedding procession. People are amazed by the luxury of his carriage and the power of his entourage. This reflects the importance of marriage, similar to how expensive and beautiful wedding dresses and tuxedos do in modern weddings.

3:9–10

  • King Solomon's carriage was made from materials that matched his wealth and power. It included the same costly Lebanese wood used to build the Temple (1 Kings 5:5–6).

  • inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem: Despite all his splendor, Solomon was admired and served with love, even by his servants.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources