Study notes

Song of Solomon 5

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.

4:1–5:1

The marriage is now complete.
This poem is the first "descriptive poem" in the book (see also Song of Solomon 5:10–16; 6:4–6; 7:2–8). Scholars often call these poems by the Arabic term wasf (meaning "description"). These poems are similar to songs sung at modern Arabic weddings. They are preludes to sexual intimacy. In describing physical beauty, they often start at the head and move downward.

5:1

I have come to my garden...my myrrh with my spices...my honeycomb with my honey...my wine with my milk: When the man enters the garden, he discovers endless enjoyment. They are thrilled to finally experience the vast pleasure of intimacy.
drink freely, O beloved: The young women of Jerusalem encourage the couple to fully enjoy their union. There is no guilt or shame in the deep pleasure between husband and wife.

5:2

I sleep, but my heart is awake: This describes a dream well; she was asleep, but her emotions and mind were active.
My beloved is knocking: “Open to me": In the ancient Near East, opening doors symbolized sexual activity (see also Song of Solomon 8:9). The man knocking and asking to enter suggests he seeks a sexual union. He waits for permission and does not assume.

5:2–6:3

One verse earlier, the couple fully enjoys their intimate union. Now the woman feels the pain of separation. In the dramatic interpretation, the woman has been separated from the man twice before and has searched for him (Song of Solomon 1:4–7; 3:1–4). This last time, the separation occurs in her dreams—it is only a nightmare. Her dream seems to continue to Song of Solomon 6:3, given the natural flow of questions and answers between the woman and the young women of Jerusalem.
If the Song is a collection of poems, these poems explore love rather than recounting actual events. This poem reminds us that an intimate relationship is not always easy or perfectly satisfying.

5:4–6

My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him: The man keeps trying to excite the woman, and she eventually responds positively. However, by the time she responds, he has either given up or become busy with something else. This is a strong poetic image of the challenges two lovers face in becoming intimate with each other.

5:7

the watchmen...beat me and bruised me: The watchmen, who were protectors in Song of Solomon 3:3, now become threatening figures in her dream (Song of Solomon 5:2). Their actions reflect her feelings of being pummeled and wounded.
They took away my cloak: She feels she has lost her dignity.

5:8

I am sick with love: The woman's trauma symbolizes her lovesickness (compare Song of Solomon 2:5).

5:8–9

The woman asks the young women of Jerusalem to help find her lover. They ask her to describe him, leading to the second descriptive poem (wasf) of the Song (see study note on Song of Solomon 4:1–5:1).

5:10

dazzling and ruddy: He looks very healthy and has a deep tan. This description does not refer to race; it likely shows good health and sun exposure.

5:10–16

This detailed description of the lover in the Song highlights his value to the woman.

5:11–15

The woman describes the man as a statue made of gold, ivory, lapis lazuli, and marble pillars. This suggests he looks god-like, as ancient statues of deities used these precious materials (Exodus 32:1–4; 1 Kings 12:28; Daniel 2:32233; 3:1).

5:13

His cheeks are like spice gardens because he had a full beard, common in his culture. This beard was likely perfumed.

5:14

The man's body is shown as beautiful and valuable.
Beryl is a green gemstone.
Sapphire is a blue gemstone.

5:15

Lebanon is north of Israel and has famous cedar trees that are large, majestic, and have a pleasant fragrance.

5:16

The woman finishes by saying she wants to kiss him.

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