Study notes

Song of Solomon 6

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.

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.

6:1–3

The conversation at the end of this poem shows it is not a real event. The dream ends when the young women of Jerusalem ask the woman where her man has gone. The woman tells them not to worry about finding him—he is back in bed with her, enjoying his garden with its spice beds and lilies, which describes sexual intimacy.

6:4

  • Tirzah was a city-state as early as the time of Joshua. It eventually became significant enough to be the capital of the northern kingdom (Joshua 12:24; 1 Kings 15:33). The town's name means "pleasant."

  • Jerusalem was the capital of the united kingdom of David and Solomon. After that, it remained the most important city of Judah.

6:4–10

The man describes the woman's physical beauty again. He repeats parts of the description from Song of Solomon 4 almost word for word, showing his high regard for his wife.

6:8–9

  • If the Song were an allegory of the Lord’s love for his people, it would be a weak comparison. Solomon's many marriages poorly represent God's love and faithfulness (see 1 Kings 11:1–13).

  • sixty queens: Solomon married many wives through international treaties (see 1 Kings 11:1–3, 8).

  • Concubines were wives with lower status than a primary wife but higher than a slave. People acquired concubines through war, debt repayment, or purchase.

  • In the anthology view, mentioning queens and concubines means the woman is more desirable than all others.

6:9

sing her praises: Literally called her blessed. If the Song is a drama, the woman left Solomon’s harem. The singing happened in the past, when she was still there.

6:10

The poem ends as it began in Song of Solomon 6:4: The woman's grandeur, like an army with waving banners, makes knees tremble and hearts race.

6:11

I went down: It is unclear who is speaking. The New Living Translation shows it as the young woman's speech, but it could also be the young man's. The trip to the walnut grove poetically expresses a desire for a romantic meeting.

6:12

among the royal chariots of my people: Desire leads to the union of a man and a woman. This may suggest Solomon is the husband, though it could also be a metaphor for the joys of romance (compare Song of Solomon 1:16–17).

6:13

  • come back: Or turn around.

  • Shulammite: The exact location is unknown, but some think it might be Shunem (1 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 4:11–12). Maid of Shulam (Hebrew shulammith) could be a wordplay on Solomon's name (Hebrew shelomoh). It might mean “Solomon’s maiden.”

  • as on the dance of Mahanaim?: The man praises the woman's grace and beauty to everyone.

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