Song Of Solomon 5
Song of Songs 5 poetically contains the love dialogue between Solomon and the Shulammite woman. At the height of love, this chapter captures the changes in feelings, the process of waiting, and the return to one another, offering readers even deeper food for reflection.
1verseI have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Friends Eat, friends! Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved.
2verseI was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3verseI have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
4verseMy beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening. My heart pounded for him.
5verseI rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock.
6verseI opened to my beloved; but my beloved left, and had gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I didn’t find him. I called him, but he didn’t answer.
7verseThe watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.
8verseI adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love.
9verseHow is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us?
10verseMy beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand.
11verseHis head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
12verseHis eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels.
13verseHis cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14verseHis hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15verseHis legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16verseHis mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.
The Development and Structure of the Scenes
- Verse 1: The bridegroom declares, “I have come into my garden,” singing of the fulfillment of love. This can be seen as symbolizing the completion of love, or intimacy itself.
- Verses 2–6: We see the Shulammite woman calmly dealing with the bridegroom’s visit, only to end up regretting that she does not meet him and then searching for him. The depiction of the bridegroom knocking on the door and the woman hesitating to open it is especially striking.
- Verse 7: A scene unfolds in which the woman sets out to find love and faces difficulties at the hands of the watchmen. This section may symbolize the hardships and trials one endures to obtain love.
- Verses 8–16: While asking her friends to help her find the one she loves, she sings of her deep affection for the bridegroom and how precious he is. Poetic descriptions unfold regarding the bridegroom’s beauty.
The Overall Meaning of the Text
This chapter shows the process of meeting a beloved, misunderstanding, parting, and then the longing and restoration that follow. Song of Songs 5 contains a message that helps us recognize again the depth of love, the act of waiting, and the value of what is precious. In particular, the woman’s inner feelings—her awareness of changes in emotion, her tenderness, and the beloved’s preciousness—are depicted realistically, stirring deep empathy among readers.
Points for Reflection
- When it comes to our relationship with the one we love, we can reflect on whether we have been careless or neglected them without noticing.
- Let’s think about the meaning that the path to restoring love and the waiting for love give us in our lives.
- It can become an opportunity to rediscover the preciousness of the other person in everyday life.
Applying It to Me
- If there have been times when I stepped back in my relationship with the person I love or with God, check first whether I am ready to open the door in order to restore that relationship.
- When love grows cold or dull, gather the courage to remember again the true preciousness of that person and put your love into action through expressions of affection.
