Song Of Solomon 7
Song of Songs 7 is a poem that depicts a conversation between a loving man and woman praising each other’s beauty and love. As in the preceding chapters, it follows the traditional form of Israel’s love songs while expressing the intimate relationship between lovers and deep affection in rich language.
The whole chapter centers on the mutual admiration of two figures: the bridegroom (man) and the bride (woman). First, the bridegroom describes and praises the bride’s beauty in detail from head to toe (verses 1–9). Then, the bride expresses her love and longing toward the bridegroom (verses 10–13), showing how their love grows even deeper.
1verseHow beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.
2verseYour body is like a round goblet, no mixed wine is wanting. Your waist is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies.
3verseYour two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a roe.
4verseYour neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.
5verseYour head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses.
6verseHow beautiful and how pleasant you are, love, for delights!
7verseThis, your stature, is like a palm tree, your breasts like its fruit.
8verseI said, “I will climb up into the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit.” Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the smell of your breath like apples.
9verseYour mouth is like the best wine, that goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of those who are asleep.
10verseI am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me.
11verseCome, my beloved! Let’s go out into the field. Let’s lodge in the villages.
12verseLet’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love.
13verseThe mandrakes produce fragrance. At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, which I have stored up for you, my beloved.
Main Flow and Meaning
- The Bridegroom’s Praise (verses 1–9): The bridegroom describes the bride’s physical beauty with sensitivity. This goes beyond appearance and shows a heart that honors the entire being of the person he loves. Each body-part metaphor uses things that, in ancient Israelite culture, carried positive meanings.
- Mutual Commitment and Love (verses 10–13): Turning to the bride’s perspective, she declares that she belongs entirely to her bridegroom (“I belong to my beloved”), expressing her desire to share the fruits and abundance of love. This scene symbolically represents their devotion to one another, their satisfaction, and fellowship in an even deeper love.
Meditation Points
- Song of Songs 7 shows how beautiful and valuable it is to respect and cherish the one you love in a loving relationship, as well as how true commitment can be.
- The love expressed in the passage is not limited to being merely emotional or physical; it emphasizes mutual care, devotion, and the depth of intimacy.
Try Applying It to Me
- Let’s reflect on whether I truly express how precious the people I love around me are, and whether I am not losing the heart that respects and values one another in our relationships.
- Remembering the value of sincere love and devotion, we can make small commitments so that love becomes abundant in all my relationships in life (family, friends, community, and so on).
