Song Of Solomon 8
Song of Songs 8 is the concluding part of the entire Song of Songs, showing how love between beloved people deepens and reaches completion. In this chapter, romantic intimacy between lovers, the intensity of love, the reactions of surrounding characters, and the irresistible power of love are sung in a poetic way.
1verseOh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.
2verseI would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.
3verseHis left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me.
4verseI adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
5verseWho is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Beloved Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother conceived you. There she was in labor and bore you.
6verseSet me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of the LORD.
7verseMany waters can’t quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
8verseWe have a little sister. She has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is to be spoken for?
9verseIf she is a wall, we will build on her a turret of silver. If she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10verseI am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.
11verseSolomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He leased out the vineyard to keepers. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12verseMy own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit.
13verseYou who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!
14verseCome away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!
Main Flow and Structure
- Verses 1–4: The woman expresses her earnest longing for a love that draws her even closer to the one she loves. Remembering the past, she wants the freedom to express her love openly and without restraint.
- Verse 5: Lovers come together, symbolizing growth and maturity. As she looks back on the past, she reveals how they became the source of each other’s being.
- Verses 6–7: She sings of love’s fiery power and its irreplaceable value. Here, love is portrayed as strong like death, emphasizing that it is a power that does not go out, like a blazing flame.
- Verses 8–12: Surrounding characters (the woman’s family or people from her neighborhood) appear and talk about love’s protection, growth, and maturity. Hints are given about the relationship between ownership and devotion and the bond between lovers and the community.
- Verses 13–14: With longing voices calling out to one another, the chapter confesses the completion of love and brings it to a close.
The Overall Meaning of Song of Songs 8
This chapter poetically captures how human love grows and matures. It beautifully describes the completion of love, encompassing not only feelings and passion but also responsibility and devotion that continue through one’s entire life, as well as mutual protection. Love is portrayed as something that does not yield to jealousy or trials from the outside; instead, it takes root firmly within and becomes a power that safeguards each other.
Meditation Points
- Think once again about the depth and power of love. Song of Songs says that love is a precious treasure that cannot be bought with any price.
- Let it settle in your heart how important mutual protection, growth within relationships, and a sense of responsibility are.
- Reflect on the freedom to express love naturally and the role of the community in helping love grow in a healthy way.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Check whether my love and my relationships are growing in truth and with a strong sense of responsibility.
- Consider whether love goes beyond being a mere emotion and continues as a deep resolve and devotion in life.
- Look at whether, in my relationships with the people around me, I am helping each other grow—and find small practices of love that I can put into action.
This is the last chapter of Song Of Solomon.