Chapter 1

1 The church’s love unto Christ. 5 She confesseth her deformity, 7 and prayeth to be directed to his flock. 8 Christ directeth her to the shepherds’ tents: 9 and shewing his love to her, 11 giveth her gracious promises. 12 The church and Christ congratulate one another.

1. The song of songs. The expression implies that this song is of peculiar excellence. The Jews considered the Song of Solomon the most excellent of all Bible songs. The original title presumably compared the song with the other 1,004 composed by Solomon (1 Kings 4:32).

2. Let him kiss me. The speaker is evidently the Shulamite maid. Her speech continues to the end of v. 7, except for interruptions by the ladies of the court indicated by the “we” of v. 4.

Thy love. The change in person from the third in line 1 to the second here is common in Hebrew poetry. The word translated “love” is in the plural, indicating the many attentions and manifestations of love.

Wine. Heb.yayin, the juice of the grape see (Gen. 9:21; Sam. 1:14; Isa. 5:11; etc.).

3. Ointment poured forth. Among the Orientals perfume and ointment were very precious. For Solomon’s bride the name of her beloved meant more to her than any perfume, however sweet.

Virgins. Heb. Фalamoth, “young women” (see on Isa. 7:14). Solomon’s bride is probably thinking of herself, though in modesty she does not definitely name herself. She says only that Solomon is the kind of man that a young woman like herself would love.

4. Draw. Heb. mashak, here “to draw in love” (see Jer. 31:3; Hosea 11:4).

We will run. This address is probably by the bride’s attendants.

Into his chambers. Some see in vs. 2–4 an allusion to a bridal procession and in this phrase a description of the entry into the palace.

We will be glad. Presumably the bride’s attendants speak again.

The upright love thee. Or, “they love thee uprightly.” These could be words of approval spoken by the bride, who believes that all should feel kindly affection toward a man as charming as her beloved. She feels that all will approve her decision to marry Solomon.

5. I am black. She probably means no more than that she is dark complexioned.

Kedar. Nomadic tribes of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13) inhabiting the Arabian deserts (see Isa. 21:16; Isa. 42:11). Bedouins usually lived in tents made of black goat’s hair.

6. Looked upon me. This is evidence that her blackness was due to the sun rather than to her race. The LXX here reads, “the sun has looked unfavorably upon me.”

My mother’s children. It seems that the bride’s older brothers had left their little sister to take care of the vineyards, thus causing her to become sunburned.

Mine own vineyard. That is, her own personal beauty (see ch. 8:12). Her brothers had not allowed her the leisure or the opportunity to give attention to her appearance.

7. Thy flock. This verse presents a difficulty in that it represents the lover as a shepherd, which Solomon, of course, was not. It may be that the bride, in poetic fancy, thinks of him as the companion of her simple country life. Some have suggested that Solomon disguised himself as a shepherd when he came to her home to court her.

Rest at noon. In hot countries the shepherds seek a place where they can retire for shelter both for themselves and their flocks during the burning heat of the noon-day sun.

One that turneth aside. Heb. Фotyah, literally, “one that is veiled.” If two of the Hebrew consonants are transposed, the reading, “one who wanders,” is obtained. This reading is found in the Syriac, the Vulgate, and in the Greek translation of Symmachus.

8. If thou know not. Another voice is introduced. It may be that of Solomon, or it may be the playful response of the court ladies telling the Shulamite to be patient. In due time her lover will appear. In the meantime she is to continue watching her flocks.

9. A company of horses. Literally, “my mare.” Solomon compares his bride with her ornaments to a decked-out royal mare. The comparison seems crude to a Western mind, but it is entirely appropriate in Oriental thinking.

Chariots. See 1 Kings 10:26, 28, 29.

12. Spikenard. A powerful perfume probably obtained from India. The plant Nardostachys jatamansi, from the roots of which the Hindus extracted the aromatic perfume, grows in the upper pasturelands of the Himalayas at an elevation of 11,000 to 17,000 feet (3,353 m. to 5,182 m.). Spikenard early became an article of commerce.

13. Bundle of myrrh. Myrrh was extracted from the aromatic resin of what was probably the Arabian Balsamodendron myrrha tree. The Hebrew women are reported to have worn under their dresses, on occasions, a bottle or little bag of myrrh suspended from their necks.

14. Cluster of camphire. Better, “cluster of henna flowers.” The plant grew in southern Palestine and produced odoriferous yellow and white flowers. The flowers and twigs were sometimes ground into powder, from which the women made a reddish-orange dye to stain their hands and feet.

En-gedi. Literally, “fountain of the kid.” It was a district to the west of the Dead Sea, about midway between the mouth of the Jordan and the southern extremity of the lake. A copious spring known today as ФAin Jidi, still flows in the region.

16. Our bed is green. It is not certain whether the bride is here describing a couch in the palace, or whether she is referring to her former natural environment. Some see here a reference to the nuptial bed. It would be natural for the bride to describe her present felicities in figures borrowed from her familiar associations.