July 10, 2025
Setting the Scene for Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 1-3
Jon Mueller
Big Book Idea
God's design for relationships is always best.
Key Verse | Song of Solomon 1:2
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.
Song of Solomon 1-3
Chapter 1
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
The Bride Confesses Her Love
She 1 1:2 The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words
2
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
3
your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
4
Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.
Others
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.
She
5
I am very dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6
Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7
Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
He
8
If you do not know,
O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
beside the shepherds' tents.
9
I compare you, my love,
to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
10
Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.
Others
11
We will make for you
2
1:11
The Hebrew for you is feminine singular
ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.
She
12
While the king was on his couch,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of Engedi.
He
15
Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your eyes are doves.
She
16
Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
17
the beams of our house are cedar;
our rafters are pine.
Chapter 2
1
I am a rose
3
2:1
Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, asphodel, or narcissus
of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.
He
2
As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.
She
3
As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4
He brought me to the banqueting house,
4
2:4
Hebrew the house of wine
and his banner over me was love.
5
Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
6
His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
7
I adjure you,
5
2:7
That is, I put you on oath; so throughout the Song
O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
The Bride Adores Her Beloved
8
The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9
My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing
6
2:12
Or pruning
has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13
The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
14
O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15
Catch the foxes
7
2:15
Or jackals
for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”
16
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes
8
2:16
Or he pastures his flock
among the lilies.
17
Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.
9
2:17
Or mountains of Bether
Chapter 3
The Bride's Dream
1
On my bed by night
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not.
2
I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
3
The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
until I had brought him into my mother's house,
and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
5
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
Solomon Arrives for the Wedding
6
What is that coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
7
Behold, it is the litter
10
3:7
That is, the couch on which servants carry a king
of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men,
some of the mighty men of Israel,
8
all of them wearing swords
and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh,
against terror by night.
9
King Solomon made himself a carriage
11
3:9
Or sedan chair
from the wood of Lebanon.
10
He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love
by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11
Go out, O daughters of Zion,
and look upon King Solomon,
with the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
on the day of the gladness of his heart.
Footnotes
[1] 1:2 The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words[2] 1:11 The Hebrew for you is feminine singular
[3] 2:1 Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, asphodel, or narcissus
[4] 2:4 Hebrew the house of wine
[5] 2:7 That is, I put you on oath; so throughout the Song
[6] 2:12 Or pruning
[7] 2:15 Or jackals
[8] 2:16 Or he pastures his flock
[9] 2:17 Or mountains of Bether
[10] 3:7 That is, the couch on which servants carry a king
[11] 3:9 Or sedan chair
Table of Contents
Introduction to The Song of Solomon
Timeline
Author and Date
The wording of the first verse in Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs; 1:1) does not necessarily mean that Solomon wrote the book. It may have been written by Solomon himself, or it could have been written in his honor. When he is mentioned (1:5; 3:7, 9, 11; 8:11–12), it is generally as a distant, even idealized figure. What is known about Solomon suggests that he probably was not the writer himself (1 Kings 3:1; 11:1–8). However, the book was probably composed during Solomon’s time, perhaps under his oversight, between c. 960 and 931 B.C.
Theme
The Song of Solomon contains beautiful poetry expressing romantic love between a young man and a young woman in ancient Israel. He is a shepherd (1:7) and she is a shepherdess (1:8). They are looking forward to their marriage and the pleasure it will bring.
Interpreting Literary Images
The Song of Solomon includes several extravagant comparisons. For example, the woman is compared to a horse in Pharaoh’s court (1:9), and her hair is compared to a flock of goats (4:1). It is helpful to remember that (1) the comparisons are figurative rather than literal, and (2) what the person has in common with what he or she is compared with is a certain quality, usually the quality of excellence, or of being the best of its kind.
Structure
The author has presented the Song of Solomon as a series of exchanges, mostly between the shepherdess and the shepherd, with the chorus-like “others” sprinkled in. These others usually pick up items from the lovers’ speeches and urge the two forward in love. There is also a refrain, “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, . . . that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (2:7; 3:5; 8:4; variation in 5:8), spoken by the shepherdess. This is understood as her urging the other women not to push this love too fast, in order to let it reach its consummation at the right time (the marriage bed, which seems to begin in 8:5).
Key Themes
- God’s law commands sexual purity. Marriage provides the right framework within which his people may properly enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy (see Gen. 2:23–24). Thus God’s people honor him and commend him to the world when they demonstrate with their lives that obedience in such matters brings genuine delight.
- Marriage is a gift of God, and is to be founded on loyalty and commitment (see Gen. 2:24, “hold fast”), which allows delight to flourish. As such, it is a fitting image for God’s relationship with his people.
Outline
Fact: Song of Deliverance
David’s Song of Deliverance is nearly identical to Psalm 18. Perhaps 2 Samuel 22 was meant to be read aloud for instruction and Psalm 18 was meant to be sung or prayed as part of worship.
Fact: Vineyards, fields, and palm trees
Vineyards, fields, and palm trees. The Song of Solomon takes place in a rural setting, and the lovers describe each other using images drawn from this context. The man is a shepherd, and the woman works in her family’s vineyard.
Fact: Kissing
Kissing was a cultural means of showing respect, friendship, or reverence, as it is in many places today. A kiss was often given as a form of greeting or farewell (19:39). There are only three places in all of Scripture where kissing is connected with romance (Prov. 7:13, Song 1:2; 8:1.).
Fact: Mare among Pharaoh’s chariots
The man in this love story compared his beloved to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots (1:9). Only the best and most handsome of mares would have been chosen for important processions, and they would have been well-adorned with jewels and ornaments. This was the man’s way of saying that his beloved’s beauty is incomparable.
Fact: Purple cloth
Purple cloth was associated with royalty because the purple dye was very difficult to produce in large quantities. Most of the purple dye came from a shellfish called the murex. It took more than 8,000 murex shellfish to extract one gram of dye.
Fact: Daughters of Jerusalem
The woman addresses the daughters of Jerusalem four times throughout this book, creating a refrain that ties her “songs” together (2:7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4). She urges them not to “stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” In other words, they should wait until the appropriate time to enjoy romantic love.
Fact: Kissing
Kissing was a cultural means of showing respect, friendship, or reverence, as it is in many places today. A kiss was often given as a form of greeting or farewell (19:39). There are only three places in all of Scripture where kissing is connected with romance (Prov. 7:13, Song 1:2; 8:1.).
Song. 1:3 name . . . oil. In Hebrew, the two words sound similar. “Name” refers to the man’s reputation, which is as enchanting as perfume.
Song. 1:4a The king is probably a term of endearment, indicating the woman’s high regard for her lover.
Song. 1:4b This is the first speech of the “others,” who function as a chorus. They join the shepherdess in her praise for the shepherd (you is masculine) by picking up her words from v. 2.
Song. 1:6 My own vineyard refers in a poetic image to the woman’s physical appearance. The sun has damaged her skin as she has tended her family’s vineyard.
Fact: Mare among Pharaoh’s chariots
The man in this love story compared his beloved to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots (1:9). Only the best and most handsome of mares would have been chosen for important processions, and they would have been well-adorned with jewels and ornaments. This was the man’s way of saying that his beloved’s beauty is incomparable.
Song. 1:12 Nard was a fragrance extracted from a plant (see 4:13–14). For the romantic effect of a “fragrance,” see 7:13.
Song. 1:13 My beloved is the woman’s most common term of endearment for the man (31 times).
Song. 1:14 Engedi is an oasis on the dry and desolate western bank of the Dead Sea—a location with obvious appeal.
Song. 1:16–17 The couch, house, and rafters are all compared to a lush woodland location. This may indicate that the man and woman are outdoors.
Song. 2:1 The rose of Sharon was probably similar to the lily (see ESV footnote).
Song. 2:2 The man responds by contrasting the woman’s beauty favorably with others, whom he refers to as brambles (prickly, thorny shrubs).
Song. 2:6 embraces. Sometimes this term refers to sexual activity (e.g., Prov. 5:20). It can also describe the embrace of affection (e.g., Gen. 29:13; 33:4). Here it is not necessarily sexual, although the context would indicate great intimacy. These lines are repeated almost exactly in Song 8:3.
Song. 2:7 It is clear that the couple is already in love. They must allow their love to proceed at its proper pace, however, which includes waiting until marriage for consummation (see 8:4).
Fact: Daughters of Jerusalem
The woman addresses the daughters of Jerusalem four times throughout this book, creating a refrain that ties her “songs” together (2:7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4). She urges them not to “stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” In other words, they should wait until the appropriate time to enjoy romantic love.
Song. 2:10 Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away is repeated at the end of v. 13.
Song. 2:11–13 Springtime is often celebrated as a time for lovers.
Song. 2:15–16 Foxes represent difficulties that are threatening their relationship.
1:2–2:17 The Lovers Yearn for Each Other. The two main characters, apparently betrothed, are introduced as they sing of their desire for each other. On the difference between betrothal and engagement, see note on Matt. 1:18.
Song. 2:17 Presumably the woman wants her beloved to turn toward her rather than away from her.
Song. 3:1 Soul often refers to the whole person, encompassing the woman’s desires, thoughts, and feelings.
Song. 3:4 chamber of her who conceived me. Her mother’s bedroom presents a secure and intimate place for the two lovers. The woman has a similar desire to bring her lover to this place in 8:2, where she makes it clear that she will not do so until they are married. It is best to read her search in 3:1–4 as part of her dream rather than an actual event.
Song. 3:1–5 The woman longs for her lover, searches for him persistently, eventually finds him, and takes him to an intimate place. This could simply be poetical imagination, but it is more likely a dream (see note on 3:1–6:3).
Fact: Purple cloth
Purple cloth was associated with royalty because the purple dye was very difficult to produce in large quantities. Most of the purple dye came from a shellfish called the murex. It took more than 8,000 murex shellfish to extract one gram of dye.
Fact: Daughters of Jerusalem
The woman addresses the daughters of Jerusalem four times throughout this book, creating a refrain that ties her “songs” together (2:7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4). She urges them not to “stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” In other words, they should wait until the appropriate time to enjoy romantic love.
Song. 3:6 The man sees something he cannot identify coming up from the wilderness. This probably describes something coming from the plains toward Jerusalem, which is on a hill. frankincense. An aromatic resin from various trees and shrubs, similar to myrrh.
Song. 3:7 litter. A couch on which servants carry a king (ESV footnote), similar to a portable bed. Sixty mighty men (well-trained soldiers, v. 8) indicates the great wealth and power of the owner of the couch. By contrast, David had only 30 such men (see 2 Sam. 23:13).
S4:164 Song of Solomon 1-3
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Aren't you glad that the Song of Solomon is in the Bible? Reading the whole Bible includes spending time in books that can feel complicated or confusing, particularly at first. Even books that take hard work and dedication to make it through (you know who you are, Leviticus). Not so with Song of Solomon. The book is easy to read and timeless in its universal and romantic descriptions of love and longing. Its inclusion in the Bible communicates to me that God understands the human condition and our desire for a close, committed, intimate relationship with a spouse.
Song of Songs demonstrates that it's okay to be emotional and passionate, to be masculine and feminine. Some of the historical references to livestock strike me as humorous, and yet what red-blooded man doesn't enjoy being likened to a stag "leaping over the mountains" and "bounding over the hills"? It encourages men to be noble and heroic, and women to be exceptional and devoted.
It also provides clear guidance to "not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." The only directly repeated passage in these first three chapters, the clear admonition is that while love is a wonderful thing, it must be treated with due care. Love handled with care is like a campfire in a fire ring providing light, warmth, sustenance, and aroma, while premature "love" not handled carefully could be compared to a wildfire causing pain, loss, destruction, and stench.
Solomon is a singular figure in human history and considered the wisest and wealthiest man of all time. A man with no limitations. We would do well to consider the examples and warnings in his "Song."
This month's memory verse
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
– Isaiah 53:5-6
Discussion Questions
1. Which metaphors or allegories resonate most with you in these three chapters? Why do you think they do?
2. Have you made the mistake of awakening love before "it pleases" in your life? If so, did it lead to lasting fulfillment or a short-lived "high"?
3. If you're married, how does Song of Solomon inspire you to be more romantic, passionate, committed, or heroic in your marriage?
4. If you're single, how does this passage shape your views on being a spouse some day, or more committed in your platonic relationships?