Canticles

[Beetow]

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FAQ: Was Solomon's Song Inspired?

REPLY: To my knowledge, everything in the old testament is in there because God
urged selected folks to put specific information into the record.

● 2Tim 3:16-17 . . All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work.

● 2Pet 1:20-21 . . Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in scripture ever
came from the prophets themselves, or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the
Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.

FAQ: How does this "specific information" you speak of in the Song equip the man of God?

REPLY: Song teaches Bible readers the effect that true heart-felt romantic love has on people in
relationships between normal men and normal women which, I can tell you from
personal experience, is very beneficial for new Christians who grew up in dysfunctional
homes and/or coming out of a religion that made them feel guilty about their thoughts
and feelings for the opposite gender.

FAQ: How so?

REPLY: Abide with me for a few days and I'll show you.

Buen Camino (Pleasant Journey)
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:1 . . Solomon's song of songs.

Solomon penned quite a few songs; something like 1,005 (1Kings 4:32). Whether
he wrote the music too or just the lyrics; I don't know; maybe. He was a very
intelligent guy, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was a musician; nor even that
he could carry a tune; but then he didn't have too. Solomon had a number of
professional singers on the payroll. (Ecc 2:8)

"song of songs" suggests a figure of speech like Sadaam Hussein's "mother of all
wars". In other words: this particular song may have represented Solomon's best
work to date.

In a number of places throughout Song, speakers don't address anyone in
particular. In point of fact, quite a bit of dialogue throughout Song is what's called
soliloquy; defined by Webster's as a poem, discourse, or utterance of a character in
a drama that has the form of a monologue, or gives the illusion of being a series of
unspoken reflections. In other words: talking with and/or to one's self.

We will also be running across places where the soliloquy isn't vocal; rather,
imagined; viz: thoughts.

The Juliet in this musical story is assumed to be a girl called Shulamite (Song
6:13), from the Hebrew word Shuwlammiyth (shoo-lam-meeth') which is
apparently a pet name rather than a real name. It means peaceful; defined by
Webster's as untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion, i.e. quiet, tranquil,
and devoid of violence and force.

The "untroubled" aspect of her pet name caught my attention because it strongly
suggests, at least to me anyway, that Song's Juliet didn't lose her composure under
duress; in other words; she wasn't likely to throw a hissy fit when things didn't go
her way.

That's a fitting pet name for the girl because later on in Song, she's spoken of as a
dove; a bird well-known the world over as having a gentle personality.

Personally I don't much care for the name Shulamite because it's not all that
feminine, and it suggests an ethnic identity rather than a pet name; so from here
on in I will be calling her Shulah.

BTW: Solomon's Hebrew name Shelomoh (shel-o-mo') compliments Shula's; it
means peaceful, which is pretty much the same meaning as hers. However, I don't
really care for the sound of that name so I'll be referring to him as Shiloh from here
on in. (cf. Gen 49:10)
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:2a . . May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

A lover's kiss doesn't always have to be mouth-to-mouth. For example kissing the
hand used to be common courtesy in some parts of the world, same as greetings
consisting of kissing on the cheek. However, I think we can safely assume that
Shulah had an affectionate kiss in mind rather than courtesy. A kiss on the shoulder
would suffice for that purpose. That kind of a kiss, though maybe not very
passionate, is at least intimate.

● Song 1:2b . . for your love is better than wine.

That phrase makes better sense when kept with the first half of the verse; which
refers to kissing on the lips.

So; better in what way?

Alcohol, in just the right amount, can soothe people's nerves and improve their
mood.

"He bringing forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens the heart of man" (Ps
104:14-15)

But given the choice, I think most of us would rather be with a lover than with a
bottle because lovers, on the whole, make us feel much, much better than booze. A
lover can make people feel better about themselves too whereas a bottle often
makes drinkers experience a certain amount of self-loathing.

I cannot remember ever feeling like singing whenever I was drinking; but this one
girl I was dating back in the day made me feel so good that I was constantly
humming old love songs that I hadn't thought of in years. Pretty amazing.

"There are three things which are too wonderful for me; four which I do not
understand: The way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the
way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid." (Prov
30:18-19)
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:3 . . Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, your name is like purified oil;
therefore the maidens love you.

We're convinced that Song is just as much a fantasy as Mozart's Magic Flute. The
reason being that in Ecc 7:28, Solomon complained that he was unable to find even
one good woman among a thousand. In other words: in my estimation, Shulah was
a daydream; viz: the kind of girl that Solomon always wished to meet, but never
did. She was a girl who only existed in his imagination; and that's where she
stayed.

If you could read my mind, luv,
What a tale my thoughts could tell.
Gordon Lightfoot. 1970

The Hebrew word for the "oils" basically describes something greasy, i.e. lotions,
pastes, and creams; So apparently Shiloh's fragrance was produced by something
smeared on rather than splashed or sprayed.

The words "purified oil" are from a Hebrew word that basically means "poured
forth". Well; an open container of any strong-smelling chemical would eventually fill
a whole room with its odor.

Shiloh's name-- i.e. his reputation --was like an open container of perfume in an
enclosed room; in other words: everybody knew Shiloh just as Boaz was well
known to be a man of standing in Jerusalem (Ruth 2:1) and "therefore the maidens
love you" likely means that Shiloh was a man that any girl would be proud to be
seen with, i.e. he was very eligible; viz: a good catch.
_

 

[D-D-W]

We're convinced that Song is just as much a fantasy as Mozart's Magic Flute.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. I believe she was a very real woman.

Shiloh's name-- i.e. his reputation

I do hope that was a typo. "Shiloh" is a name and title reserved for the Messiah - Jesus. (Genesis 49:10)

The kings name pronounced in Hebrew is Shlomo.

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:4a . .Take me away with you— let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his
chambers.

Up to this point in the Song, there's been no mention of a married relationship
between the guy and the girl; but that doesn't mean that Shulah's thoughts are
improper, rather, perfectly normal and to be fully expected. I pity a guy in love with
a girl who has no interest in sleeping with him.

● Song 1:4b . . We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than
wine. How right they are to adore you!

We mustn't forget that a man wrote this song, likely thinking himself its main
character, viz: the starring role; so of course he'd picture himself the most
irresistible male on the block; and royalty to boot. Well; I've seen for myself how
girls react to celebrities.

Good Morning America at one time had musical groups performing outside in the
street and one particular day it was Enrique Iglesia.

While Enrique was singing, security hoisted a young girl up on the stage and he
began singing his song directly to her. She began choking up and fighting back
tears, and then he got down on both knees right in front of her; all the while
crooning a very emotional Latin love song and looking right up into her eyes.

And then something happened that was just overwhelming. The girl was wearing a
tank top that went down only about mid ways leaving her tummy exposed so you
could see her belly button. Enrique gently pressed the palm of his hand on her bare
tummy while he was kneeling there singing and looking right up into her eyes. She
really lost it then and just about died.

Do you think that girl would have hesitated to bear Enrique's children? I tell you
she would have gladly endured quints for that man right then and there. And it's
not just the cute celebrities that have that effect on young girls.

My son and I attended an Aerosmith concert back in 1998 and I was utterly
astounded at the number of gorgeous buxom young girls crowding security in front
of the stage trying to get Stephen Tyler's attention. I don't know how many of you
out there have seen a mug shot of Stephen Tyler but I can assure you he looks
more like the Witch of Endor than a rock star, but there he was, charming those
girls right out of their better judgment.

So then, we shouldn't be surprised that Shulah said to herself: "Let the king bring
me into his chambers." Young girls were thinking the very same thing about Elvis
Presley back in the early days of his career.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:5 . . I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of
Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

The Hebrew word for "black" basically means dusky: defined by Webster's as
somewhat dark in color, i.e. somewhere between light and dark; viz: tanned.

Quite a few people here in Oregon frequent tanning salons to darken their skin,
while in southern California they bake themselves in sunlight. But apparently in
Shulah's day, women didn't tan on purpose because it was considered unattractive.

The "tents of Kedar" is likely a reference to the portable goatskin shelters utilized
by herdsmen in the field, while the "curtains of Solomon" is a reference to the
beauty of woven tapestries hanging in his palace.

Shulah had probably never actually seen those tapestries for herself but everybody
knew about Solomon's extreme wealth and his ostentatious manner of living.

So, Shulah's feminine attributes outweighed her complexion; and to tell the truth,
very few of the men I've encountered during my 80 years on the third rock from
the Sun care all that much about the hue of a woman's face anyway. It's a very
minor consideration; if it's considered at all.

● Song 1:6 . . Do not stare at me because I am swarthy, for the sun has burned
me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me caretaker of the
vineyards. But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

Shulah's "own vineyard" no doubt refers to taking care of herself. Grape harvest in
that land is sometime around July and September; so you can just imagine the
damage done to Shulah's skin out there in the fields under a hot summer Sun.

When women "stare" at each other, it's usually for the purpose of evaluating their
appearance; viz: the daughters of Jerusalem were nit-picking Shulah's appearance
and likely making unkind remarks about it like when Joan Rivers was on Fashion
Police; though for Joan it was all in fun, but I suspect the women in Jerusalem were
catty; defined by Webster's as spiteful and malicious.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:7 . . Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you
rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks
of your friends?

A veiled woman following flocks in that day was sort of like the loose women that
followed cow towns and mining camps in the olde American west, except that not
all veiled women were involved in vice.

When Judah encountered Tamar at a rest stop along the highway, he mistook her
for a qedeshah (ked-ay-shaw') which isn't your typical working girl, but rather a
devotee raising money for an established religion (Gen 38:21) typically a pagan
kind of religion centered upon the worship of a goddess like Ashtoreth (a.k.a.
Astarte). So one might say that a qedeshah's services were for a worthy cause.

In those days, cult prostitutes had a measure of respect in their community, and it
wasn't unusual for every woman in the community to be expected to take a turn at
supporting their "church" in that manner; so cult prostitution wasn't really looked
upon as a dirty business, rather, as a sacred obligation.

Still, Shulah wouldn't want it getting around that she was a cult hooker; and it
would certainly look that way were she to shadow the flocks. Well; her love interest
solved that problem by inviting her to move into camp.

● Song 1:8 . . If you yourself do not know, most beautiful among women; go forth
on the trail of the flock, and pasture your young goats by the tents of the
shepherds.

That would not only provide Shulah a measure of security, but also protect her
reputation because our Romeo no doubt solemnly charged his men to keep their
pea-pickin' paws off her just as Boaz did in the book of Ruth. (Ruth 2:9)
_

 

[Beetow]

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The next section in the song appears to me a grandiose day dream wherein Shulah
imagines herself utterly irresistible and gives herself quite a variety of compliments.
I mean, just look at some of this language.

● Song 1:9 . . I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of
Pharaoh.

Well; I think we can safely assume that the horses pulling Pharaoh's chariot were
well above the quality of your average nag-- the picture of equine health; blue
ribbon stock; i.e. the best of the best.

● Song 1:10 . .Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of
jewels.

Those are an interesting compliments. It's stating, in so many words, that the
earrings didn't enhance Shulah's cheeks, nor the necklace her neck. In other
words: the jewelry didn't improve Shulah's appearance, no, she made the jewelry
look better.

There's an old saying that goes something like this: Clothes make the man. Well; I
propose a new saying: Women make the jewelry.

● Song 1:11 . . We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver.

You know, it's one thing to walk into a jewelry store and select something from a
display case, but quite another to special-order a piece.

I have to say something personal to the single guys out there.

When you finally get around to proposing to your best girl, for heaven's sake don't
offer her your mother's ring. No, get one for your girl's very own. Hand-me-downs,
regardless of their sentimental value, make no one feel special.

I inadvertently caught a clip of Kim Kardashian planning her wedding wherein she
remarked "I want it to be all about me." Well; your marriage won't be all about
your bride if you drag your mother into it. Just saying.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Song 1:12 . .While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.

To be "at table" doesn't necessarily refer an item of furniture. The Hebrew word
also suffices for just sitting around in a circle, e.g. a picnic. It appears to me that
the herders mentioned in verse 8 were on a lunch break.

The Hebrew word for Shulah's perfume identifies an aromatic called nard;
commonly translated spikenard. Whether the girl was actually wearing perfume is
kind of hard to tell. She may have been imagining this: I mean, who takes care for
their grooming while driving sheep and goats?

● Song 1:13-14 . . My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.

I'm not really sure how many guys would feel all that manly about themselves
being thought of as a little bag of potpourri but at least he'd know that his best girl
was happy with him resting his head in that area.

The Hebrew word for Shulah's myrrh shows up for the first time in the Bible at Ex
30:23 where it's a principal ingredient in the recipe for a special holy oil. Myrrh is
an aromatic resin. Shulah was a farm girl so I doubt that she could afford any
myrrh of her own;

● Song 1:14 . . My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of
En Gedi.

En Gedi first appears in the Bible as a community at Josh 16:52. Though kind of
rocky, it was an attractive oasis due to its abundance of fresh water. The area is a
nature preserve now.

I'm guessing that they valued a bouquet of Henna flowers in Shulah's day like we
value red roses in ours.

Now we switch to the king's thoughts-- perhaps what Shulah would like him to be
thinking.

● Song 1:15 . . How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are
doves.

* A humorous ladies' tank top I spied while out shopping had words on it that said:
"Tell me I'm beautiful, and buy me a donut."

Solomon had lots of women (1Kngs 11:3) and all were no doubt the best of the
best, so I doubt he ever complimented any of them because it's not like they were
anything special. But an obscure girl like Shulah, swarthy skin and all, would no
doubt really appreciate a romantic compliment; especially coming from royalty.

The other women were boring because they were so typical, whereas Shulah was
outdoorsy, unsophisticated, and fascinating; exactly the kind of girl that Solomon
hoped to meet some day but in his position it wasn't likely; so he had to settle for a
dream girl.

Hey, Venus!
Ohhhhh, Veeee-nus!

Venus, if you will
Please, send a little girl for me to thrill.
A girl who wants my kisses and my arms
A girl with all the charms of you.
Venus, make her fair
A lovely girl with sunlight in her hair,
And take the brightest stars up in the skies
And place them in her eyes for me.

Venus, goddess of love that you are,
Surely, the things I ask
Can't be too great a task,

Venus, if you do
I promise that I always will be true.
I'll give her all the love I have to give
As long as we both shall live.

Venus, goddess of love that you are,
Surely, the things I ask
Can't be too great a task.
(Frankie Avalon, 1959)
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Song 1:16 . . How handsome you are, my beloved, and so pleasant! Indeed, our
couch is luxuriant.

The Hebrew word for "luxuriant" actually means verdant, defined by Webster's as
green with growing plants; in other words: fertile; which is just the opposite of a
land that's so arid, and its soil so bad, that nothing but scrub can grow there; if
that.

The absence of vegetation I would think precludes the possibility of meadows,
glades, and/or woodlands where you could string a hammock in a shaded area
protected from the Sun and just kick back and relax; listening to the sounds of
nature-- a breeze in the tree tops, a bubbling brook, chirping birds, and buzzing
bugs.

Wise city managers are careful to design tracts with parks in mind because they
provide people a pleasant escape from the weary round of life.

● Song 1:17 . .The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.

That is make-believe at its best.

Beams and rafters are the primary structural members of a roof; which when
viewed from indoors becomes the ceiling. Ceilings, no matter how ornate, are not
what I would call comforting. They're impersonal, and they're cold, and after a
while they become quite dull.

But when Shulah is with her lover, that same ceiling becomes to her a living forest,
i.e. a private grove of oaks, elms, and maples replete with lots of shade, ferns,
wildflowers, chirping birds, buzzing insects, chipmunks, foot paths, and a little
brook.

Shiloh's nearness makes all the difference. He changes Shulah's perspective of
what would otherwise be the interior of a very insipid wooden box. Love has that
effect on people; the world takes on a much nicer appearance when there's stars in
their eyes.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Song 2:1a . . I am a rose of Sharon

Apparently nobody really knows the species of flower meant by a rose in that
passage. Some say it's the narcissus, and other say it's the saffron. Personally I
prefer the saffron because of its full bloom, and its very blue color.

● Song 2:1b . . a lily of the valleys.

Again, the species of flower is only a guess. The emphasis here is actually upon the
color rather than the species, i.e. white. For that reason, I suspect that the flower
this time is the narcissus because it's a white flower that looks very much like a lily.

I also suspect that the flowers spoken of are wild rather than cultivars; which no
doubt speaks of Shulah's natural beauty. Some girls need quite a bit of make-up to
look pretty and alluring, but she didn't. Shulah was quite a stand-out; though up till
now, somehow gone unnoticed, marginalized, and underappreciated.

● Song 2:2 . . Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.

That's quite a compliment. No doubt lots of girls in Jerusalem rivaled Shulah's
beauty, but they might just as well have been concealing themselves with full
burkas because Shulah is the only one that captivated Shiloh's attention.

My love must be a kind of blind love,
I can't see anyone but you.
Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright,
I only have eyes for you.

The moon may be high,
But I can't see a thing in the sky.
I only have eyes for you.

I don't know if we're in a garden,
Or on a crowded avenue.
Maybe millions of people go by,
But they all disappear from view,
And I only have eyes for you.
(Harry Warren and Al Dubin)

* That's one of the all-time great love songs, written for a 1934 musical comedy
called "Dames" and recorded by The Flamingos in 1959.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Song 2:3a . . Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved
among the young men.

The Hebrew word for "apple" is somewhat vague. It's possibly a generic term that
can pertain to any number of fruit-bearing trees, e.g. oranges, quince, citron, etc
which are trees that produce fruits that not only taste good, but smell pretty good
too when they're cut open.

Seeing as how Song is a fantasy rather than a fact, we could make Shulah's apple
tree any species we want, including cherries, which produce not only tasty fruit, but
also lovely blossoms too. The exact species isn't all that important. What really
matters is the contrast.

Fruit trees produce food, while woodland trees as a rule don't produce any really
useful nourishment; unless you're maybe a beaver, a chipmunk, or an insect.

● Song 2:3b . . I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

Most guys would rather be thought of as an oak's acorn than a fruit. But an oak
tree-- whose lumber is certainly far more sturdy than that of most fruit trees --isn't
romantic. Oaks are brutish-- like oxen --and who really wants to cuddle with
bovines except maybe a deranged dairy farmer.

● Song 2:4a . . He brought me to the banqueting house,

The Hebrew word for "banquet" basically refers to a fermented beverage; one
containing alcohol, viz: intoxicating.

Another of that's word's appearances is located in the book of Esther where she
arranged a sort of special tea party for her potentate; only the tea in that case was
wine.

● Song 2:4b . . and his banner over me is love.

The largest use of banners is located in first ten chapters of the book of Numbers as
flags hoisted aloft to indicate tribal rallying points, viz: tribal identity.

The combination is a pretty cool figure of speech. The banquet and the banner
indicate that Shulah held a special place in her lover's heart; and the whole
shebang made her giddy, i.e. euphoric which, in Solomon's opinion, would be a
woman's natural reaction to all that attention from a man she holds in high regard
(himself of course).
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Song 2:5a . . Stay me with flagons,

Webster's defines a flagon as a large usually metal or pottery vessel (as for wine)
with handle and spout and often a lid and/or a large bulging short necked bottle,
and/or the contents of a flagon

The Hebrew word must be difficult because not every version translates it as a
container or the contents of a container. A number of versions translate that word
as a cake of raisins; which actually makes better sense than wine because the
purpose is to "stay me" which means to strengthen, prop up, and/or support. Well;
alcohol usually does very little to strengthen people; especially pitchers of the stuff.

● Song 2:5b . . comfort me with apples:

The Hebrew word for "apples" in that verse is the same as Song 2:3, where it's
possibly a generic term that can pertain to any number of fruit-bearing trees, e.g.
oranges, quince, citron, etc; which are trees that produce fruits that not only taste
good, but smell pretty good too when they're cut open.

It appears that Shulah has been so focused upon this love interest of hers that she
has neglected to eat and has now become aware that her body is weak and in need
of nourishment. Though not all that substantial; the natural sugar in fruit is helpful
for a quick boost.

● Song 2:5c . . for I am faint with love.

That pretty much describes lovesickness, which Webster's defines as languishing
with love; viz: Shulah's love for Shiloh was so passionate, and so distracting, that
she had lost her appetite and wasn't eating right; thus, it was wearing her down.

● Song 2:6 . . His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.

That could easily be construed as a picture of Shiloh gently assisting Shulah to lay
down on a couch because she had become too faint to stand on her own for very
long at a time. (Others suggest that this scene depicts something a bit more
intimate.)
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Song 2:7 . .

I left the scripture for that passage blank because there is so much disagreement
as how to translate the Hebrew into English. But myself, I prefer Rashi's version;
which reads like this:

"I bind you under oath-- by the gazelles and the does --that you do not cause
hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases."

Some translations address that oath to the daughters of Jerusalem; whom Shula
likely considered rivals for her guy's affections and thus spoil the happiness she's
enjoying with the love of her life.

● Song 2:8-9a . . Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the
mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Many years ago I was driving to a date with my best girl when I got a hankering to
take a roundabout route through a nearby valley that I had heard much about but
never seen for myself.

It was a nice drive but had a very serious downside. My girl was expecting me and
when I showed up late and told her where I'd been she said: "So you were in no
hurry to get here?" Ouch!

Well; Shulah's dream guy could scarcely run fast enough to be with her. He was all
go with throttle up like a Space Shuttle launch: the pedal to the metal, pourin' on
the coal. If Shiloh had an afterburner, he would've lit that off too and made a bee
line straight for Shulah's door; no side trips.
_

 

[Bruce.Leiter]

I think that the book is a celebration of romantic love within marriage.