The structure of Song of Songs. Poems vs chapters. It may help us to understand the book better of we divide the chapters into poems as opposed to one chapter presenting one theme or story.
Poem One 3:1-5 The Bride’s Troubled Dream
Most interpretations consider this passage a dream rather than an actual event. It describes the woman longing, searching, then finally finding the one “whom my soul loves.” The Hebrew for “soul” used in this passage is the same used in “love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.” What happens when she finds him?
What might be the significance of taking him to her mother’s house/room?
God’s promise to Israel in Deut 31:6,8 and Joshua in Josh 1:5 portrays the same intensity of “not letting go” described in verse 4: commitment, loyalty, and faithfulness are strongly implied.
This poem ends with another warning to not arouse love until it pleases or is ready (See 2:7 and 8:4).
Emotions can sometimes get the better of us, so how do we keep ourselves in check? How do we balance passion and self-control?
Poem Two 3:6-11 Solomon’s Wedding Day
A scene of power, wealth and strength is depicted here. Note that it does not say who is on the couch (see endnote 2) if anyone; it might be Solomon or it may have been sent to bring the woman or bride to the lover she has been seeking. A big celebration seems to be culminating with Solomon’s wedding day. Marriage is honored in this passage; and physical intimacy has greater meaning via the commitment of marriage.
Poem Three 4:1-7 The first “wasf” وصف
Do you have a theme song for yourself, your spouse or as a couple?
Wasf in an Arabic term meaning “description.” A German diplomat to Syria noted wedding custom and songs that were similar to what he read in the Song of Songs. Brides and grooms would have songs describing each other’s physical beauty. There are three other wasf in later chapters.
Have you lavished words or praise and admiration for the one you love lately? You might want to write them down!
Do you have a theme song for yourself, your spouse or as a couple?
Poem Four 4:8-9 The Invitation
He does not want to be far from her and calls to her to come to him. He tells her he is “head over heels” in love with her. As mom would say, “Use your words!” It is a powerful thing between a man and woman to express verbally the desire they have for one another.
Poem Five 4:10-5:1 Paradise
One of the words for garden used here is “pardes” (see the appendix for a detailed treatment of “pardes” versus “gan” in 4:12-13) which is a root word for paradise in English.
Can you think of any ideas about what this poem may be talking? Note that the woman gives her consent and invites her lover to her garden. This concludes with the chorus or friends encouraging everyone to celebrate the love between the man and the woman.
Appendix: Ancient Hebrew use of the word paradise pardes
(see endnote 2)
The Old Testament uses the older Hebrew version of the word, pardes, which tells us what it meant to them. The word translated ‘forest’ in the Old Testament is mostly the Hebrew word ya-ar meaning ‘to thicken’, but Nehemiah uses pardes to describe Artaxerxes’ forest.
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest (pardes), that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. (Nehemiah 2:8)
This ‘king’s forest’ was paradise. Nehemiah is speaking of a pragmatic exchange and the word described a walled piece of land belonging to a king. The word also is used twice in Solomon’s writings where he speaks of his gardens as pardes.
I made me gardens (Hebrew: gannah) and orchards (pardes), and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:(Ecclesiastes 2:5)
A garden (Hebrew: gan) enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard (pardes) of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, (Song 4:12-13)
Solomon makes a difference between a Hebrew gan and a Persian pardes. All three references speak of trees. Both references by Solomon to pardes again refer to a plantation owned by a king. A Hebrew ‘gan’ contained plants in a walled area. However, ancient descriptions of Persian pairidaêza feature an enclosing wall, trees for shade, water in ponds and canals, pavilions and animals. The control of such large areas of water in a hot arid climate would explain why these gardens were associated with kings. Also called a pairidaêza, which was a great privilege for kings to own, was a very large enclosed area full of trees, with water, wild animals and birds for hunting by the king. This King’s pardes or pairidaêza was the area from which Nehemiah gained trees for building the gates of Jerusalem.
To find these notes on the internet, go to http://jeremywchambers.com
| Ch. 3 (NASB) | Ch. 4 (NASB) |
| The Bride’s Troubled Dream1 “On my bed night after night I sought him Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him. 2 ‘I must arise now and go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.’ I sought him but did not find him. 3 “The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’ 4 “Scarcely had I left them When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother’s house, And into the room of her who conceived me.”5 “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you will not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases.” Solomon’s Wedding Day 6 “What is this coming up from the wilderness |
Solomon’s Love Expressed1 “How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Mount Gilead. 2 “Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. 3 “Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil. 4 “Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of stones On which are hung a thousand shields, All the round shields of the mighty men. 5 “Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies. 6 “Until the cool of the day When the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you. 8 “Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards. 9 “You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, With a single strand of your necklace. 10 “How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, And the fragrance of your oils Than all kinds of spices! 11 “Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. 12 “A garden locked is my sister, my bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up. 13 “Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, 14 Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices. 15 “You are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon.” 16 “Awake, O north wind, “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; |
Endnotes:
Note 1
palanquin
Note 2 http://biblefocus.net/consider/v19paradise/Ancient_Hebrew_use_of_the_word_paradise_I.html, accessed Jan. 23, 2013
The Faithful Way 