Song of Solomon 2:3-3:5 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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The Second Meeting
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Memory Verse: 2:4
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I. Exchange Between Beloved and Lover (2:3-15)

* See two wood engravings by Quarles, Francis (1592-1644). The first depicts a woman sitting at the feet of her beloved under the apple tree. The second depicts the same woman sitting underneath a tree with her friends while she is upset due to the absence of her beloved. They were published in the book "Emblemes", now in public domain.

Under the Tree Under the Tree

>1. How does the bride compare her lover to others in verse 3?

* Song of Songs 2:3 "(Beloved) Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste."

* "apple tree" -The exact nature of this fruit tree is uncertain. Some translations have apple tree, others apricot tree.

* "my lover" -The maiden knows she is loved by the young man.

* "young men" -This is the first place that the king is stated to be a young man. Another place that points to King Solomon, for few Israel and Judah men were king as a young man.

* "sit in his shade" -Another reference of shade from her lover. She had already stated that her mother's sons had forced her to work in the hot sun that changed her complexion to a dark hugh.

* "his fruit is sweet to my taste" -He pleasantly satisfies her soul.

>What is the banquet hall used for during a wedding ceremony? (4; Matthew 25:10)

* Song of Songs 2:4 "He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love."

* Esther 7:8 "Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?" As soon as the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face."

* Daniel 5:8-10 "Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "O king, live forever!" she said. "Don't be alarmed! Don't look so pale!"

* Matthew 25:10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut."

* "banquet hall" -A king's banquet hall was a place where enjoyable celebrations took place. It included fine food, song and dance, wine, and noble company. The hall would be filled with laughter. The most enjoyable celebrations where wedding ceremonies and banquets.

>What does it mean "his banner over me is love"?

* "banner over me" -The king's love for her is displayed for all to see, like a large military banner. Though the Bible does reference Israel and each tribe having banners (Number 2:2; Psalm 20:5) no one for certain now knows what they looked like. It is probably they had a theme relating to Israel's (Jacob) blessing to them before he died (Genesis 49). Ancient armies carried banners into military and political campains.

* "his banner over me is love" -The king's love for the young maiden is clear for all to see.

* A banner is to depict a meaning, a theme, an image the best depicts the territory, country, and/or people group. The image could be a plant, an animal, or a geographical location (i.e. a mountain, a sea, a desert oasis). It would be virtually impossible to depict "love". Therefore, this banner is not a flag. Rather it is a clear display of the emotion fully viewable to all.

>2. How does her love for the bridegroom affect her being? (5)

* Song of Songs 2:5 "Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love."

* "faint with love" -Romantic love usually affects us physically. Fainting, or passing out, is usually caused by a drop in blood pressure, which reduces blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

* The young lady describes her lover. As a fruit tree is desired over other forest trees, so her king is desired over other young men (3). Such a tree is a cool refuge from the piercing hot sunlight. She rests in peace and comfort.

Such a tree has sweet fruit to satisfy the body and soul. Eating its apples tingles the tongue. Its juice is sweet textured sugar. The taste inhales a pleasured sigh. So pleasing is the taste of her king.

When her master takes her to the banquet hall all can see his love for her (4). His love is displayed as if a banner over her says love. He treats her like the lady she is.

The thought and presence of her lord weaken her. She is faint. She asks for raisins and apples to strengthen her. The beloved is dizzy with love (5).

The maiden is alone with her lover. Their only company are gazelles and does of the field (7). She is laying with her king on a bed of nature's delight. Her overlord's left arm supports and upholds her head. His right arm is embracing her, firmly against her lower back (6). Their eyes are locked in love's gaze. They swim in each other's souls.

The maiden lives in the moment of romantic blending. She is not aware of the world around her; only her lover exists. She is one with her master.

Now she experiences love; emotion, passion, romance, bonding, and blending of souls (7). She encourages her friends, the daughters of Jerusalem, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it desires." (7)

Romantic love is not to be commanded or induced. Love comes from above. Love is a small seed; nourishing and caring for it will allow it to take shape, grow, and produce fruit in and out of season. Love is a seed in Jesus' parable of four souls. "A farmer went out to sow his seed (Matt 13:1; Mark 4:13) "And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade." (Mark 4:32) "So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth... you are God's field..." (1 Cor. 3:7,9)

Jesus Mentions His Second Coming in Synoptic Gospels

>How does the personal affection expressed in verse 5 reflect back to the creation of man? (Genesis 2:7)

* Song of Songs 2:6 "His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me."

* Genesis 2:7 "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

* "under my head" -The maiden had just expressed that she was faint with love. Here, her lover holds her head.

* "right arm embraces me" -They are laying on the ground. There is no other logical positioning that would allow this.

* He is pressing her against him. She is totally relaxed and surrendered in his arms.

* God's creation of man was very intimate. There is no other way to explain the LORD God breathing into his nostrils the breath of life.

>3. How is the approach of the bridegroom similar to Jesus' second coming? (7-8; Psalm 97:1-6; Micah 1:3-4; Nahum 1:5)

* Song of Songs 2:7-8 "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills."

* Psalm 97:1-6 "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory."

* Micah 1:3-4 "Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope."

* Nahum 1:5 "The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it."

* Zechariah 14:4 "On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south."

* Acts 1:10-12 "They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city."

* "Daughters of Jerusalem" -The maidens who are with the bride. They are to ensure her virginity until the time of the marriage. They are the "friends" in this book. They were always with her until the marriage ceremony is consummated.

* "Daughters... love until it so desires" -The phrase is repeated in 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4. Because of this commentators call these breaks in the meetings, while not being breaks in the bride's words. This is always spoken by the beloved and always in a context of physical intimacy with her lover.

>What does the bridegroom say to his lover when he arrives? (9-10)

* Song of Songs 2:9-10 "My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me."

* "a gazelle" -Perhaps in the imaginative language of love the gazelles and does are portrayed as witnesses to the oath. This would be in harmony with the author's frequent reference to nature. See engravings in the first study which have deer and gazelles.

* "a young stag" -Stags are adult male deer, and the term "deer" refers to any creature within the Cervidae family. Bucks are any male deer and does are female deer. The term buck applies to youthful deer as well as older deer, but stag is more accurate when talking about fully grown, mature, male deer. A modern society all male party before matrimony is called a stag party.

* "gazing through the windows" -of the room she is in.

* "peering through the lattice" -A lattice is a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between. They are used as protection of a valuable person in a room, keeping out thieves and creatures. They often support climbing plants.

* See a wood engraving depicting the lover calling to his love thru the window. This was published in Bible, now in public domain.

Rise Up My Love

>What will Jesus say when he arrives again? (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

* 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

* Luke 8:52-55 "Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat."

* John 11:43-44 "When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

* Jesus will awake the dead when he comes again with a loud trumpet like call, "Arise," similar to when he called Lazarus from the grave. He also called back to life a young girl who had died.

>4. What time of year was it when the bridegroom came for his lover? (11-13)

* Song of Songs 2:11-13 "See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."

* "winter is past" -Spring has begun.

* "rains are over and gone" -Israel winter is the wet season.

* "flowers appear on the earth" -Reminds me of the poem, "April showers bring May flowers."

* "Arise... come to me" -The command is spoken a second time.

* A new scene begins. The morning virgin sun gently changes the night sky with a warm breath of mint. The luxurious sultana is a profusion of allure as she prepares herself in her chamber for a day of enchantment with her king. A few companions are with her flush with life.

A gentle sound enters her female exclusive parlor. "Listen!" she hushes them (8.). "My lover! Look!" The king approaches a window, separated from her by a lattice and a wall (9). He maintains dignity. He does not gaze upon his beloved as she prepares for the day. She appreciates his vigor, speed, alertness, and fortitude as that of a gazelle or a young stage (8,9).

The nobleman addresses his beloved. He is anxious for a day with his beautiful one, eager to break through the gate at the start of the race (10). She needs no more care for her appearance. She is the aptitude for grandeur. She is ordered to "Arise... Come with me."

The king appeals to her intellect. "The winter is past; the rains are over and gone." (11) He desires to experience spring with her. Their love has blossomed in limitless youthful life just as the earth in springtime after an early morning shower.

Flowers bloom blanketing the ground to the horizon (12). Songbirds fill the air with harmonious ballets and sonnets as they call to their mate. Doves coo an enticement to a potential mate (12). They too wish to share the moment.

Fig trees present green fruit to ripen (13). Fragrant vines blossom sending a pleasing aroma. The whole world is presenting its best for them to experience romance.

The king is eager for his lover. "Arise," he orders again, "My darling, my beautiful one, come with me." Wise King Solomon perhaps reflecting on this day later confessed, "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden." (Proverbs 30:18-19).

God's first blessing and order is, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it." His reason for making us two, man and woman is to "be united" and to "become one flesh" as he and the Father and Spirit are one. The Lord God planted a garden, a home, and a sanctuary for them to explore and experience life, to become one. A wise man will always find ways to enjoy life and love with his lover. "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

* Matthew 24:20

>When Jesus comes again what will happen to the land? (Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 36:33-36)

* Isaiah 51:3 "The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing."

* Ezekiel 36:33-36 "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'"

* Jesus' second coming is foreshadowed in these verses. The prophets and apostles speak of the land blossoming in spring like glory.

Spring Spring Spring

>5. What does the bridegroom long to hear? (14-15)

* Song of Songs 2:14-15 "(Lover) My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

* "dove... on the mountainside" -Doves in the Bible often represent purity and holiness. A cleft of the rock is protection from harm. Doves make their homes in moutain clefts for protection. Psalm 55:6-8; Jeremiah 48:28

* "let me hear your voice... sweet" -Not only is the king's beloved his definition of physically beauty; her voice is also pleasant, not only in tone, but what she says. He calls to her, but she does not answer.

* "your face is lovely" -The king still only speaks of the beauty of her above her shoulders (i.e. neck, face, cheeks, nose, etc.). He has not mentioned anything below her neck at this point of the song.

* "little foxes that ruin the vineyards" -The maiden had referred to her beauty as a vineyard (1:8). She also mentioned that her mother's sons were cruel to her. "Little foxes" is reference to them. The king's desire is expressed that the beloved, and himself, be kept safe from whatever might mar their mutual attractiveness. He will protect her so as if in the cleft of the rock. This is an order for mother's sons to be removed from ever harming her again.

* "our vineyards that are in bloom" -The young lady has blossomed into a gorgeous woman as the flowers of spring open up in a blaze of colors. She possesses the curves and movements of a woman.

* "us... our" -The king identifies himself with the maiden. He is committed to their relationship no matter what.

* Matthew 8:20

* The king is speaking thru a window's lattice separated from the Egyptian mademoiselle by a wall (9). Twice he commands her, "Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." She remains hidden behind a dark wall, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding place where shadows rule (14). Embarrassment is holding her captive. She heeds not his commands.

The king's plead to his beloved continues. He calls her his dove; equating her to a brilliant white-feathered, pure, and holy gentlewoman. "Show me your face, let me hear your voice." Why does she not answer? Why doesn't she obey? He knows why. Her self-doubt shames her. She is embarrassed by her complexion. She cannot show her master a sun-weathered face. She cannot answer her lord though he states, "Your face is lovely." (14)

Will the king of the land abandon his hope? Will the people's master flee into the arms of another? Is this the end of the Egyptian sonnet? Will he seek the face and voice of another princess? Will he prance into another field of lilies?

The king trumpets an order, "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." (15)

The brothers of the maiden, the foxes that steal will suffer for their cruelty. They forced his lover into the fields. They kept her toiling in the vineyard through mid-day sweltering heat. When they oppressed her, they oppressed "us". The king is committed to protecting his "us". Harm her, they harm him, they oppress "us".

The Beloved is moved by her commander's loyalty. He has not given up on her, on them. Her lover is hers and she is his (16). They are committed though the "little foxes" remain. She imagines the king browsing in her field of lilies (16). All night he is with her imagination. She desires her young stag to traverse her rugged hills until the day breaks.

Her lover is like the morning sun. His presence moves the darkness away. Even the shadows flee when his love enters (17).

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. " (Psalm 103:8-10) "The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." (Psalm145:8-9).

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:3-5) "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day." (Genesis 1:3-5)

>How does this stress the importance of prayer with our lover? (Ephesians 6:18; Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4)

* Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

* Revelation 5:8 "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

* Revelation 8:3-4 "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand."

* A man is to protect his fiance and wife. Her appearance is his concern. Also, he is to pray for her, asking God to protect her, and to use him to proect her.

* God sees the prayers of his people as the pleasant fregrance of spices. Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This is plural.

II. Beloved (2:16-3:5)

* See a wood engravings by Quarles, Francis (1592-1644) and also by Scupoli, Lorenzo (1530-1610). It depicts a woman and angel sitting in a garden and placing a wreath crown on each other's head. This was published in the book by Francis "Emblemes" and in the book by Lorenzo "The Christian pilgrime in his Spirituall Conflict and Conquest" now in public domain.

He is Mine and I His

>6. When the bridegroom comes for his lover what will happen? (16-17)

* Song of Songs 2:16-17 "(Beloved) My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the rugged hills."

* "mine... I am his" -They belong to each other exclusively in a relationship that allows no intrusion. Each own the other. They are not their own possession. This appears to be only in her thoughts, though she probably eventually expressed this out loud.

* "browses among the lilies" -The lover is compared to a gazelle in heat. The browsing is a metaphor for the lover's intimate enjoyment of his beloved. She had claimed she was a vineyard in bloom. Now she imagines her lover move among and in her. It may also be that this is how she imagines things to eventually be.

* "Until day breaks" -The lover and beloved share the night together in intimacy. Since the following verses has her spending a night alone with her thoughts, it is probable that this too is her hopeful imagination.

* "turn, my lover, and be like a..." -She allows and begs him to do as he pleases. "Turn" is "Sabab" in the original Hebrew. "Sabab" is also translated "turn about", "turn back", "return", "turn aside", and "turn away". "Turn about" is the most common translation. It is probable that the king has left the window with the lattice after she realized his commitment to her. This would be inline with her being alone all night.

* Ezekiel 18:4

>How is this like Jesus' second coming? (Isaiah 24:21-23)

* "until the day breaks and the shadows flee" -The picture is the return of the king. Metaphorically this is like Jesus' second return. He will come in glory. He will light the sky for all to see. Darkness flees his glory. On the mount of transfiguration she was changed. The apostles were astounded. In such glory he is now and will be when he comes.

* Isaiah 24:21-23 "In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously."

* Revelation 22:5 "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

* Matthew 24:30-31 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

* Mark 13:26 is like Matthew 24:30-31.

* Luke 21:27-28 "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

* Matthew 26:64 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

* Mark 14:62 is like Matthew 26:64.

Last Judgement - Jesus Second Coming -Getty Images

>7. When the bridegroom is away what consumes that brides thoughts? (1-3)

* Song of Songs 3:1-3 "All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?"

* The chapter begins a new moment in love's experience.

* "All night long on my bed" -Night, with its freedom from the distractions of the day, allows the heart and mind to be filled with its own preoccupations. She is alone with her desire.

* "I looked for him but did not find him." -The young lady wanted the company of the king, but she was alone.

* "I will search for the one my heart loves." -She is desperate to be with her lover.

* The woman is in love. Her sole focus is to be with her lover. Every day she looks. Every night she wants him with her. Her sole desire is to be with him at all time.

* "watchmen" -A watchmen was one who stands guard. Ancient cities had watchmen stationed on the walls. Their responsibility was to sound a warning if an enemy approached (2 Kings 9:17; Ezek. 33:2-3). Vineyards and fields also had watchmen, especially during harvest. Their responsibility was to guard the produce from animals and thieves.

>Is this like us? (Hebrews 12:2)

* Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

* Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."

* Psalm 88:1-2 "O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry."

* Jesus is not with us physically. He has left us with a comfortor, the Holy Spirit. Christians long to be with their king Jesus.

* Those who believe in Jesus await his arrival with great expectation.

* See the wood engravings by Quarles, Francis (1592-1644). A woman is shown holding an oil lamp and looking for her beloved, who is shown hiding from her underneath the bed. This was published in the book "Emblemes", now in public domain.

Under the Tree

>Did the bridegroom find her lover?

* Song of Songs 3:4 "Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother's house, to the room of the one who conceived me."

* "them" -The watchmen.

* " my mother's house" -A part of engagement, a furtherance of romantic love is to introduce a potential spouse to our parents.

* "the room of the one who conceived me" -Being allowed in a woman's private chamber was serious.

* Romans 8:35

* The king called his lover at dawn to enjoy the spring day with him. However, the Beloved did not respond. She kept to herself, too ashamed of her appearance, especially her sun-weathered face. The Lover eventually left her window. The sun rose to mid-day heat, followed by late evening cool, and sunset sigh. The maiden is alone in the darkness of night laying in a bed of self-pity (1).

The moon peeks occasionally from clouds to reveal the maiden's restless night. The king does love her. He is committed to her. He will protect and provide for her. He risks himself to rid her of family members who force her to work in their vineyards and thus neglect her vineyard; her body. He wants the best for her and him.

Love springs desire. Doubt morphs into passions.

The noblewoman arises from the loathsome's canopied bed, compelled to find her steed. She looked for the one her heart loves but did not find him (1). The long shadows of morning's light did not reveal him in the city streets and squares (2).

Fervor's desire rises with the heat of the sun; heart pounding in search of its love (2). She will not rest though she does not find him. She is like the love bird's morning sound calling to her mate. She is like the early morning merchant march.

The princess stops the watchmen from making their early morning rounds (3). Their duty will become her feminine quest for her gazelle. He must enjoy his vineyard. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?" "No."

The panting doe ventures to the city gate. The world had never experienced joy as she for the duchess found the man her heart loves (4).

Alas, the Beloved found her Lover and held the king, not letting him go. She had decided to give herself to him. She submits to the king of her heart and body. She will marry him.

The contessa pulls him hurriedly to her mother's house (4). She brings him into the room of the one who conceived her. The queen consents to her daughter's union with such a brisk young man.

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68) "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word." (John 17:6) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

>8. What does the bride charge her maidens to keep?

* Song of Songs 3:5 "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

* "Daughters of Jerusalem" -The maidens who are with the bride. They are to ensure her virginity until the time of the marriage. They are the "friends" in this book. They were always with her until the marriage ceremony is consummated.

* "Daughters... love until it so desires" -This phrase is repeated in 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4. Because of this commentators call these breaks in the meetings, while not being breaks in the brides words. This is always spoken by the beloved and always in a context of physical intimacy with her lover.

* This phrase is repeated in the Song. It marks a transition associated with intimacy between the Lover and Beloved. As a unique transition the Beloved's charge testifies to restraint and self-control.