Song of Songs 1:1-17
1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
The Shulamite
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
4 Draw me away!
The Daughters of Jerusalem
We will run after you.
The Shulamite
The king has brought me into his chambers.
The Daughters of Jerusalem
We will be glad and rejoice in you.
We will remember your love more than wine.
The Shulamite
Rightly do they love you.
5 I am dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has tanned me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard I have not kept.
(To Her Beloved)
7 Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?
The Beloved
8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,
Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds' tents.
9 I have compared you, my love,
To my filly among Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.
The Daughters of Jerusalem
11 We will make you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.
The Shulamite
12 While the king is at his table,
My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi.
The Beloved
15 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove's eyes.
The Shulamite
16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Also our bed is green.
17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.
This love Song of Songs is Solomon wooing his love, the Shulamite woman, as the people of God (the daughters of Jerusalem) look on the unfolding courtship and marriage. It is a picture of God pursuing his bride as a chorus of onlookers cheer them on, somewhat also as the angels rejoice in God’s bride joining to Him. The love here is a reflection of God’s highest love for His bride who is the church in Christ as we now know. The woman desires more than anything to be swept away in her beloved’s embrace and is encouraged to do so by the people of God who promise to follow right behind her and rejoice in them. The woman is aware of her dark appearance as is sin marking her as unworthy and aware how she has not kept up her vineyard either. She then cries out to her love, asking where to find him alone so she does not have to remain veiled in front of his friends, a request to be herself without shame, much as we sinners want to find love, acceptance, and forgiveness in the Beloved as His bride. She hears how he loves her so much as the fairest of them all, just as Christ loves us completely as we are because of His love and coming union. The people looking on promise to adorn her with beautiful jewelry to make her presentable, just as our regeneration and sanctification makes us acceptable in and to the Beloved. The bride to be then promises to pour out precious spikenard on the king while he is seated at the banquet table, a picture of the woman who anointed the feet and head of Jesus (John 12:3, Mark 14:3) in honor and worship. That aroma filled the room and reminds us how His Spirit fills us out and makes us full of joy in His presence while worshiping at His feet. The Beloved answers this act of love and adoration with words of compliments and love in return. Yes, the bride to be extols his beauty as well and desires the consummation to come, just as the bride of Christ longs for our consummation of redemption in eternity. The house of many rooms will be built well and last forever. We therefore eagerly anticipate the banquet to come (Revelation 19:7, 9) to be united with our Beloved in that consummation of our redemption!
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