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Texts -- The Song of Songs 4:12--5:1 (NET)

Context
The Wedding Night: The Delightful Garden
4:12 The Lover to His Beloved: You are a locked garden , my sister , my bride ; you are an enclosed spring , a sealed-up fountain . 4:13 Your shoots are a royal garden full of pomegranates with choice fruits : henna with nard , 4:14 nard and saffron ; calamus and cinnamon with every kind of spice , myrrh and aloes with all the finest spices . 4:15 You are a garden spring , a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon . 4:16 The Beloved to Her Lover: Awake , O north wind; come , O south wind ! Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell. May my beloved come into his garden and eat its delightful fruit ! 5:1 The Lover to His Beloved: I have entered my garden , O my sister , my bride ; I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice . I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey ; I have drunk my wine and my milk ! The Poet to the Couple: Eat , friends , and drink ! Drink freely , O lovers !

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  • [Sos 4:16] Christ Hath A Garden
  • [Sos 4:16] O Holy Ghost, Thy People Bless

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 45:1 The psalmist claimed to be full of joy and inspiration as he composed this song. He said what he did out of a full heart.45:2 To him the king was the greatest man he knew. One evidence of this was his gracious speech for...
  • Verses 15-23 point out a better way, namely, fidelity. Strict faithfulness will not result in unhappiness or failure to experience what is best in life, as the world likes to try to make us think. Rather it guards us from the...
  • I. The superscription 1:1II. The courtship 1:2-3:5A. The beginning of love 1:2-111. Longing for the boyfriend 1:2-42. The girl's insecurity 1:5-83. Solomon's praise 1:9-11B. The growth of love 1:12-3:51. Mutual admiration 1:1...
  • Perhaps the outstanding characteristic of this first major section of the book is the sexual restraint that is evident during the courtship. This restraint contrasts with the sexual intimacy that characterizes the lovers afte...
  • Whereas the setting so far had been Israel, it now shifts to the Shulammite's home that was evidently in Lebanon (cf. 4:8, 15).2:8-9 The girl described her young lover coming for a visit in these verses. He was obviously eage...
  • Weddings in Israel took place before the local town elders rather than before the priests (e.g., Ruth 4:10-11). They transpired in homes rather than in the tabernacle or temple (or synagogue later). They were civil rather tha...
  • In these verses Solomon evidently praised his bride for giving herself wholly to him as he had asked.4:9 "Sister"was evidently an affectionate term for wife (cf. vv. 10, 12; 5:1-2; Tobit 7:16; 8:4, 7).4:10 Again the word tran...
  • 4:12 Solomon praised his bride's virginity also. She had kept herself a virgin for the man she would marry.4:13-14 She was like a garden full of beautiful and pleasing plants that was now open to Solomon.68These spices, fruit...
  • 4:16 The Shulammite invited Solomon to take her completely. She called on the winds to carry the scents to which Solomon had referred so he would find full satisfaction (cf. vv. 13-14).5:1 Solomon exulted in the joy that unio...
  • The Shulammite's desire for her husband's love continued to increase throughout their marriage (vv. 1-3).8:1 Ancient Near Easterners frowned on public displays of intimate affection unless closest blood relatives exchanged th...
  • 6:16 Yahweh commanded the Judahites to compare the paths in which they could walk. Then they should ask their leaders to direct them in the good old paths, the teachings of the Mosaic Covenant. Then they should walk in those ...
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