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Texts -- The Song of Songs 5:1-11 (NET)

Context
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 !
The Trials of Love: The Beloved’s Dream of Losing Her Lover
5:2 The Beloved about Her Lover: I was asleep , but my mind was dreaming . Listen ! My lover is knocking at the door! The Lover to His Beloved: “Open for me, my sister , my darling , my dove , my flawless one! My head is drenched with dew , my hair with the dampness of the night .” 5:3 The Beloved to Her Lover: “I have already taken off my robe – must I put it on again? I have already washed my feet – must I soil them again?” 5:4 My lover thrust his hand through the hole , and my feelings were stirred for him. 5:5 I arose to open for my beloved ; my hands dripped with myrrh – my fingers flowed with myrrh on the handles of the lock . 5:6 I opened for my beloved , but my lover had already turned and gone away . I fell into despair when he departed . I looked for him but did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. 5:7 The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city . They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak , those watchmen on the walls !
The Triumph of Love: The Beloved Praises Her Lover
5:8 The Beloved to the Maidens: O maidens of Jerusalem , I command you– If you find my beloved , what will you tell him? Tell him that I am lovesick ! 5:9 The Maidens to The Beloved: Why is your beloved better than others , O most beautiful of women ? Why is your beloved better than others , that you would command us in this manner? 5:10 The Beloved to the Maidens: My beloved is dazzling and ruddy ; he stands out in comparison to all other men. 5:11 His head is like the most pure gold . His hair is curly – black like a raven .

Pericope

NET
  • Sos 5:2-7 -- The Trials of Love: The Beloved's Dream of Losing Her Lover
  • Sos 5:8-16 -- The Triumph of Love: The Beloved Praises Her Lover

Bible Dictionary

  • Personification

    [nave] PERSONIFICATION Of wisdom, Prov. 1; 2:1-9; 8; 9. possibly of the Church or Israel, Song 1-8.

  • Song

    [nave] SONG Sung at the passover, Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26. Didactic, Deut. 32. See: Psalms, Didactic. Impersonation of the church, Song 1-8. Of Moses and the Lamb, Rev. 15:3, 4. New, Psa. 33:3; 40:3. Prophetic, See: Psalms, P...

  • Fellowship

    [nave] FELLOWSHIP. Eccl. 4:9-12; Amos 3:3 See: Fraternity; Fellowship. With God Gen. 5:22, 24; Gen. 6:9; Ex. 29:45; Ex. 33:14-17; Lev. 26:12; Isa. 57:15; Zech. 2:10; Mark 9:37; John 14:23; John 17:21, 23; 2 Cor. 6:16; 2 Cor. 13:...

  • Lovers

    [nave] LOVERS. Instances of Isaac for Rebekah, Gen. 24:67. Jacob for Rachel, Gen. 29:20, 30. Shechem for Dinah, Gen. 34:3, 12. Boaz for Ruth, Ruth 2-4. of romance, mistresses, paramours Song 1:13, 14, 16; 2:3, 8, 9, 10, 16, 1...

  • Myrrh

    [isbe] MYRRH - mur: (1) (mor or mowr; Arabic murr]): This substance is mentioned as valuable for its perfume (Ps 45:8; Prov 7:17; Song 3:6; 4:14), and as one of the constituents of the holy incense (Ex 30:23; see also Song 4:6; 5:1...
    [nave] MYRRH, a fragrant gum. A product of the land of Canaan, Song 4:6, 14; 5:1. One of the compounds in the sacred anointing oil, Ex. 30:23. Used as a perfume, Esth. 2:12; Psa. 45:8; Prov. 7:17; Song 3:6; 5:13. Brought by wise ...

  • Milk

    [isbe] MILK - milk (chalabh; gala; Latin lac (2 Esdras 2:19; 8:10)): The fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals for the nourishment of their young. The word is used in the Bible of that of human beings (Isa 28:9) as...
    [nave] MILK Used for food, Gen. 18:8; Judg. 4:19; Song 5:1; Ezek. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:7. Of goats, Prov. 27:27; sheep, Deut. 32:14; Isa. 7:21, 22; camels, Gen. 32:15; cows, Deut. 32:14; 1 Sam. 6:7, 10. Churned, Prov. 30:33. Kid not t...

  • LOCKS

    [isbe] LOCKS - loks ((1) tsitsith, (2) pera'; (3) machlaphah, (4) qewutstsah): See in general the article on HAIR. (1) The first word, tsitsith, means really a tassel, such as is worn by the Jews on the four corners of the prayer-s...

  • ADJURATION

    [isbe] ADJURATION - ad-ju-ra'-shun: The act of requiring or taking a solemn oath. In a time of military peril Saul adjured the people ('alah, "to take oath") and they took oath by saying "Amen" (1 Sam 14:24). When Joshua pronounced...

  • Watchman

    [isbe] WATCHMAN - woch'-man (tsopheh, shomer, metsappeh, notser): Used to designate a sentinel on the city walls (2 Sam 18:25; 2 Ki 9:18; Ps 127:1; Isa 62:6) or on the hilltops (Jer 31:6). Song 3:3; 5:7 introduces another class, "t...
    [nave] WATCHMAN, a sentinel. On the walls of cities, Song 3:3; 5:7; of Jerusalem, 2 Sam. 13:34; 18:24, 25; Neh. 4:9; 7:3; Isa. 52:8; 62:6; of Babylon, Jer. 51:12. On towers, 2 Kin. 9:17; 2 Chr. 20:24; Isa. 21:5-12; Jer. 31:6. At t...

  • BEARD

    [isbe] BEARD - berd: (1) Western Semites in general, according to the monuments, wore full round beards, to which they evidently devoted great care. The nomads of the desert, in distinction from the settled Semites, wore a clipped ...

  • Church

    [nave] CHURCH, the collective body of believers. Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics Called in the O.T., The Congregation, Ex. 12:3, 6, 19, 47; 16:1, 2, 9, 10, 22; Lev. 4:13, 15; 10:17; 24:14. Called in the N.T., Church, Matt. 16:18; ...

  • HAIR

    [isbe] HAIR - har (se`ar, sa`ar, Aramaic se`ar, and their derivatives; thrix, gen. case trichos, kome): 1. Hair Fashions: Hair was worn in different fashions by the Orientals of Biblical times, and not always in the same way among ...
    [smith] The Hebrews were fully alive to the importance of the hair as an element of personal beauty. Long hair was admired in the case of young men. (2 Samuel 14:26) In times of affliction the hair was altogether cut off. (Isaiah ...

  • Raven

    [isbe] RAVEN - ra'-vn (`orebh; korax; Latin Corvus corax): A large family of the smaller birds of prey belonging to the genus Corvus corax. A bird of such universal distribution that it is known from Iceland to Japan, all over Asia...
    [nave] RAVEN A black carnivorous bird, Prov. 30:17; Song 5:11. Forbidden as food, Lev. 11:15; Deut. 14:14. Preserved by Noah in the ark, Gen. 8:7. Fed Elijah, 1 Kin. 17:4-6. Cared for by divine providence, Luke 12:24.

  • COLOR; COLORS

    [isbe] COLOR; COLORS - kul'-er, kul'-erz: The word translated "color" in the King James Version is `ayin, which literally means "eye" or "appearance," and has been so translated in the Revised Version (British and American). In the...

  • DRESS

    [isbe] DRESS - In the Hebrew and Greek there is a wonderful wealth of terminology having to do with the general subject of dress among the ancient Orientals. This is reflected in the numerous synonyms for "dress" to be found in Eng...
    [smith] This subject includes the following particulars: Materials; Color and decoration; Name, form, and mode of wearing the various articles; Special usages relating thereto. Materials .--After the first "apron" of fig leaves, (Ge...

  • Bowels

    [nave] BOWELS Diseased, 2 Chr. 21:15-20. Judas', gushed out, Acts 1:18. Figurative Of the sensibilities, Gen. 43:30; 1 Kin. 3:26; Job 30:27; Psa. 22:14; Song 5:4; Jer. 4:19; 31:20; Lam. 1:20; Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Col. 3:12; 1 John 3:...

  • Washing

    [nave] WASHING, Ex. 19:10, 14; Matt. 15:2; Mark 7:2-5, 8, 9; Luke 11:38; Heb. 9:10. Of priests, Ex. 29:4; 30:18-21; 40:12, 31, 32; Lev. 8:6; 16:4, 24, 26, 28; Num. 19:7-10, 19; 2 Chr. 4:6. Of burnt offerings, Lev. 1:9, 13; 9:14;...

  • Beloved

    [nave] BELOVED Deut. 33:12; Psa. 60:5; 108:6; 127:2; Song 5:9; Isa. 5:1; Jer. 11:15; Matt. 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; 12:6; Luke 3:22; 20:13; Acts 15:25; Rom. 1:7; 11:28; 12:19; 16:5, 8, 9, 12; 1 Cor. 4:14, 17; 10:14; 15:58...

  • SPICE, SPICES

    [smith] Heb. basam, besem or bosem . In (Solomon 5:1) "I have gathered my myrrh with my spice," the word points apparently to some definite substance. In the other places, with the exception perhaps of (Solomon 1:13; 6:2) the words ...

  • DEFILE; DEFILEMENT

    [isbe] DEFILE; DEFILEMENT - de-fil', de-fil'-ment (Anglo-Saxon, afylau, etc.; Middle English, defoulen, "make foul," "pollute," render (the King James Version) 9 Hebrew roots (the Revised Version (British and American) six): ga`al,...
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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Sos 5:9] Wond’ring World Inquires To Know, The
  • [Sos 5:10] Savior Comes, No Outward Pomp, The

Questions

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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...
  • As the book begins, the young woman and young man have already met and "fallen in love."In verses 2-4a the girl voices her desire for her boyfriend's physical affection."It is significant to this work that the girl speaks fir...
  • 1:12-14 The Shulammite girl (6:3) described the effect that seeing Solomon had on her as he reclined at his banquet "table."She wore nard (spikenard, "perfume"NASB, NIV; cf. Mark 14:3; John 12:3), which was an ointment that c...
  • 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...
  • 4:16 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...
  • 5:2 Again the woman dreamed (cf. 3:1-4). In her dream her husband came to her having been out of doors in the evening. His mind appears to have been on making love in view of what follows.5:3-4 However she had lost interest. ...
  • This pericope contains the most extensive physical description of any character in the Old Testament, namely, Solomon. Of course, it is poetic and so not a completely literal description.5:9 We might hear this attitude expres...
  • 6:4-10 Solomon's first words to his beloved were praises. Verse 4c probably means Solomon felt weak-kneed as a result of gazing on his wife's beauty, as he would have felt facing a mighty opposing army. Her eyes too unnerved ...
  • Even today we speak of "graceful palm trees."Verse 9b voices the wife's eager response. All these verses reflect the increased freedom in sexual matters that is a normal part of the maturation of marital love. A husband has t...
  • The Shulammite exulted in her complete abandonment to her husband and in his complete satisfaction with her (cf. 2:16; 6:3). These joys increase through the years of a healthy marriage."Far from being the objectionable condit...
  • 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...
  • These verses summarize the theme of the book.8:5a Evidently these are the words of the daughters of Jerusalem. The couple is coming up out of the wilderness. The "wilderness"connoted Israel's 40 years of trials to the Jewish ...
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