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Texts -- The Song of Songs 6:1-12 (NET)

Context
The Lost Lover Found
6:1 The Maidens to the Beloved: Where has your beloved gone , O most beautiful among women ? Where has your beloved turned ? Tell us, that we may seek him with you. 6:2 The Beloved to the Maidens: My beloved has gone down to his garden , to the flowerbeds of balsam spices , to graze in the gardens , and to gather lilies .
Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession
6:3 The Beloved about Her Lover: I am my lover’s and my lover is mine; he grazes among the lilies .
The Renewal of Love
6:4 The Lover to His Beloved: My darling , you are as beautiful as Tirzah , as lovely as Jerusalem , as awe-inspiring as bannered armies! 6:5 Turn your eyes away from me– they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead . 6:6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing ; each has its twin ; not one of them is missing . 6:7 Like a slice of pomegranate is your forehead behind your veil . 6:8 There may be sixty queens , and eighty concubines , and young women without number . 6:9 But she is unique ! My dove , my perfect one ! She is the special daughter of her mother , she is the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and complimented her; the queens and concubines praised her: 6:10 “Who is this who appears like the dawn ? Beautiful as the moon , bright as the sun , awe-inspiring as the stars in procession ?”
The Return to the Vineyards
6:11 The Lover to His Beloved: I went down to the orchard of walnut trees , to look for the blossoms of the valley , to see if the vines had budded or if the pomegranates were in bloom . 6:12 I was beside myself with joy ! There please give me your myrrh , O daughter of my princely people .

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • [Sos 6:10] Fairest Lord Jesus
  • [Sos 6:10] O Jesu, Thou The Beauty Art

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Many references to Solomon throughout the book confirm the claim of 1:1 that Solomon wrote this book (cf. 1:4-5, 12; 3:7, 9, 11; 6:12; 7:5; 8:11-12; 1 Kings 4:33). He reigned between 971 and 931 B.C.How could Solomon, who had...
  • 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...
  • 6:1 The Shulammite convinced the daughters of Jerusalem that her love for her husband was deep and genuine. They agreed to search for Solomon with her.6:2-3 Having expressed her love for her husband, the Shulammite now knew w...
  • 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 ...
  • 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...
  • The primary purpose of the book seems to be to present an example of the proper pre-marital, marital, and post-marital relationship of a man and a woman. This example includes illustrations of the solutions to common problems...
  • The first sentence in this pericope (section) serves as a title for the section, as the sentence in verse 1 did for 1:1-17. Matthew recorded the supernatural birth of Jesus to demonstrate further His qualification as Israel's...
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