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Texts -- The Song of Songs 8:1-11 (NET)

Context
The Beloved’s Wish Song
8:1 The Beloved to Her Lover: Oh, how I wish you were my little brother , nursing at my mother’s breasts ; if I saw you outside , I could kiss you– surely no one would despise me! 8:2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house , the one who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink , the nectar of my pomegranates .
Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration
8:3 The Beloved about Her Lover: His left hand caresses my head , and his right hand stimulates me. 8:4 The Beloved to the Maidens: I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem : “Do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases !”
The Awakening of Love
8:5 The Maidens about His Beloved: Who is this coming up from the desert , leaning on her beloved? The Beloved to Her Lover: Under the apple tree I aroused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth .
The Nature of True Love
8:6 The Beloved to Her Lover: Set me like a cylinder seal over your heart , like a signet on your arm . For love is as strong as death , passion is as unrelenting as Sheol . Its flames burst forth , it is a blazing flame . 8:7 Surging waters cannot quench love ; floodwaters cannot overflow it. If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love , the offer would be utterly despised .
The Brother’s Plan and the Sister’s Reward
8:8 The Beloved’s Brothers: We have a little sister , and as yet she has no breasts . What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? 8:9 If she is a wall , we will build on her a battlement of silver ; but if she is a door , we will barricade her with boards of cedar . 8:10 The Beloved: I was a wall , and my breasts were like fortress towers . Then I found favor in his eyes .
Solomon’s Vineyard and the Beloved’s Vineyard
8:11 The Beloved to Her Lover: Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon ; he leased out the vineyard to those who maintained it. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit .

Pericope

NET
  • Sos 8:1-2 -- The Beloved's Wish Song
  • Sos 8:3-4 -- Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration
  • Sos 8:5 -- The Awakening of Love
  • Sos 8:6-7 -- The Nature of True Love
  • Sos 8:8-10 -- The Brother's Plan and the Sister's Reward
  • Sos 8:11-12 -- Solomon's Vineyard and the Beloved's Vineyard

Bible Dictionary

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  • [Sos 8:5] Who Is This Fair One In Distress?

Questions

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...
  • There have been three primary reasons that some scholars have thought this book does not deserve to be in the Bible. First, it does not contain the name of God. However, God's name may appear in 8:6. Furthermore, what makes a...
  • Contemporary culture has affected the interpretation of this book more than that of most other Bible books. For many years believers considered this book to be a revelation of God's love for the believer and the believer's lo...
  • 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...
  • This charge by Solomon occurs again later (3:5; 8:4) and serves as an indicator that one pericope has ended. The point of Solomon's words is that others desiring the kind of relationship he and his beloved enjoyed should be p...
  • 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 ...
  • Verses 8-12 flash back to the Shulammite's life before meeting Solomon and their first encounter. Verses 13-14 reveal their final mature love....
  • 8:8-9 These words by the Shulammite's older brothers (cf. 1:6) reveal their desire to prepare her for a proper marriage. Comparing her to a wall may mean that she might use self-restraint and exclude all unwarranted advances ...
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