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 him (v. 5a). By using some of the same flattering comparisons he had employed on their wedding night (vv. 5-7), he assured her that his love for her had not diminished since then. The other women (vv. 8-9) were, perhaps, the women who frequented his court. Some commentators have taken them to be the members of Solomon's harem.79
"If . . . the relationship of Solomon and Shulamith was monogamous at the outset, then the queen's concubines and virgins without number' must refer to those attached to the court of the king but not a part of his personal harem."80
Solomon used these women for comparison to show how highly not only he but many other people regarded his beloved. Her beauty had grown and was still increasing in his eyes (v. 10).
6:11-13 Verses 11-12 are probably the Shulammite's words. She had gone down to Solomon's garden (v. 2) but to see if his love for her was still in bloom more than to examine the natural foliage (v. 11). Immediately because of his affirmation of his love (vv. 4-10) she felt elevated in her spirit, as though she was chief over all the 1,400 chariots in Solomon's great army (1 Kings 10:26). Evidently in her dream she rode out of the garden in a chariot accompanied by Solomon. As she did, the people they passed called out to her to come back so they might look on her beauty longer (v. 13a). However, Solomon answered them, "Why should you gaze at the Shulammite as you do at the dance at Mahanaim?"Perhaps he was referring to a celebration held at that transjordanian town that drew a specially large crowd of onlookers. However, we have no record that such an event took place there.
This ends the Shulammite's second dream (5:2-6:13; cf. 3:1-4).
