III. THE WEDDING 3:6--5:1

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 than religious ceremonies.

There were three parts to a wedding in the ancient Near East. First, the groom's parents selected a bride for their son. This involved securing the permission of the bride's parents and the approval of both the bride and the groom themselves. Though the parents of the young people arranged the marriage, they usually obtained the consent of both the bride and the groom. Second, on the wedding day the groom proceeded to the bride's house accompanied by a group of his friends. He then escorted her to the site of the wedding ceremony and finally took her to their new residence accompanied by their friends. Physical union consummated the marriage the night after the wedding ceremony took place. Third, the couple feasted with their friends usually for seven days following the wedding ceremony.⁵⁹

In the section before us (3:6-5:1) the writer mentioned the wedding procession (3:6-11) and the consummation (4:1-5:1).

". . . the book is framed by an inclusio involving the brothers' and the vineyard,' and at the heart of the book is the wedding day, framed by two dream' sections with noticeable parallels."⁶⁰

 A. The Procession 3:6-11

3:6 The marriage procession of King (or Prince) Solomon would have been unusually splendid, as this description portrays.

"The pomp and beauty of this procession were wholly appropriate in light of the event's significance. The Scriptures teach that marriage is one of the most important events in a person's life. Therefore it is fitting that the union of a couple be commemorated in a special way. The current practice of couples casually living together apart from the bonds of marriage demonstrates how unfashionable genuine commitment to another person has become in contemporary society. This violates the sanctity of marriage and is contrary to God's standards of purity."⁶¹

3:7-8 The 60 warriors were Solomon's chosen friends. Normally the groom's friends accompanied him to the house of his prospective wife. These friends were very likely members of Solomon's bodyguard. His example of providing protection for his bride is one that every new husband should follow. This might include a measure of financial security for her.

3:9-11 Solomon provided his bride with the best he could afford. This self-sacrificing attitude evidences his genuine love for her. Solomon's crown was a special one his mother Bathsheba gave him for this occasion. It evidently represented his joy as well as his royalty. This may have been a crowning that preceded Solomon's coronation as king, since the high priest crowned him then (cf. 1 Kings 1:32-48; 2 Kings 11:11-20).⁶²

"Crowns, usually wreaths of flowers rather than royal crowns, were frequently worn by the nuptial couple in wedding festivities."⁶³

 B. The Consummation 4:1-5:1

Our attention now turns from the public procession that took place on the wedding day to the private union that followed that night.