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 mind. The couple had emerged from their trials successfully too (i.e., insecurity, 1:5-6; the "foxes,"2:15; and apathy, 5:2-7). The "wilderness"also symbolized God's curse (cf. Jer. 22:6; Joel 2:3). The couple had likewise overcome the curse of disharmony that God had placed on Adam and Eve by their love for one another (cf. Gen. 3:16).
8:5b The Shulammite reminded her husband (masculine "you"in Hebrew) of the beginning of their love. The apple tree was a symbol of love in ancient poetry because of its beauty, fragrance, and sweet fruit. She had given him a type of new birth by awakening him to love.
8:6-7 She asked to be his most valued possession; she wanted him to be jealous over her in the proper sense (cf. Prov. 6:34).
"The word seal' (hotam) refers to an engraved stone used for authenticating a document or other possession. This could be suspended by a cord around the neck (over the heart) as in Genesis 38:18. The word hotamcan also refer to a seal ring' worn on the hand (in Song of Songs 5:14 hand' is used to mean arm'). The hotamwas something highly precious to the owner and could be used symbolically for a person whom one valued [cf. Jer. 22:24; Hag. 2:23]. . . . The bride was asking Solomon that he treasure her, that he regard her as a prized seal."84
She next described the love they shared. It was as powerful as death, as controlling as the grave, as passionate as fire, as irresistible as a river, and priceless. Such love comes from God: "the . . . flame of the Lord"(v. 6). No one can purchase love. It is only available as a gift.
"With this homily, the bride has delivered the great moral lesson of the book. . . .
"She was prepared to be a loyal and faithful wife, but Solomon ultimately had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3). No wonder she, not he, delivers the moral lesson of the book. He was totally unqualified to speak on the issue of godly dedicated love. He knew the physical side of it, but apparently he did not know the love she cherished."85
