Reflections on Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 02 (Contemporary English Version)


1. I am merely a rose from the land of Sharon, a lily from the valley.
   
2. My darling, when compared with other young women, you are a lily among thorns.
   
3. And you, my love, are an apple tree among trees of the forest. Your shade brought me pleasure; your fruit was sweet.
   
4. You led me to your banquet room and showered me with love.
   
5. Refresh and strengthen me with raisins and apples. I am hungry for love!
   
6. Put your left hand under my head and embrace me with your right arm.
   
7. Young women of Jerusalem, promise me by the power of deer and gazelles never to awaken love before it is ready.
   
8. I hear the voice of the one I love, as he comes leaping over mountains and hills
   
9. like a deer or a gazelle. Now he stands outside our wall, looking through the window
   
10. and speaking to me. My darling, I love you! Let's go away together.
    
11. Winter is past, the rain has stopped;
    
12. flowers cover the earth, it's time to sing. The cooing of doves is heard in our land.
    
13. Fig trees are bearing fruit, while blossoms on grapevines fill the air with perfume. My darling, I love you! Let's go away together.
    
14. You are my dove hiding among the rocks on the side of a cliff. Let me see how lovely you are! Let me hear the sound of your melodious voice.
    
15. Our vineyards are in blossom; we must catch the little foxes that destroy the vineyards.
    
16. My darling, I am yours, and you are mine, as you feed your sheep among the lilies.
    
17. Pretend to be a young deer dancing on mountain slopes until daylight comes and shadows fade away.
    

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The Song of Solomon is a courtship between a man and woman in which the lover is the man and the beloved is the woman. It is the beloved who is speaking at the beginning of chapter 2, describing herself as a rose of Sharon or lily of the valleys. Both were common flowers, making her description that of just a common beauty, nothing special. But it is an improvement over the previous chapter in which she spoke of being dark-skinned from working in the sun and feeling self-conscious about it. Her lover does not accept this description, though. He tells her that her beauty is not common at all. She is like a lily alright, but not just a common lily. No, she is like a lily among thorns compared to other women. Her beauty stands out over the rest.

She then reciprocates in her praise of him. She compares him to an apple tree (apricot tree in some translations) found in the forest. One does not expect to find a fruit tree in the forest. As the fruit tree is a delightful find in the forest, so is her lover among all other men. Then she expresses three things she finds appealing in him:

• She felt protected sitting in his shade

• His fruit was sweet to her taste - there was an intimacy in their understanding of each other. As in Psalms 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good," the word taste expresses a knowing of someone intimately.


• He was proud of her as was demonstrated in his taking her to the banquet hall to be seen with her, publicly looking on her with love.
  

The Beloved then speaks to the other young women of Jerusalem, telling them to let love develop in its own time - don't force it. "Do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time." Too frequently love is more about sex than about relationship. Sex is a natural physical attraction that can happen naturally between a man and woman - any man and woman. It doesn't make a particular person special. It is the intimacy of personal relationship between two people and commitment to one another that makes a person special. Letting love develop naturally in its own time allows a foundation for love that can last which is in complete contrast to forcing it forward through sex, which is like a drug that soon wears off.

This comment by the Beloved to the other young women is used at different times in the book to serve as an ending of a section. Beginning with verse 8 the scene has changed. It has moved to the country to the home of the Beloved. She described her lover coming to see her. He came as a gazelle or young stag, attractive and agile, leaping over the mountains, anxious to see her. He arrived at the wall around her home, peering through the lattice for sight of her. It was now springtime and everything was in bloom, giving off its fragrance, and the coo of the turtledoves could be heard across the land. He invited her for a walk to enjoy this beautiful springtime. But he also wanted to be alone with her to see her face and hear her voice. This is another important aspect of developing love - being alone and getting to know one another. The love of a man and woman is much like our relationship with the Lord, requiring time alone to allow the relationship to develop. Couples who are seldom alone together do not have opportunity to really get to know one another, nor do individuals who only encounter God in public settings get to know Him intimately.

Verse 15 is unclear as to its meaning, but it seems that the Beloved's brothers now interrupt the couple's time alone telling her she must help them catch the foxes in the vineyard. It was also the brothers who made her work the vineyards that caused her to be tanned and dark-skinned, making her self-conscious. Duty calls and takes the lovers from their time alone as is a natural part of life. Couples have to work at having this time alone. But the Beloved leaves her lover, returning to her responsibilities, knowing that "My love is mine and I am his." She invites him to come to her again.