sos part 5 - songs 10 to 12

The Song of Solomon5 Studies

Study 5, Songs 10 – 12 & Conclusion15th December 2010

Study 4, Songs 7 - 91. Song 7: His First Advent And Love’s Awakening

• The physical effects of separation, seen in the lovesick Bride• The token of the Bridegroom’s sacrifice seen, but he had “withdrawn” • The Bridegroom’s head to toe perfection, “chiefest among ten thousand”

2. Song 8: Awaiting His Coming• Israel (“the vine”) the indicator of the nearness of Christ’s return• “the chariots of Amminadib... Shulamite” – royal connections • “the company of two armies” – the united Jew and Gentile host

3. Song 9: The Radiant Beauty Of The Bride• The Bride’s toe to head perfection, the “prince’s daughter”• “palm tree... clusters of grapes” – the evidence of fruitfulness• “causing the lips of those... asleep to speak” – life to the spiritually dead

Last time’s study on a single slide

Much maligned/misunderstood

• Variously described by so-called ‘Christian’ writers and higher critics as ‘erotic’ ‘misogynistic’ ‘obscene’ (etc.)

• All of these accusations completely miss the point and ignore the hidden depths of the book’s content– e.g. the symbolic “breasts” of spiritual maturity (8 references)

• We must ensure that we look beyond the surface appearances in the book, to gain deep instruction

“The Book of Love”

Different Hebrew words used (5 in total):• 39 appearances dowd (masculine noun)

– Strong: ‘from an unused root meaning properly, to boil, i.e. (figuratively) to love’ – BDB: ‘loved one, beloved’

• 11 appearances ahabah (feminine noun)– Strong: ‘affection’

• 9 appearances ra’yah (feminine noun)*– Strong: ‘a female associate’ – BDB: ‘attendant maidens, a companion’

• 7 appearances ahab or aheb (masculine verb)– Strong: ‘to have affection for’– Vine: ‘equivalent to the English "to love" in the sense of having a strong emotional attachment

to and desire either to possess or to be in the presence of the object’

• 1 appearance machmad (masculine noun)– Strong: ‘delightful... object of affection or desire’

A search for the English word love and all its variant forms uncovers total 67 appearances:‘beloved’ (31), ‘love’ (26), ‘loveth’ (5), ‘beloved’s’ (2), ‘loves’ (1), ‘lovely’ (1), ‘wellbeloved’ (1)

* only appears in SoS

from same root

Reminder of our 5 studies (God willing)

• Intro. & Background17th March

Study 1

• Songs 1–37th July

Study 2 • Songs 4–6

25th August

Study 3

• Songs 7–96th October

Study 4 • Songs 10–12 & Concl.Today

Study 5

The 12 Songs – our suggested split

Song 1 ch. 1v1-8[8 verses]

Song 2 ch. 1v9-2v7[16 verses]

Song 3ch. 2v8-17[10 verses]


Song 5ch. 3v6-4v7[13 verses]



Song 8 ch. 6v11-13[3 verses]


Song 10ch. 7v10-8v4

[8 verses]



= total 117 verses

Song 10ch. 7v10-8v4

[8 verses]



Our script

SONG 10 – chapter 7 v 10 – 8 v 4

Overview of Song 10

In numbers

• 8 verses total• 8 verses dialogue

• Bride (8 verses)

A synopsis

7 v. 10-13 The Bride’s invitation to her beloved

8 v. 1-2 The purity of her love8 v. 3-4 Her longing for his

companionship

Song 10: Her Joy In His Companionship

Song 10 (chapter 7v10 to chapter 8v4) – Her Joy In His Companionship

10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.8v1 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me” – Bride’s confidence following Bridegroom’s words in the 2nd half of previous song (‘How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!’ ch. 7 v 6)

“The mandrakes give a smell” – Heb. duwday = Strong: ‘an aphrodisiac’; BDB: ‘a love-apple’; TWOT: makes link between this word and the root ‘beloved’ (Heb. dowd). The only other appearance of mandrakes is in Genesis 30 v 14-16, describing Leah’s conception of Issachar

“pleasant fruits, new and old” – only other appearance in scripture of phrase “new and old” is Matthew 13 v 52: ‘Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.’ [Contrast the sharing of fruits in this garden with those eaten in the garden of Eden, here fruits convey obedience]


10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.8v1 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

“loves” plural, the multitudinous Bride is seen

“O that thou wert as my brother” – the Bride feels inadequate before the royal Bridegroom and wishes that she and he were of common parentage/ancestry. Also, in Eastern culture, public displays of romantic affection are “despised” whereas shows of affection between family members are considered acceptable. The Bride, in actual fact, is considered by the Bridegroom to be a sister-spouse (e.g. ch 4 v 9)

“spiced wine” – Heb. reqach = Strong: ‘perfumery’; is a Biblical ‘oncer’ coming from the Heb. raqach which is used in Exodus 30 and 37 to describe the compounding of incense

“His left hand...” – tense is unclear. Some translations suggest that an expression of longing e.g. RSV: ‘O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!’ Cp. Us


10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

8v1 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

SONG 11 – chapter 8 v 5 - 7

Overview of Song 11

In numbers


• Bridegroom (1½ verses)

• Bride (1 verse)• Virgins (½ verse)

A synopsis

8 v. 5 Reminiscing on the courtship

8 v. 6-7 Their unquenchable love

Song 11: They Speak Of Their Unquenchable Love

Song 11 (chapter 8v5-7) – They Speak Of Their Unquenchable Love

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

“cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved” – same imagery as used in ch. 3 v 6. Here the united Bride and Bridegroom come together from Sinai, following the resurrection / judgement (as in Deuteronomy 33v2)

“a seal” – Heb. chowtham = Strong: ‘a signature-ring’ (a most personal item, see case of Judah/Tamar in Genesis 38 v 18). Seal is to be on “heart” (mind) and “arm” (strength)

Verses 6 and 7 describe the supremacy of love, it is all-surpassing:“strong as death” – it was love that led the Bridegroom to give up his own life“many waters cannot quench” – the Bridegroom continues the imagery of the “flame” mentioned by the Bride, explaining that it cannot be put out“if a man would give all the substance of his house” – love cannot be purchased with money, but it must nevertheless be bought (see Isaiah 55 v 1-2 ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat...’)

Song 11 (chapter 8v5-7) – They Speak Of Their Unquenchable Love

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

SONG 12 – chapter 8 v 8 - 14

Overview of Song 12

In numbers


• Bride (5 verses)• Bridegroom (2 verses)

A synopsis

8 v. 8-10 Responsibility in family matters

8 v. 11-12 Responsibility in the inheritance

8 v. 13 His final request8 v. 14 Her final prayer

Song 12: The Fruit Of The Marriage

Song 12 (chapter 8v8-14) – The Fruit Of The Marriage

8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

“We have a little sister... no breasts” – a state of spiritual immaturity. Describes those in Millennium who need to come to a full understanding of the truth, being taught by Bridegroom/Bride. In particular this will apply to God’s people Israel (hence “we have... sister”) , who will have the eyes of their understanding opened

“I am a wall... my breasts like towers” – a state of full spiritual maturity. The Bride is therefore ideally placed to teach the subjects of the Kingdom, as Daniel 12 v 3 (from Amplified Bible):

“And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness (to uprightness and right standing with God) [shall give forth light] like the stars forever and ever. [Matt 13:43.]”

“we will build... palace of silver” – silver linked with redemption (Exodus 30 v 12-13), promised redemption of little sister; cedar linked with incorruptibility/immortality, again future hope offered



“Baal-hamon” – Heb. Strong: ‘possessor of a multitude’. The letter h was added to the names of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17, indicating future fruitfulness/seed. Also features in Ezekiel 39 v 11 “bury Gog and all his multitude... call it The valley of Hamon-gog.” The redeemed “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7 v 9)

“vineyard” – used to describe God’s nation (Isaiah 5 v 1-7, Matthew 21 v 33-41)

“thousand pieces of silver” – link with the 1,000 years in the Millennium(?) See also Isaiah 7 v 23

“make haste, my beloved” – compare with the penultimate verse of Revelation: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (ch 22 v 20) How do we feel about this? Is there an urgency in our prayerful request, as with the importunate widow (Luke 18 v 1-8)?



Final conclusions (1)

• As individuals we decide the outcome of this love story*• The Bridegroom’s identity certain – the Lord Jesus Christ• The Bride’s identity still being decided – will we be a part?

* By God’s grace and mercy

Final conclusions (2)

• We must learn the lessons of this most excellent Song:– The Bride has a true / unspoilt royal beauty– Others see the Bride as separate and distinct– The Bride understands the Bridegroom’s sacrifice of himself– The Bridegroom is not to be found in the world– The Bridegroom’s long absence is endured

LOVEUnderpinning all of this...

sos part 5 - songs 10 to 12

Spiritual

7v108v48 versessong

o love

verses song

1v92v716 versessong

5v26v1025 versessong

3v64v713 versessong

4v85v110 versessong

chapter 7v10