Happy Valentine’s Day! As I was thinking about sharing on my FaceBook and YouTube High 5 today, Song of Solomon 5:10-16 came to my mind. This is the maiden sharing with the daughters of Jerusalem (immature believers) about her beloved. I want to break down those verses for you because they are so full of Jewish idioms and poetic phrases. As you meditate on these traits, representing our Bridegroom Jesus Christ, I pray that your love and appreciation for Him will be magnified this Valentine’s Day of 2020.
Vs 10, (The Shulamite) My beloved is white and ruddy, chief among ten thousand.
- White in Hebrew is tsach, dazzling, glowing, bright (represents purity, separated from any sin)
- Ruddy in Hebrew is adom, red, ruddy, full of life and power (from adam, Lexicon reads ‘whiteness and ruddiness belongs to the description of youthful beauty’)
- Chief in Hebrew is dagal, banner, standard; to look, behold (Jesus is not only our banner, but our banner carrier)
- Ten Thousand – rebabah, often used for a very large number, millions, multiple
Vs 11, His head is like the finest gold; his locks are wavy, and black as a raven.
- Head speaks of his leadership
- Like finest gold – life of God, superior to all others
- Locks – hair, dedication to God (Nazarite) and committed to the Church
- Wavy in Hebrew is taltal, bushy, flowing (used this 1 time in the Bible)
- Black as a raven – describing the color
- Grey would be diminished of power, strength
- Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever – eternal power!
Vs 12, His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
- Eyes speak of discernment, understanding, wisdom, knowledge
- Here they also express emotions – tears of tenderness
- Doves – singleness of vision
Vs 13, His cheeks are like a bed of spices, banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.
- Cheeks speak of emotions, passions, pleasures
- Spices describe the diversity of His affections for us
- Lips – speech, words
- Lilies – pure
- Dripping with myrrh – selfless
- Watchman Nee comments, The droppings of myrrh do not mean just grace; they are related to His death. This denotes the grace that issues forth from His death. His lips drop myrrh; every word of grace that comes out of His mouth is based on His death. Whether it is, “Your sins are forgiven…Go in peace” (7:48-50), “He who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47), or “Rise and take up your mat and walk” (Mark 2:9), all these words are based on His death
Vs 14, His hands are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires.
- Hands speak of activity
- Rods of gold – divine character (following the perfect will of God)
- KJV says gold ‘rings’ – galiyl, turning, folding rod, circuit (will not slip off)
- Beryl – tarshiysh, amber colored stone
- Bullinger comments, Adorned with the gems of Tarshish (alluding to the nails, of which great care was taken
- Watchman Nee- Therefore, the rings are gold. “Beryl” is mentioned a few times in the Old Testament, including Ezekiel 1:16 and Daniel 10:6. In both places, the meaning is stability…. Hence, both the gold rings and the beryl speak of the stability of the Lord’s work
- Body/Bowels – compassion (moved with compassion)
- KJV – “his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires”
- Carved Ivory – rare and expensive; an animal must die to get the ivory
- Sapphires – “the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exo 24:10)
- His feelings come directly from heaven
Vs 15, His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
- Legs – His walk, forward motion; administration of His purposes; upright posture
- Pillars – strength, support
- Marble – strong and permanent
- Gold – divinity
- She mentions gold 3 times: thoughts of His mind, works of His hands, stability of His feet – all controlled by God
- Countenance – mar’eh, what is seen; sight, importation of glory
- Lebanon – stately and honorable
- Cedars – very tall tree; high and lifted up
Vs 16, His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved,
and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!
- Mouth – chek, taste, gums, palate (2:3; 7:9)
- A taste tester would taste everything before giving it to the king; here our King has tasted everything before giving it to us.
- After 10 descriptions of her Beloved, she sums it into “altogether lovely”
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