Song of Songs 3:7

7 Picture Solomon's bed— sixty heroic men round about it, all from the heroes of Israel,

Song of Songs 3:7 Meaning and Commentary

Song of Solomon 3:7

Behold his bed which [is] Solomon's
Not Solomon the son of David, and penman of this song, but a greater than he, the antitype of him; so it is interpreted of the Messiah by many Jewish writers F17: they were both sons of David and sons of God, and kings and preachers in Jerusalem. Solomon was a type of Christ in his wisdom and wealth, in the largeness and peaceableness of his kingdom; in his marriage with Pharaoh's daughter, and in building the temple, a figure of the church: and by his bed is meant the place where saints meet together for religious worship, his church visible, which is his resting and dwelling place; where souls are begotten and born again, and have fellowship with Christ; and which he has a property in by gift and purchase: and a behold is prefixed to it as a note of attention, directing the daughters of Jerusalem to turn off the discourse from her, and from commendation of her, to consider the greatness of Christ her beloved; who might conclude, that if his bed was so stately as after described, bow great must he himself be; and as a note of admiration, to show how much she was affected with the greatness of his grace to her, and the privileges she enjoyed of having nearness to him, and fellowship with him;

threescore valiant men [are] about it, of the valiant of Israel;
ministers of the Gospel, such as are Israelites indeed, faithful and upright; and who are valiant, and heartily concerned for the good and welfare of Christ's people, and are careful that nothing hurt them, nor disturb their rest and repose. In the number of them, the allusion may be to the guard about Solomon's bed; which might consist of so many, partly for the security of his royal person, and partly for grandeur and majesty: and were just double the number of his father's worthies, he excelling him in greatness and glory; though it may be a certain number is put for an uncertain; and this is a competent and sufficient one.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Targum, Aben Ezra, Jarchi, Kimchi, Ben Melech, and Abendana.

Song of Songs 3:7 In-Context

5 I place you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild deer: don't rouse, don't arouse love until it desires.
6 Who is this, coming up from the wilderness, like pillars of smoke? She is perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, selected from all the spice merchant's powders.
7 Picture Solomon's bed— sixty heroic men round about it, all from the heroes of Israel,
8 all of them skilled with the sword, expert in warfare, each with his sword ready at his thigh against terrors that come by night.
9 King Solomon made a canopied couch for himself from the trees of Lebanon.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible