Song of Solomon 1:2

Maiden’s Soliloquy

2 {May[a] you kiss me}[b] {passionately with your lips},[c] for your love [is] better than wine.[d]

Song of Solomon 1:2 Meaning and Commentary

Song of Solomon 1:2

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth
That is, Solomon; Christ, the antitype of Solomon, the church's beloved; or it is a relative without an antecedent, which was only in her own mind, "let him"; him, whom her thoughts were so much employed about; her affections were so strongly after; and whose image was as it were before her, present to her mind: and "the kisses of his mouth", she desires, intend some fresh manifestations and discoveries of his love to her; by some precious word of promise from his mouth, applied to her; and by an open espousal of her, and the consummation of marriage with her. It may be rendered, "with one of the kisses of his mouth" {n}; kisses with the ancients were very rare, and used but once when persons were espoused, and as a token of that; and then they were reckoned as husband and wife F15: on which account, it may be, it is here desired; since it was after this we hear of the spouse being brought into the nuptial chamber, and of the keeping of the nuptial feast, ( Song of Solomon 1:4 Song of Solomon 1:12 ) ; for thy love [is] better than wine;
or "loves" F16; which may denote the abundance of it; the many blessings of grace which flow from it; and the various ways in which it is expressed; as well as the high esteem the church had of it. This is said to be "better than wine"; for the antiquity of it, it being from everlasting; and for the purity of it, being free from all dregs of dissimulation and deceit on the part of Christ, and from all merit, motives, and conditions, on the part of the church; for its plenty, being shed plenteously in the hearts of believers, and who may drink abundantly of it; and for its freeness and cheapness, being to be had without money and without price; and it is preferable to wine for the effects of it; which not only revives and cheers heavy hearts, but quickens dead sinners, and comforts distressed saints; and of which they may drink plentifully, without hurt, yea, to great advantage.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (whyp twqyvnm) "uno tantum, vel altero de osculis oris sui", Michaelis; so Gussetius, p. 446.
F15 Salmuth. in Pancirol. Memorab. Rer. par. 1. tit. 46. p. 215.
F16 (Kydd) "amores tui", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator

Song of Solomon 1:2 In-Context

1 The Song of Songs, which [is] for Solomon.
2 {May you kiss me} {passionately with your lips}, for your love [is] better than wine.
3 As fragrance, {your perfumes} [are] {delightful}; your name is poured out {perfume}; therefore young women love you.
4 Draw me after you, let us run! May the king bring me into his chambers! Let us be joyful and let us rejoice in you; let us extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you!
5 I [am] black but beautiful, {O maidens of Jerusalem}, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. In the maiden's soliloquy, she thinks about her beloved in her thoughts ("May he kiss me!"), then poetically speaks to him as if he were in her presence ("for your love is better than wine"). To avoid confusion, the translation uses the second-person form throughout vv. 2-4
  • [b]. Literally "May he kiss me"
  • [c]. Literally "with the kisses of his mouth"
  • [d]. The shift from the third person "he ... his" to the second person "you ... your" in vv. 2-4 should not be interpreted as suggesting two different referents, that is, one male whom the maiden is addressing as "you," and another to whom she refers as "he." Rather, this shift is a poetic device (called "grammatical differentiation") that is not uncommon in Hebrew poetry (e.g., Gen 49:4; Deut 32:15; Psa 23:2-5; Isa 1:29; 42:20; 54:1; Jer 22:24; Amos 4:1; Mic 7:19; Lam 3:1; Song 4:2; 6:6). This shift is characteristic of a soliloquy, a dramatic or literary form in which a character reveals her thoughts without addressing a listener who is actually present (e.g., 2 Sam 19:4). In this case, the maiden's private thoughts about her beloved (v. 2a) shift to an imaginary address to her beloved (vv. 2b-4a)
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