Song Of Songs 8

⁵ Myrrh is the fragrant gum of the balsam tree; among other things, it was used by women as a perfume.

⁶ Of greater importance than physical attractiveness is spiritual attractiveness. Such attractiveness comes from the Spirit of Christ within us (see 2 Corinthians 2:14–16; Galatians 5:22–23).

⁷ In Hebrew, the words for banquet hall mean “house of wine.”

⁸ Some Bible scholars believe that the beloved is only imagining the visit described in verses 8–13. Whether the visit is real or imaginary, the feelings of love are beautifully expressed.

⁹ In a relationship of true love, the partners give themselves to each other (1 Corinthians 7:4). In spiritual terms, Christ gave His body for us, and we are called to give our bodies for Him (see Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; Romans 12:1).

¹⁰ There is debate among scholars as to whether the carriage is carrying Solomon, his bride, or both; the gender of the Hebrew words used in verses 6–11 suggests it is the bride. Furthermore, the bride is from northern Israel, from Lebanon (Song of Songs 4:8); this suggests that Solomon has sent his carriage to bring her to his palace in Jerusalem.

¹¹ In verse 8, Solomon says to his bride: Come with me. But she is already with him. In Hebrew, the words “Come with me” literally say, “With me, with me.” All of Solomon’s desire for his bride is summed up in the words, “With me.”

¹² It is not clear whether the husband has physically come back to his garden (his bride) or whether he has gone down to an actual garden to gather flowers for her. Or perhaps the bride is still dreaming of his love.

¹³ This entire chapter is difficult to follow, and scholars offer different interpretations. It seems as if the lovers remain physically separated, but yet are longing for each other.

¹⁴ In verse 4, the husband compares his bride to Tirzah, a city in central Israel; the name Tirzah means “pleasure” or “beauty.”

¹⁵ The queens, concubines and virgins (verse 8) may be a poetic way of saying “all the women in the kingdom”; or it may be a literal reference to Solomon’s harem (see 1 Kings 11:3). If the latter is true, Solomon is here expressing his preference for the bride of Song of Songs over all the other women in his harem.

¹⁶ In verse 13, the bride is called the Shulammite. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It may be the feminine form of the name Solomon, in which case it would mean “Solomon’s girl.”

¹⁷ The Hebrew word for desire used in verse 10 is also found in Genesis 3:16, where the writer describes Eve’s desire for her husband. (The word is used in only one other place in the Old Testament, Genesis 4:7.) Here it clearly refers to an overpowering attraction between a man and his wife, an attraction that involves body, mind, and emotions. Such a desire for one’s spouse is God given, and is meant to be fulfilled.

¹⁸ The love between husband and wife is a human counterpart of divine love; it reflects divine love. Indeed, it is nurtured, inflamed, by divine love. This divine love has been poured out . . . into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). This divine love was supremely manifested when God sent His only Son into the world to save us (John 3:16). And it is this same divine love that holds us fast; even Satan and all the wickedness of mankind cannot overcome it (Romans 8:35–39).