Song of Songs 3 Study Notes

3:6 The word this is feminine in Hebrew, perhaps indicating Shulamith was in the procession coming to Solomon. Coming up from the wilderness (see 8:5) suggests two complementary allusions: (1) Israel’s emergence from the wilderness they had entered after deliverance from Egypt and (2) Adam and Eve’s emergence from the wilderness they had entered after disobedience. The imagery of Shulamith as a garden paradise on the wedding night is evidence of the latter. The implicit comparisons of Shulamith to Israel are evidence of the former (see Introduction). Both allusions underscore the ideals of romantic love. Like Israel’s new land, their love was the foundation of a new life together; like a new paradise, their love recovered what romantic love was meant to be.

3:7-11 This section describes the powerful and magnificent retinue of King Solomon.