Concise Commentary on the Song of Solomon (Chapter 7)
Solomon's Words to the Shulamite:
7:1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy
thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.
2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an
heap of wheat set about with lilies.
3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the
gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward
Damascus.
5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the
king is held in the galleries.
6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now
also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like
apples;
9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down
sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
These words are Solomon's final chance to win over the Shulamite. All the
previous events in the song may have confused him due to her initial willingness to
leave her home for him, but once in Jerusalem, she has hesitated to provide him
with an answer of marriage. His final chance with her is not a good route to take.
He uses the exact same approach he used the other times (see page 18 and 26).
This approach has never worked on her, but it must be the best that he's got, so he
tries it one last time. Just like the other two times, he compliments on her physical
appearance. This passage contains the most lustful comments in the entire book.
He is more aggressive this time around, and is less hesitant to describe the parts of
her body that are more private or sexual, such as her breasts (he's described her
breasts before, but not to this extreme), her belly, her naval, her thighs, and the
roof of her mouth. The other parts of her body that he mentions (that are less
sexual) are her nose, eyes, hair, feet, neck, head, and stature. Unfortunately his
compliments deal nothing with her inward appearance.
For the men and women who are dating or seeking to date, I urge you, pay
attention to the comments and compliments of the one you are interested in. Their
words can usually tell you what they are truly seeking from you. Are they in love
with your character, or are they in love with your appearance? Likewise, what kind
of person are you? Are you looking for the things that Solomon is looking for in a
mate? If you are, you need to consider the consequences. God instituted marriage,
it is His creation. He established the rules that must be followed in His institution
of marriage. If anyone desire to be married, they need to understand that they
desire to enter into an institution of God. It is a sin not to follow his marriage laws
(which can be found here: Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7;
1 Timothy 5:8; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7; Hebrews
13:4). He commanded a certain kind of love in marriage; this love is known as
€agape€ love, which is a Greek word that means unconquerable goodwill. It is
God's command that each spouse will treat each other with goodwill to the extent
that no other person could possibly treat them better (that is, all actions and words
are unconquerable, and no one else on earth could speak or act better toward them
than their spouse). Solomon was not interested in agape love. Solomon was
looking for €eros€ love in the marriage relationship (which is another Greek word
that means sexual desire). Looking at the life of Solomon, he was one who sought
after sexual desire. He was a polygamist (someone who has multiple wives), which
is also against God's law: €let every man have his own wife, and let every woman
have her own husband€ (1 Corinthians 7:2). No plurality allowed; you may have
only one mate at a time.
The Shulamite's Response to Solomon:
7:10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the
tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my
loves.
13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits,
new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
After her wise and patient decision making, the Shulamite finally gives
Solomon an answer: €I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.€ She rejects
Solomon with one simple statement: I belong to someone else, and they desire to
have me. After her response she speaks to her beloved (who is not present) in a
daydream. It is a vision of the Shulamite and the shepherd back together in
Lebanon, walking among the fruits of the field and smelling the pleasant aroma,
and it is there that she will give him her love (8:12).
7:1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy
thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.
2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an
heap of wheat set about with lilies.
3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the
gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward
Damascus.
5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the
king is held in the galleries.
6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now
also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like
apples;
9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down
sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
These words are Solomon's final chance to win over the Shulamite. All the
previous events in the song may have confused him due to her initial willingness to
leave her home for him, but once in Jerusalem, she has hesitated to provide him
with an answer of marriage. His final chance with her is not a good route to take.
He uses the exact same approach he used the other times (see page 18 and 26).
This approach has never worked on her, but it must be the best that he's got, so he
tries it one last time. Just like the other two times, he compliments on her physical
appearance. This passage contains the most lustful comments in the entire book.
He is more aggressive this time around, and is less hesitant to describe the parts of
her body that are more private or sexual, such as her breasts (he's described her
breasts before, but not to this extreme), her belly, her naval, her thighs, and the
roof of her mouth. The other parts of her body that he mentions (that are less
sexual) are her nose, eyes, hair, feet, neck, head, and stature. Unfortunately his
compliments deal nothing with her inward appearance.
For the men and women who are dating or seeking to date, I urge you, pay
attention to the comments and compliments of the one you are interested in. Their
words can usually tell you what they are truly seeking from you. Are they in love
with your character, or are they in love with your appearance? Likewise, what kind
of person are you? Are you looking for the things that Solomon is looking for in a
mate? If you are, you need to consider the consequences. God instituted marriage,
it is His creation. He established the rules that must be followed in His institution
of marriage. If anyone desire to be married, they need to understand that they
desire to enter into an institution of God. It is a sin not to follow his marriage laws
(which can be found here: Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7;
1 Timothy 5:8; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7; Hebrews
13:4). He commanded a certain kind of love in marriage; this love is known as
€agape€ love, which is a Greek word that means unconquerable goodwill. It is
God's command that each spouse will treat each other with goodwill to the extent
that no other person could possibly treat them better (that is, all actions and words
are unconquerable, and no one else on earth could speak or act better toward them
than their spouse). Solomon was not interested in agape love. Solomon was
looking for €eros€ love in the marriage relationship (which is another Greek word
that means sexual desire). Looking at the life of Solomon, he was one who sought
after sexual desire. He was a polygamist (someone who has multiple wives), which
is also against God's law: €let every man have his own wife, and let every woman
have her own husband€ (1 Corinthians 7:2). No plurality allowed; you may have
only one mate at a time.
The Shulamite's Response to Solomon:
7:10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the
tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my
loves.
13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits,
new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
After her wise and patient decision making, the Shulamite finally gives
Solomon an answer: €I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.€ She rejects
Solomon with one simple statement: I belong to someone else, and they desire to
have me. After her response she speaks to her beloved (who is not present) in a
daydream. It is a vision of the Shulamite and the shepherd back together in
Lebanon, walking among the fruits of the field and smelling the pleasant aroma,
and it is there that she will give him her love (8:12).