The Bible’s Song of Love

Verse by verse through the Song of Songs
Part 5b Chapter 7:2‑9

7:2   In the intervening years since the Song was written mankind’s depravity of mind and speech has coarsened the language. This has, as it were, set a fence around some of the most precious passages of the Song. The features of the human form set out here are expressions of the spiritual perfections in the body of Christ. And so in sacred simplicity the daughters continue: "THY NAVEL IS LIKE A ROUND GOBLET, WHEREIN NO MINGLED WINE IS WANTING."

Fausset [Jamieson‑Fausset‑Brown] shows here again that the clothed body is being described and explains the phrase in these words:‑ "Navel—rather ‘girdle‑clasp,’ called from the part of the person underneath. The ‘shoes’ prove that dress is throughout presupposed on all parts where it is usually worn. She is ‘a bride adorned for her husband;’ the ‘uncomely parts’ being most adorned. (1 Cor.12:23) The girdle‑clasp was adorned with red rubies resembling the ‘round goblet’ of spice‑mixed wine (not liquor)."

"THY BELLY IS LIKE AN HEAP OF WHEAT SET ABOUT WITH LILIES."

The simile is taken from the harvest field.

The threshing floors in ancient times were in the open air and, when wheat had been threshed out, fanned and heaped up, each heap was hedged round with thorns in order to keep off cattle. On festal occasions the wheat was decorated with flowers.

"Belly–that is, the vesture on it. As in Psa.45:13,14, gold and needlework comprise the Bride’s attire, so golden‑coloured ‘wheat’ and white ‘lilies’ here." (Fausset’s commentary)

It is interesting to recall that in the parables of the Sower and of the Wheat and Tares the Church or Bride is pictured as made up of individual grains of wheat. That is to be the destiny of the Church in this life. To be a heap. Therefore to be well‑winnowed, the chaff of mere human fancies, speculations or traditions to be carefully excluded.

7:3   The daughters now adopt the words used earlier by the Bridegroom. Their sanctified vision sees in her the beauty recognised by her Lord. "THY TWO BREASTS ARE LIKE TWO FAWNS THAT ARE TWINS OF A ROE."

7:4    They also express a similar thought to that of the Bridegroom in 4:4 when they say "THY NECK IS LIKE THE TOWER OF IVORY." But here is not only a picture of strength of purpose but also of costliness, beauty and purity. King Solomon had a throne of ivory made for himself (2 Chron.9:17) which indicated dignity, honour and richness implied in the use of ivory in this verse.

"THINE EYES AS THE POOLS IN HESHBON, BY THE GATE OF BATH‑RABBIM."

"Heshbon" means "strong." The pools were a reservoir in Heshbon and the waters were clear, deep and quiet–a reservoir is made, not natural. "The gate" was a place of much traffic where business was transacted–a place of social intercourse. "Bath‑Rabbim" means "Daughter of a multitude."

From this we have the thought that there must be a holy sincerity about God’s people–no darkness but transparent clearness. As the pure water of truth issues forth into our hearts we must retain it in a spiritually clean receptacle so that its depth and purity are manifest to our Lord and to others.

The daughters seem to still show a leaning towards the works of men for in praising certain of the features of the Bride they do not always lift their thoughts beyond the achievement of men. "The pools in Heshbon" and "the gate of Bath‑Rabbim" are examples and so they continue: "THY NOSE IS LIKE THE TOWER OF LEBANON WHICH LOOKETH TOWARD DAMASCUS."

Fausset says that this tower was "a border‑fortress watching the hostile Damascus." It is appropriate that the Bride shall reveal the spiritual feature pictured by this tower of Lebanon for just as the watchmen must be ever on the alert to give the alarm on the first appearance of the enemy, so the Christian must be ready to wage perpetual war against the first risings of the flesh, the world, or the devil.

C.A. Coates in "An outline of the Song of Songs" adds that "her ‘nose’ represents the power to distinguish the savour of what is of God. It is figurative of a perceptive faculty which is of great importance. If there is keenness of scent in regard to what is of God there will also be quick perception of what has an evil savour. It was written of the Lord, ‘And his scent will be in the fear of Jehovah.’ (Isa.11:3 mar.) …The organ of smell is very fine in its discrimination; it can distinguish when there is nothing apparent to any other sense. An evil teacher might be clever enough to make his doctrines appear to be wholly based on Scripture, but a truly spiritual person would perceive an ill savour about them, even if he could not point out exactly what was wrong. So that this faculty is like an elevated watch‑tower with a wide range of outlook. The one who has it does not need to investigate minutely, or at close quarters, what is contrary to God. The very ‘scent’ of the thing is enough, and he turns from it… The ‘eyes’ and the ‘nose,’ representing perceptive faculties, are very prominent features of the beauty of the ‘prince’s daughter.’"

7:5   "THINE HEAD UPON THEE IS LIKE CARMEL, AND THE HAIR OF THINE HEAD LIKE PURPLE."

It seems that the phrase "Thine head upon thee" refers not to the head but the head‑dress, i.e. the bridal crown, thus completing her dress from the jewelled sandals to crowing diadem of beauty. "Carmel" means "fruitful" and it is interesting to reflect that in chapter 5:15 she expressed her adoration of Him by comparing Him to majestic Lebanon. Here the daughters compare her to fruitful Lebanon.

The head‑dress here is the sign of subjection to the head. "Purple"—the Bride’s tresses are described as with a sheen of purple upon them, which is true of intensely black hair. Purple, we recollect, is also an emblem of royalty. (John 19:2‑3)

"THE KING," they say "IS HELD CAPTIVE IN THE TRESSES THEREOF."

The metaphor of the lover, as held by the locks of his beloved, is a common eastern one. (Century Bible)

In considering this description in verses 1‑5 it is well to be reminded that the "bride of Christ" is not any one individual member. This is a portrait of Christ’s mystical body which has grown "up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." (Eph.4:15‑16 KJV) Might it not also be that this portrait of the Bride is an "end of the age" portrait, that is from the feet upward?

7:6   All the spiritual graces of beauty of which the daughters have been speaking derive from love. This is the course of every spiritual virtue. "God is love," says the Apostle John "and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him… We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:16,19)

And so we read "HOW FAIR AND HOW PLEASANT ART THOU, O LOVE, FOR DELIGHTS!"

The word "love" used here means love itself as in such phrases as "the love of the LORD" (Hos.3:1 KJV) and does not refer to the Bride herself.

Rabbi Leeser translates "How beautiful and how pleasant art thou, O love, in thy attractions" or as another commentator expresses it:‑"Jehovah rejoiced in like manner over the works of creation as He successively beheld each day’s work, and saw that it was very good, and when at length the six days work was ended, He looked down from Heaven and ‘saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.’ (Gen.1:31) And shall not the joy of the new creation, the culmination of six thousand years of patient labour of the only begotten Son yield our Lord and the Heavenly Father even greater delight? For when the millennial sabbath shall commence then ‘the glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in His works.’ (Psa.104:31 KJV) Then it shall be said to the earthly Jerusalem ‘He will rejoice over thee...with singing,’ and ‘Ye shall be a delightsome land,’ (Zeph.3:17; Mal.3:12) and to the heavenly Jerusalem ‘how fair and how pleasant art thou O love for delights.’ (Psa.45:10‑11)"

7:7   The Lord sees spiritual beauty as an expression of spiritual growth and so the Bridegroom says: "THIS THY STATURE IS LIKE TO A PALM TREE, AND THY BREATS TO CLUSTERS OF GRAPES."

"She has come to ‘stature’….‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’ (Eph.4:13) The saints are to ‘grow up to Him in all things’…knowledge or faith or gift are not stature…We may measure our stature by 1 Corinthians 13." How pleasant art thou O love. (C.A.C.)

The palm tree is a striking similitude of the believer. It seems intent on rearing its crown sufficiently high to display fruit. Its appearance is the very embodiment of order and calmness. Given a degree of moisture it will flourish in any soil, because the palm is not produced by the character of the soil, but by water. The palm tree is fearless of heat or wind. "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree…those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God." (Psa.92:12‑13 KJV)

Naturalists tell us that the palm tree will not grow crooked; and when heavily weighted it will grow faster, for naturally it is of slow growth. It never bends to earth—it is straight and upright—like the Church which is free from the spirit of bondage and fear that causes the back to be bowed down always. (Rom.11:10) It is regular in growth. It is fruitful, its fruit being abundant and nutritious and growing near the stem. It is evergreen and crowned with palm branches, symbols of victory. It is softest at the heart; other trees are hardest there.

The palm tree tells of spiritual stature; of well‑grounded, upright character; of victory proclaimed to the heavens and seen by all who are looking heavenward. "Breasts like clusters of grapes" speak of maturity and fruitfulness.

7:8   In the Revised Version the words "go up to" of the A.V. are translated "climb up into." This is quite contrary to the thought conveyed by the original Hebrew for the Bridegroom is speaking of "coming to" the Palm tree, that is drawing near, not climbing the tree itself. The words of the A.V. are, therefore, chosen for the first phrase.

"I SAID, I WILL GO UP TO THE PALM TREE, I WILL TAKE HOLD OF THE BOUGHS THEREOF."

The words translated "go up" are similarly translated in Ch.6:6 (KJV) and as "come up" in Ch.4:2. In this present verse the words express the thought of the Bridegroom drawing near.

"LET THY BREASTS BE AS CLUSTERS OF THE VINE," he says "AND THE SMELL OF THY BREATH LIKE APPLES."

This carries our thoughts back to Ch.2:3 where the smell of apples illustrated the holy fragrance of our Lord. "His fruit," she said "was sweet to my taste." How appropriately the Bridegroom expresses the Bride’s graces and beauty in terms of refreshment. It is those qualities which will find full expression when "Times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19 KJV)

These metaphors seem to suggest the maturity of the Bride: ready to provide spiritual nourishment, health and refreshment from Christ (the vine). The boughs of palms representing victory. The "smell of thy nose like apples" (KJV) is a reminder of the fruit of that apple tree to which Christ was likened in Ch.2:3. There should be holy fragrance around the children of God. The Bride has been resting under the shade of that tree and carries its fragrance with her.

7:9   "AND THY MOUTH LIKE THE BEST WINE, THAT GOETH DOWN SMOOTHLY FOR MY BELOVED, GLIDING THROUGH THE LIPS OF THOSE THAT ARE ASLEEP."

The Hebrew word translated "mouth" means literally "palate" but it is used mostly in the Old Testament to describe the words of the mouth. It apparently conveys the thought of discriminating speech just as the sensitive palate discriminates and distinguishes between flavours. The palate discerns between the food which enters into the mouth but, as our Lord implied, it is "the things which proceed out of the mouth" with which the spiritual palate is concerned. (Matt.15:18) It is understandable that the speech of the Bride should be likened to "the best wine" for in the day when the word of the Lord shall go forth throughout all the world then Christ will drink with His Church the new wine in the Kingdom.(Matt.26:29) The word translated "best" here is a versatile word in the Hebrew original. It appears in scripture as "best, better, bountiful, pure, good, graciously, joyfully, kind, loving, pleasing, precious, sweet," and as nouns, "wealth, prosperity and welfare etc…" This is just what the new wine of the kingdom will mean to all mankind in the day when "the mountains shall drop new wine." (Amos 9:13 mar.)

The R.V. places the words "for my beloved" in a different place in the verse from that given by the A.V. The Variorum version goes further and suggests that these words really belong to the following verse. Up to this point the title "My beloved" has always applied to the Bridegroom and whilst He addresses the Bride with that title in v.11 it seems probable that the words "that goeth down smoothly for my beloved" to the end of the verse are expressed by the Bride. They are without doubt a fitting rejoinder to her Lord’s praise because all she is and does is for Him. Moreover the speaker refers to what is now rather than what is the future and, although present spiritual perfection is chiefly in preparation for a future work, the verse closes with a present service to "those that are asleep."

Wine is well‑known as a reviver. It "often unlocks silence and causes silent lips to speak." This thought of stimulation is confirmed by reference to the R.V. of Proverbs 23:31 where the same phrase "goeth down smoothly" is used of strong wine. In the words with which the verse closes we can observe that spiritual maturity grows in the course of service to others who love the Lord. To these our spiritual speech must glide smoothly into their hearts and particularly into the hearts of those who have become spiritually sleepy.

EEA/LB