Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
SONG OF SONGS 1
1 Solomon’s Song of Songs.
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
Friends
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.
She
How right they are to adore you!
5 Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7 Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?
Friends
8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.
He
9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.
She
12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
He
15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.
She
16 How handsome you are, my beloved!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.
He
17 The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.
Application Notes
1:1-8:14 The Song of Songs is a series of seven poems, not necessarily in chronological order. Interpreters have proposed various ways of reading these poems and seeing narrative connections between them. One reading views these poems as part of an overarching narrative that reflects upon the first meeting of Solomon and a peasant woman, their engagement, their wedding, their wedding night, and the growth of their marriage after the wedding. If this narrative is correct, it is possible that this woman was one of Solomon's actual wives or that she is a metaphorical representation of his wives generally.
This reading of the narrative goes something like this: One day, as Solomon was visiting some royal vineyards in the north, his royal entourage came by surprise upon a beautiful peasant woman tending the vines. Embarrassed, she ran from them. But Solomon could not forget her. Later, disguised as a shepherd, he returned to the vineyards and won her love. Then he revealed his true identity and asked her to return to Jerusalem with him. As this book begins, we come upon Solomon and his beloved being married at the palace.
1:1-8:14 This book features three characters or groups of characters: the young woman ("She"; 1:2), Solomon (He"; 1:9), and the “Friends”
(1:4). The young woman who caught Solomon's attention may have been from Shulam, a farming community about 60 miles north of Jerusalem. Her tanned skin indicates that she probably worked outside in the vineyards (1:6); thus, she was likely not from the upper class. The friends likely include either members of Solomon's harem or workers in his palace.
1:1-4 This vivid description of a love relationship begins with a picture of love itself. Love is “more delightful than wine”; it makes the lovers rejoice. God created us out of love and gave love to us as a great gift (see 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7-12).
1:1 Solomon, a son of King David, became king and was chosen by God to build the temple in Jerusalem. God gave him extraordinary wisdom. Much of Solomon's reign was characterized by wisdom and reverence for God, although toward the end of his life he became proud and turned away from God. Read about Solomon in 1 Kings 1-11 and 1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 9. Solomon wrote and collected more than 3,000 proverbs (see the book of Proverbs) and over 1,000 songs. Some of these songs form this book, Song of Songs. His profile is on page 515.
1:5 Kedar was a nomadic community in northern Arabia. It was known for its tents, which were woven from black goat hair.
1:·6-7 The young woman felt insecure at being different in appearance and background from the women of Jerusalem and at being alone while her lover was away. She longed for the security of his presence.
1:6 The vineyard mentioned here was apparently owned by Solomon (because he came to visit it) and was leased to the woman's brothers, who made her tend the vineyards in the hot sun. Thus, she could not protect her skin by staying in the shade ("my own vineyard I had to neglect"). When she was brought to Jerusalem, she was embarrassed about her tanned complexion because the women in the city had the fair, delicate skin that was considered much more beautiful in that day. But Solomon loved her dark skin. How do you feel about your appearance? Do you often compare yourself to others? Consider how you look as a gift from God, and develop the kind of inner beauty that God delights in.
1:14 En Gedi was an oasis hidden at the base of rugged limestone cliffs west of the Dead Sea. It was known for its springs of water, fruitful palm trees, and fragrant balsam oil. The terrain surrounding En Gedi is some of the most desolate in Palestine and has an extremely hot desert climate. When in bloom, henna shrubs are covered with bright yellow flowers. At En Gedi these would have appeared all the more beautiful because of their stark, desert surroundings. Thus, the woman was complimenting Solomon's looks, saying that he stood out among all other men.
1:16-17 The young woman describes the woodland surroundings as a wedding bedroom.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)