Background:
Genre:
v.1 Song=(NET) Heb “song.” The noun שִׁיר (shir) may refer to a musical song that was sung (Exod 15:1; Num 21:17; Ps 33:3; Isa 42:10) or a poetic composition that was simply read (Deut 31:19, 21, 22, 30; 32:44) (BDB 1010 s.v. שׁיר). Several factors suggest that the Song of Songs was poetry to be read and enjoyed rather than sung: (a) its sheer length, (b) absence of musical notations or instrumental instructions, (c) testimony of Jewish tradition and interpretation, (d) lack of evidence of its musical performance in the history of Israel, and (e) comparison with ancient Egyptian love poetry. The term שִׁיר here probably refers to love poetry (e.g., Isa 5:1) (BDB 1010 s.v. 1; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 368). The Song appears to be a collection of individual love songs rather than a single multistanza poem.
If this is a collection of love songs, is the whole book about a particular man and a particular woman?
(NET) It is not so clear, however, whether Solomon is the young man in every individual poem. Nor is it clear that the same young woman is in view in each love poem. In several poems the young woman is a country maiden working in a vineyard (1:5–6; 8:11–12); however, the young woman in another poem is addressed as “O prince’s daughter” (7:2). The historian notes, “Solomon loved many women, especially the daughter of Pharaoh” (1 Kgs 11:1). So it would be surprising if the Song devoted itself to only one of Solomon’s many liaisons. The Song may simply be a collection of love poems written at various moments in Solomon’s illustrious career as a lover of many women. It may also include love poems written about other young lovers that were collected into the final form of the book that presents a portrait of idyllic [an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one] love of young lovers.
Ob and In:
1. Repeated words/phrases: delightful
The effect of love: More delight than wine and colognes
(NET) man is to be “intoxicated” with the love of his wife (Prov 5:19). Wine makes the heart glad (Deut 14:26; Judg 9:13; Ps 104:15) and revives the spirit (2 Sam 16:1–2; Prov 31:4–7). It is viewed as a gift from God, given to enable man to enjoy life (Eccl 2:24–25; 5:18).
The most intoxication of the lover come from his colognes and his name
(NET) In Israel bodily oils were expensive (1 Kgs 17:12ff; 2 Kgs 2:4ff). Possession of oils and perfumes was a sign of prosperity and luxury (Deut 32:8; 33:24; Job 29:6; Prov 21:17; Ezek 16:13, 20). Wearing cologne was associated with joy (Ps 45:8; Eccl 9:8; Isa 61:3) because they were worn on festive occasions (Prov 27:9).
2. Difficulties: (1) Who were the young women v.3,4? Should the beloved long for the lover's love exclusively? Why would she mention other women's love to the lover?
v.3c No wonder the young women adore you!
(NAC) she considers herself the luckiest of young women that he has chosen her (v. 3c).
v.4b The Maidens (??) to the Lover:
We will rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.
(2) They did not just "adore" him, but they had experience his love, "we will praise your love more than wine," which is a similar description with what the beloved said in v.2b.
BDB-young woman (ripe sexually; maid or newly married)...young women, either lit., or of soprano or falsetto [a method of voice production used by male singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than their normal range] of boys
(NET) The Beloved using the 1st person common plural cohortatives in reference to herself—there are examples in ancient Near Eastern love literature of the bride using 1st person common plural forms in reference to herself (S. N. Kramer, The Sacred Marriage Rite, 92, 99)—as she addresses the young man: “We (= I) will rejoice in you (= the young man).”
Possibility: Will they be just a group of singers representing the beloved in v.4b?
3. What is love? Willing to be surrendered
v.4 Draw me after you; let us hurry!
(NET) The verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “draw”) is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis) which draws an implied comparison between the physical acting of leading a person with the romantic action of leading a person in love. Elsewhere it is used figuratively of a master gently leading an animal with leather cords (Hos 11:4) and of a military victor leading his captives (Jer 31:3). The point of comparison might be that the woman wants to be the willing captive of the love of her beloved, that is, a willing prisoner of his love.
Summary and reflection: Solomon is not a perfect lover because he loved many women, however, the praising of love between a man and a woman is the main focus. Even though wine can intoxicated a person, makes the heart glad, revive the spirit and considered as a gift of God to enable man to enjoy, and colognes is associated with joy and festive occasions, love is better than both. Therefore, the beloved wants to be a captive and be the bridge of the lover.
What a distorted view I have for love and this passage corrected that for me. (1) Love is not outside of God. In His Bible, He included a love song even it is written by a imperfect man. (2) Love is delightful, make us glad, revive us when we are down, it is for us to enjoy, bring us joy. Have I ever experience these? (3) When we love we do not mind to be drawn, to surrender or to be a prisoner/captive. Love is not just an emotion, it affects our will and action will follow.
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