5:2ffThis new section tells how the couple’s marriage grew and matured in spite of problems. Some time had passed since the wedding, and the girl felt as though some indifference had developed in their relationship. She had become cool to her husband’s advances, and by the time she changed her mind and responded to him, he had left. Her self-centeredness and impatience, though brief, caused separation. But she quickly moved to correct the problem by searching for her husband (5:6-8).
Life Application Study BibleSong of SongsChapter 5
Song of Songs 5
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1082, 1083
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
5Song of Songs 5
4. A troubling dream
1Young Woman
2[slept, but my heart was awake,when I heard my lover knocking and calling:“Open to me, my treasure, my darling,my dove, my perfect one.My head is drenched with dew,my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3But I responded,“Thave taken off my robe.Should I get dressed again?[have washed my feet.Should I get them soiled?”
4My lover tried to unlatch the door,and my heart thrilled within me.
5[jumped up to open the door for my love,and my hands dripped with perfume.My fingers dripped with lovely myrrhas I pulled back the bolt.
6I opened to my lover,but he was gone!My heart sank.I searched for himbut could not find him anywhere.I called to him,but there was no reply.
7The night watchmen found meas they made their rounds.They beat and bruised meand stripped off my veil,those watchmen on the walls.
8Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem— If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.
Young Women of Jerusalem
99 Why is your lover better than all others,O woman of rare beauty?What makes your lover so specialthat we must promise this?
Young Woman
10My lover is dark and dazzling,better than ten thousand others!
11His head is finest gold,his wavy hair is black as a raven.
12His eyes sparkle like dovesbeside springs of water;they are set like jewelswashed in milk.
13His cheeks are like gardens of spicesgiving off fragrance.His lips are like lilies,perfumed with myrrh.
14His arms are like rounded bars of gold,set with beryl.His body is like bright ivory,glowing with lapis lazuli.
15His legs are like marble pillarsset in sockets of finest gold.His posture is stately,like the noble cedars of Lebanon.
16His mouth is sweetness itself;he is desirable in every way.Such, O women of Jerusalem,is my lover, my friend.
Young Women of Jerusalem
1 Where has your lover gone,O woman of rare beauty?Which way did he turnso we can help you find him?
Textual footnotes
- 5:1 Hebrew my sister; also in 5:2.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
5:2-8Inevitably, with the passing of time and the growth of familiarity, a marriage will start to lose its initial sparkle. Glances and touches no longer produce the same emotional response. Conflicts and pressures may creep in, causing you to lose your tenderness toward your spouse. The world is not a haven for lovers: in fact, external stress often works against the marriage relationship. But you and your spouse can learn to be a haven for each other. If intimacy and passion decline, remember that they can be renewed and regenerated. Take time to remember the commitment you made, those first thrills, the excitement of sex, and your spouse's strengths. When you focus on the positives, reconciliation and renewal can result.
5:7The girl was alone outside during the night. In Old Testament times, she would have heen looked upon as a criminal or a prostitute and treated as such. This image symbolizes the pain she felt at being separated from her over.
5:16The girl calls Solomon her “friend.” In a healthy marriage, lovers are also good friends. Too often people are driven into Marriage by the exciting feelings of love and passion before they take the time to develop a deep friendship. This involves listening, sharing, and showing understanding for the other's likes and dislikes. Friendship takes time, but it makes a love relationship much deeper and far more satisfying.