8:1In the ancient Near East, it was improper to show public affection except between family members. The girl is wishing that she could freely show affection to her lover, even in public.
Life Application Study BibleSong of SongsChapter 8
Song of Songs 8
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1085, 1086, 1087
8Song of Songs 8
1and no one would criticize me.
2T would bring you to my childhood home,and there you would teach me.*I would give you spiced wine to drink,my sweet pomegranate wine.
3Your left arm would be under my head,and your right arm would embrace me.
4Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,not to awaken love until the time is right.*
7. The power of love
Young Women of Jerusalem
55 Who is this sweeping in from the desert,leaning on her lover?
Young WomanJ aroused you under the apple tree,where your mother gave you birth,where in great pain she delivered you.
6Place me like a seal over your heart,like a seal on your arm.For love is as strong as death,its jealousy* as enduring as the grave.*Love flashes like fire,the brightest kind of flame.
7Many waters cannot quench love,nor can rivers drown it.If aman tried to buy lovewith all his wealth,his offer would be utterly scorned.
The Young Woman's Brothers
88 We have a little sistertoo young to have breasts.What will we do for our sisterif someone asks to marry her?
9If she is a virgin, like a wall,we will protect her with a silver tower.But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door,we will block her door with a cedar bar.Young Woman
10I was a virgin, like a wall;now my breasts are like towers.When my lover looks at me,he is delighted with what he sees.
11Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon,which he leases out to tenant farmers.Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver*for harvesting its fruit.
12But my vineyard is mine to give,and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver.But I will give two hundred piecesto those who care for its vines.
Young Man
1313 O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Young Woman
14Come away, my love! Be like a gazelleor a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Textual footnotes
- 8:2 Or there she will teach me; or there she bore me.
- 8:4 Or nat to awaken love until it is ready.
- 8:11 Hebrew 7,000 shekels of silver.
Life Application Notes 5 notes
8:6,7In this final description of their love, the girl includes some of its significant characteristics (see also 1 Corinthians 13). Love is as strong as death; it cannot be killed by time or disaster and cannot be bought for any price because it is freely given. Love is priceless, and even the richest king cannot buy it. Love must be accepted as a gift from God and then shared within the guidelines God provides. Accept the love of your spouse as God’s gift, and strive to make your love a reflection of the perfect love that comes from God himself.
8:8,8The girl is reflecting on the days when she was younger and under the care of her brothers, who wondered how to help her prepare for marriage. They decided that if she remained a virgin before marriage, standing firm like a wall against sexual temptation, they would praise her. But if she was promiscuous and given over to immorality, they would take steps to guard her from daing something foolish. In 8:10, she testifies that she has been persistent in her morality and thus has found favor in Solomon’s eyes.
8:11,12Solamon could demand rent from the tenants for his vineyard, but the girl had her own vineyard, and it was her right to assign it. But she willingly gave Solomon its fruit. In a good marriage, there is no private property, for everything is shared between the partners. This is the only time Baal-hamon is mentioned in the Bible, and its tocation is unknown.
8:14The love between Solomon and his bride did not diminish in intensity after their wedding night. The lovers relied on each other and kept no secrets from each other. Devotion and commitment were the keys to their relationship, just as they are in our relationships to our spouses and to God. The faithfulness of our marital love should reflect God’s perfect faithfulness to us. Paul shows how marriage represents Christ’s relationship to his church (Ephesians 5:22-33), and John pictures the Second
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Study feature · page 1086
8:6b Hebrew as Sheol.
8:6a Or its passion.
Study feature · page 1087
Coming as a great marriage feast for Christ and his bride, his faithful followers (Revelation 19:7, 8; 21:1, 2). Many theologians have thought that Song of Songs is an allegory showing Christ's love for his church. It might be even better to say that it is a love poem about a real human love relationship, and that all loving, committed marriages are reflections of God's love.