Song of Solomon 5

Big idea: The Song's darkest poem sits immediately after its most abundant one. He knocks at night; she is undressed and in bed and hesitates for the length of two lines; by the time she opens the door he is gone. What follows is a search that ends with the city watchmen beating her — and then, asked why this man in particular, she answers with a portrait in gold, ivory and marble.

Her portrait of him ends by calling him her friend. The chorus's next question — where has he gone, we will look with you — opens chapter 6 and turns the search into a shared one.

5:1–8 — I sought him, but I couldn't find him

Verse 1 answers her invitation from the previous chapter — I have come into my garden — and the chorus tells them both to eat and drink deeply, which is the closest the book comes to a blessing pronounced over the lovers. Then the mood collapses. Her excuses are almost comically small (I've taken off my robe, I've washed my feet), his hand is at the door latch, and by the time myrrh is dripping from her fingers onto the handle he has gone.

¹ I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Friends Eat, friends! Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved. ² I was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night.” ³ I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them? ⁴ My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening. My heart pounded for him. ⁵ I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved left, and had gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I didn’t find him. I called him, but he didn’t answer. ⁷ The watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me. ⁸ I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love.

5:9–16 — Altogether lovely

The chorus asks the question the whole poem needed — what makes yours better than anyone else's — and her answer is the Song's only descriptive poem about a man. It runs head to legs in hard, cold materials: gold, raven black, jewels, ivory inlaid with lapis, marble on gold bases. The effect is statuary, and it is the register in which ancient poetry described gods and kings.

⁹ How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? ¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels. ¹³ His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.

Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).

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