Song of Songs 7

Song of Songs 7 belongs to the latter part of the book. At the end of Song of Songs 6 (6:13), a song calls the Shulamite to return, and this chapter continues with a song describing her beauty. The Hebrew Bible numbers 6:13 of English Bibles as 7:1, so the verse numbers in this chapter differ by one.

Structure

• Verses 1–5 The man sings of the beauty of the "prince's daughter." He uses figures for her feet, thighs, navel, waist, breasts, neck, eyes, nose, head, and hair, in that order. Her eyes are compared to the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim, her nose to the tower of Lebanon that looks toward Damascus, and her head to Mount Carmel. He says that the king is held captive by her tresses. Whereas the descriptions in chapters 4 and 6 move downward from the head, this chapter moves upward from the feet to the head.
• Verses 6–9 Her stature is likened to a palm tree, and he declares that he will climb the tree and take hold of its branches. Many interpreters understand the woman to be speaking from the second half of verse 9 onward.
• Verses 10–13 The woman declares that she belongs to her beloved. She invites him to go out with her into the field and lodge in the villages, and to go early to the vineyards to see whether the vine has budded and the pomegranates are in bloom. The song closes with the fragrance of the mandrakes and the choice fruits, new and old, that she has laid up.

Key Verses

• Song of Songs 7:10 "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me." This is the third declaration of mutual belonging, following Song of Songs 2:16 and 6:3. Unlike the two earlier declarations, this verse places its emphasis on the beloved's desire for her.
• Song of Songs 7:12 "There will I give thee my loves." In this chapter the woman takes the initiative in offering her love.

Characters and Places

• The bride The woman whom the man addresses as "prince's daughter" and "O love." In the preceding chapter she is called the Shulamite.
• The bridegroom (the king) A "king" is mentioned in verse 5. Traditionally this figure is associated with Solomon, though no name appears in this chapter.
• Heshbon A city east of the Jordan, described as the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:26). Bath-rabbim appears to be the name of one of Heshbon's gates, but its exact location is unknown.
• Lebanon The mountain region to the north of Israel.
• Damascus The capital of Aram, located northeast of Lebanon.
• Mount Carmel A mountain on the Mediterranean coast.

Points for Reflection

• Interpretive traditions Jewish tradition has read the Song of Songs as an allegory of the love between God and Israel. The Church Fathers and the medieval church read it as depicting the love between Christ and the church, or between Christ and the believer's soul. Since the modern period, reading the book as poetry celebrating love and marriage between a man and a woman has become widespread. In present-day Korean churches, both readings are used in commentaries and sermons.
• Desire The Hebrew word (teshuqah) translated "desire" in verse 10 also appears in Genesis 3:16 ("thy desire shall be to thy husband") and in Genesis 4:7. Some interpreters hold that in this verse the relationship distorted after the Fall is portrayed as love restored.
• Mandrakes In the ancient world the mandrake was regarded as a plant associated with love or conception. Genesis 30 tells of Rachel and Leah bargaining over this plant.
• Relation to the New Testament The New Testament does not quote the Song of Songs directly. However, Ephesians 5:31–32, which likens marriage to the relationship between Christ and the church, is frequently cited as a basis for the tradition of reading the Song of Songs figuratively.