1. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

There should be no chapter break here. The woman invites her lover into her garden and here he clearly states that he has come in. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev 3:20. He feeds in her garden.

2. I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

Now there is a new chapter beginning. A warning to the daughters. Her lover comes at an inconvenient time. She is sleeping, and he calls to her that she might let him come in to her. This is not Sabbath morning at 10:00 A.M. She has other things she is involved in. She considers the inconvenience of the timing. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:44, KJV).

3. I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

She begins to make excuses, worrying about her coat and getting her feet dirty.

4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

Yet, her heart is stirred by his knocking and she seeks to have him come in after a little getting ready.

5. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

She now feels prepared and she anticipates his coming in to her.

6. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

By her delay and her considering her mundane comforts, she loses the moment. By the time she opens the door he has withdrawn himself and she cannot find him. Too late she sees how vain her little inconveniences are in opening the door. Now she has lost her love. Her interest for just a moment was only on herself and it cost her dearly. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1Th 5:6.

7. The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

Again she is found by the prophet who chastises her for her indolence and inconsistency. He takes her veil away and exposes her situation to herself. She has no covering (excuse) which is used to keep her from seeing her responsibility.

8. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

With her veil removed she is made to be sick of love. That is, she is so much in love she is weak. She goes about in search of him again and seeks to find him wherever he might be found even so much as to ask the daughters of the city to help search for him. 

9. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

The daughters of the city ask her why her beloved is so special above other lovers. "That thou dost so charge us." When she asked them to help her search for him she required an oath that they would. This brought up the question as to why he is so special. She goes on to tell them why.

10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

He is the leader and above ten thousand of her difficulties. "Nothing shall by any means hurt you." This section of scripture sounds much like the description of the Nazarite. "Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:" Lam 4:7. The woman is describing the righteousness of her lover. She is full of his delights of the spirit.

11. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

His eyes are soft and peaceful.

13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

This is her experience when understanding from Him her anointing and what she is called for.

14. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Here, again, are references to the temple, the priest and the breastplate. "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." Rev 21:22. She is ravished by the love of her heavenly lover. She once again praises his qualities and understands his virtues as she goes out to find him again.

— Submitted by "Faithful"

To Song of Solomon - Chapter Six

Posted on 7-18-00