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Song of Solomon 4

16 verses

TL;DR

Song of Solomon 4 extols the beloved’s beauty, likening her to nature’s most exquisite imagery and inviting her to share fragrant gardens.

Summary

In verse 1 the beloved’s physical attributes are praised through vivid similes—her hair, eyes, teeth, lips and temples are compared to animals and precious fruit. The narrator continues to marvel at her beauty, describing her breasts as twin roes (v.5) and her neck as a fortified tower (v.4). The passage then shifts to a sensual invitation, promising a journey to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense, and a call to join the speaker in the fragrant valleys of Lebanon (v.6-8). The beloved’s love is compared to wine and sweet perfume, with her lips likened to honeycomb and her presence to the scent of Lebanon (v.10-11). The final verses paint a lush garden scene, complete with fountains, orchards of pomegranates, and an abundance of spices, inviting the beloved to enjoy the fruits of this paradise (v.12-16). Overall, the chapter celebrates physical and sensual beauty as a manifestation of divine love, using nature and precious goods as metaphor.

Outline
  1. Exaltation of the beloved’s physical beauty through natural similes
  2. Sensual invitation to fragrant mountain and garden scenes
  3. Celebration of love’s sweetness and abundance with spices and orchards
Themes
Romantic love and beautyNature as divine imagerySensual celebration of companionship
Keywords
beautyloveperfumerygardenspicesnaturesensuality
People
David
Places
Mount GileadLebanonAmanaShenirHermonMountain of myrrhHill of frankincense
Things
doves’ eyeshair of goatsteeth of sheepscarlet threadpomegranatetower of Davidbucklersyoung roesmyrrhfrankincensehoneycombhoneymilkperfumegardenspringorchardpomegranatescamphirespikenardsaffroncalamuscinnamonaloeschief spicesfountainwell of living watersstreamsnorth windsouth wind
Key Verses
  • Song of Solomon 4:1: Opening description sets the tone of poetic admiration and establishes the beloved’s physical beauty as central.
  • Song of Solomon 4:8: The invitation to Lebanon anchors the poem in a specific, lush setting, heightening the sensory appeal.
  • Song of Solomon 4:10: The comparison of love to wine and perfume elevates the beloved’s affection to a divine, everyday experience.
Questions
  • What does the poet’s use of natural imagery reveal about the cultural perception of beauty in ancient Israel?
  • How does the comparison of love to wine and perfume deepen our understanding of intimacy in the Song?
  • In what ways does the setting of Lebanon function symbolically within the text?
  • What might the mention of a tower of David suggest about the speaker’s identity or aspirations?
Sentiment

positive
The tone is celebratory, admiring, and sensually affectionate.