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Song of Solomon 7

13 verses

TL;DR

The speaker extolls her beloved’s exquisite beauty with vivid nature imagery while expressing mutual affection and longing.

Summary

In Song of Solomon Chapter 7 the woman begins by praising her own beauty, likening her feet, thighs, and breasts to jewels, a heap of wheat, and young roe respectively. She then compares her features to natural marvels: a tower of ivory, fishpools, the tower of Lebanon, and the lushness of Carmel, while her hair is described as purple. The imagery shifts to a palm tree and clusters of grapes, symbolizing her stature and fertility, and to wine and apples that embody sweet love. She declares herself possessed by her beloved’s desire and invites him to join her in the fields, villages, and vineyards, where they will share the abundance of fruit and fragrant mandrakes. The passage blends sensual praise with pastoral symbolism, underscoring their mutual longing and shared delight in nature’s bounty.

Outline
  1. Praise of the beloved’s physical beauty using precious and natural imagery
  2. Symbolic comparison of the beloved to trees, vines, and fruit to express abundance and fertility
  3. Mutual declaration of affection, desire, and the invitation to share love in nature
Themes
Celebration of beautyNature as metaphor for love and fertilityMutual devotion and longing
Keywords
beautylovedesirevineyardfruitwinenature
People
The woman (speaker), Her beloved (male), The king
Places
HeshbonBathrabbimLebanonDamascusCarmelfieldvillagevineyard
Things
shoesjewelsgobletwheatbreastsivory towerfishpoolstower of Lebanonpurple hairpalm treegrapesvineappleswinemandrakespomegranates
Key Verses
  • Song of Solomon 7:8: Uses the palm tree and grape imagery to symbolize love and fertility.
  • Song of Solomon 7:9: Describes wine as a sweet, intoxicating delight that speaks to affection.
  • Song of Solomon 7:12: Invites the beloved to join in the vineyard, emphasizing shared love and abundance.
Questions
  • What does the woman’s comparison of her body to precious stones and natural elements reveal about her self‑image?
  • How does the use of pastoral imagery (vines, fruit, wine) deepen our understanding of love in this passage?
  • In what ways does the reciprocal declaration of desire influence the dynamics of the relationship?
  • What might the invitation to the fields and vineyards symbolize in a broader theological context?
  • How does the mention of specific locations (Heshbon, Bathrabbim, Lebanon, Carmel) contribute to the setting and mood of the poem?
Sentiment

positive
Poetic celebration of beauty, love, and shared affection.