WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.640 Imagine this, the air just thick with the sweet 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:08.179 smell of mandrakes. Or a picture being so captivating 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:10.439 that a king gets tangled up just looking at your 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:12.900 hair. That's a great way to start. Yeah. Because 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:15.199 today, we're really getting into the song of 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:18.120 Solomon. We are. It's this ancient Hebrew poetry 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:22.199 all about love and, well. Desire. Right. And 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.079 what's fascinating really is how unique it is 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:27.039 within religious texts. You know, there's no 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:28.980 direct mention of God, which is pretty unusual. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:30.719 No, there isn't. And you'll see these little 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.799 notations sometimes, like D, W, M letters like 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:36.600 A, B, C. Yeah, those are probably markers scholars 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:38.920 use. Trying to figure out who's speaking when, 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:41.000 you know. Though it's still debated exactly who 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.140 W or M is. Exactly. So for this deep dive, our 00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:46.679 plan is basically to unpack the big themes in 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.659 the sections we have here. Love, beauty, desire. 00:00:50.109 --> 00:00:52.990 all that intense imagery. And see how these ancient 00:00:52.990 --> 00:00:55.369 ways of talking about love maybe still hit home 00:00:55.369 --> 00:00:57.170 for you today. We're gonna focus just on these 00:00:57.170 --> 00:00:59.450 specific verses. Okay, let's dive in. It starts 00:00:59.450 --> 00:01:02.329 right off with turn, turn, Oshulomite, turn, 00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:05.549 turn that we may gaze upon you. Yeah, this immediate 00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:08.069 like command to be seen. And then that strange 00:01:08.069 --> 00:01:11.790 line, why gaze on her as at the dance of the 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:14.609 two camps? Hmm, dance of the two camps. What 00:01:14.609 --> 00:01:17.709 do you think that means? Public display? Something 00:01:17.709 --> 00:01:20.469 else? Could be. It definitely sets a scene where 00:01:20.469 --> 00:01:23.750 she's the focus, maybe even a spectacle of sorts. 00:01:24.450 --> 00:01:26.629 It's intriguing. It really is. And then, boom, 00:01:26.890 --> 00:01:29.209 it zooms right in on these descriptions. Her 00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:32.469 feet in sandals. Right. And the curving thighs, 00:01:32.750 --> 00:01:35.290 like jewels, the product of skilled hands. That 00:01:35.290 --> 00:01:37.790 phrasing. Skilled hands. It makes her sound almost 00:01:37.790 --> 00:01:40.569 like a masterpiece, doesn't it? Exactly. Precious, 00:01:41.129 --> 00:01:44.689 deliberately crafted, and then the valley around 00:01:44.689 --> 00:01:48.189 bowl that should never lack mixed wine. Suggesting. 00:01:48.819 --> 00:01:51.120 Abundance. Pleasure. I think so. Richness to 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:52.920 light. It's a very evocative language. And it 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.579 just keeps rolling. Breasts like two fawns. Twins 00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:00.420 of Excel. A neck like an ivory tower. Eyes like 00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:03.359 pools and heshbon. The specific location heshbon 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:06.159 adds a layer of reality, maybe. Maybe. And the 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:09.000 hair. Purple. Captivating a kin. You're just 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:11.240 flooded with these images. Totally. It's a full 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:14.349 sensory download. So what does this tell us you 00:02:14.349 --> 00:02:16.870 think about what they saw as beautiful back then 00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:21.289 good question? It feels very natural earthy comparisons 00:02:21.289 --> 00:02:25.090 to animals fawns gazelles. Yeah, so just maybe 00:02:25.090 --> 00:02:28.909 youthfulness grace Vitality things often valued 00:02:28.909 --> 00:02:32.849 the jewels the ivory is that points to value 00:02:32.849 --> 00:02:35.550 right deep admiration Absolutely, and the king 00:02:35.550 --> 00:02:37.310 being caught in its locks. That's not just oh, 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:40.680 she's pretty that's about power allure Magnetic. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.780 Beauty is a kind of force. Okay, so then the 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:45.759 tone shifts a bit, doesn't it? It gets more personal. 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:48.159 Right, you get how beautiful you are, how fair 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:52.039 my love. It moves from just describing to directly 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.340 addressing more intimate. Definitely. And the 00:02:54.340 --> 00:02:56.879 comparisons change too. Your very form resembles 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:59.840 a date palm and your breasts clustered. And then 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.219 the desire becomes really explicit. Let me climb 00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:04.039 the date palm and take hold of its branches. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.500 That's pretty direct. It is. It's not subtle. 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:08.639 These are metaphors for physical intimacy, for 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:11.419 connection. A very clear expression of wanting. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.719 And the sensuality continues. The fragrance of 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.659 your breath like apples. And your mouth like 00:03:17.659 --> 00:03:20.740 the best wine that flows down smoothly for my 00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:24.319 lover gliding over lips and teeth. Wow. You can 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:26.319 almost taste that wine. It makes the love feel 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.300 so tangible. That's the power of the sensory 00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:31.400 details, isn't it? It makes it almost physically 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:33.740 present for you, the listener. And then she speaks 00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:36.419 right. I belong to my lover. His yearning is 00:03:36.419 --> 00:03:40.370 for me. Yes. That sense of mutuality, it's not 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:43.689 one -sided, it's a shared desire, a reciprocal 00:03:43.689 --> 00:03:46.930 thing. Which flows so naturally into that invitation. 00:03:47.449 --> 00:03:49.310 Come, my lover, let us go out to the fields. 00:03:49.530 --> 00:03:51.449 Let us pass the night among the henna. Let us 00:03:51.449 --> 00:03:53.430 go early to the vineyards. There will I give 00:03:53.430 --> 00:03:55.810 you my love. It's all about finding intimacy 00:03:55.810 --> 00:03:58.449 out in nature together. You see the progression, 00:03:59.069 --> 00:04:01.990 admiring beauty, then expressing desire, now 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:05.530 actively seeking shared time, shared space. And 00:04:05.530 --> 00:04:07.789 the mandricks come back, releasing their fragrance 00:04:07.789 --> 00:04:10.870 and choice fruits kept in store. Yeah, it adds 00:04:10.870 --> 00:04:13.250 this layer of anticipation, like she's prepared 00:04:13.250 --> 00:04:15.310 this offering for him within their relationship. 00:04:15.449 --> 00:04:17.870 Then there's that slightly wistful part that 00:04:17.870 --> 00:04:21.089 you were a brother to me. Ah, yes. Nourished 00:04:21.089 --> 00:04:24.050 at my mother's breasts. If I met you out of doors, 00:04:24.170 --> 00:04:26.769 I would kiss you and none would despise me. What's 00:04:26.769 --> 00:04:29.730 that about, do you think? Why a brother? Well, 00:04:29.829 --> 00:04:32.589 it seems to point towards a desire for maybe 00:04:32.589 --> 00:04:35.259 a more social acceptable kind of intimacy. Yeah. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.319 Less constrained. If he were family, kissing 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:40.759 him publicly wouldn't cause shame. I see. So 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:42.500 it highlights the social pressures, perhaps. 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:45.180 The longing for open acknowledgement. Could be. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:48.420 Yeah, notice what follows. Wanting to bring him 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:51.519 to her mother's house? to be taught, given spice 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.199 wine. Integrating him into her world, her family 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:56.560 history. Exactly. Making the connection deeper, 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:58.459 more grounded. And then you get those really 00:04:58.459 --> 00:05:01.259 simple but powerful images of closeness. His 00:05:01.259 --> 00:05:02.980 left hand is under my head. And his right arm 00:05:02.980 --> 00:05:05.939 embraces me. Just pure comfort, affection, security, 00:05:06.100 --> 00:05:08.740 right? And right there in that intimate space 00:05:08.740 --> 00:05:11.920 comes the warning. The adoration, yeah. To the 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.439 daughters of Jerusalem. Do not awaken or stir 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.680 up love until it is ready. Until it's ready. 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:20.000 What does that suggest? Patience. That love has 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.800 its own timing. I think so. It implies love shouldn't 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:26.819 be forced, shouldn't be rushed. It has a natural 00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:29.360 unfolding. It's quite profound, really. Okay, 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:31.199 let's shift to the next part, the return from 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:34.779 the desert. It starts with a question. Who is 00:05:34.779 --> 00:05:37.300 this coming up from the desert, leaning upon 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:41.339 her lover? That image. leaning upon her lover. 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:44.920 It immediately suggests support, reliance, maybe 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:46.819 a journey they've been on together. And the desert 00:05:46.819 --> 00:05:49.519 itself, often a symbol of hardship, right? Or 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.220 testing. Definitely. So, emerging from the desert, 00:05:52.500 --> 00:05:55.620 together, leaning on each other. It speaks volumes 00:05:55.620 --> 00:05:57.740 about shared strength, about the bond, getting 00:05:57.740 --> 00:05:59.620 them through something difficult. Then there's 00:05:59.620 --> 00:06:02.060 this memory recalled. Beneath the apple tree, 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:04.920 I awakened you. There your mother conceived you. 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:07.930 There she who bore you conceived. Wow. That connects 00:06:07.930 --> 00:06:09.689 their love right back to origins, doesn't it? 00:06:09.949 --> 00:06:12.230 Conception, birth, the very beginning of life. 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:14.310 The apple tree becomes this anchor point, you 00:06:14.310 --> 00:06:16.350 know, a place of awakening, maybe where their 00:06:16.350 --> 00:06:19.730 love really clicked or began. It ties it to something 00:06:19.730 --> 00:06:22.870 fundamental, almost primal. Which sets up that 00:06:22.870 --> 00:06:25.949 incredible metaphor. Set me as a seal upon your 00:06:25.949 --> 00:06:28.889 heart, as a seal upon your arm. Oh, that line 00:06:28.889 --> 00:06:32.889 is powerful. A seal. That's about permanence 00:06:32.889 --> 00:06:35.410 right something marked indelible on the heart 00:06:35.410 --> 00:06:38.550 and the arm like encompassing feeling and action 00:06:38.550 --> 00:06:41.269 your whole being I think that's a great reading 00:06:41.269 --> 00:06:44.269 to total unwavering connection and then the reason 00:06:44.269 --> 00:06:49.129 For love is strong as death Longing is fierce 00:06:49.129 --> 00:06:52.769 as sheol. Stark, comparing love to death. Longing 00:06:52.769 --> 00:06:55.829 to the underworld. The intensity is almost overwhelming. 00:06:56.189 --> 00:06:58.529 It really frames love as this elemental force, 00:06:58.709 --> 00:07:00.810 doesn't it? Yeah. Not just a feeling, but something 00:07:00.810 --> 00:07:03.370 as powerful and unavoidable as death itself. 00:07:03.949 --> 00:07:05.750 An inseparable part of you. And then this arrows 00:07:05.750 --> 00:07:08.569 are arrows of fire, flames of the divine. Elevating 00:07:08.569 --> 00:07:11.569 it even further. Divine flames. Suggest something 00:07:11.569 --> 00:07:14.850 sacred, maybe even beyond human control. A transformative 00:07:14.850 --> 00:07:17.519 power. Not just a fleeting emotion, but something 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.839 fundamental. Exactly. And that leads into the 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.839 next statement about its endurance. Right. Deep 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:24.519 waters cannot quench love, nor rivers sweep it 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:27.220 away. Unstoppable. Unbreakable. We're one to 00:07:27.220 --> 00:07:29.220 offer all the wealth of his house for love. He 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:32.319 would be utterly despised. So love is priceless. 00:07:33.139 --> 00:07:35.740 Literally. You can't buy it. You can't trade 00:07:35.740 --> 00:07:38.839 for it. Its value is intrinsic, immeasurable, 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.699 more valuable than anything material. It's such 00:07:41.699 --> 00:07:43.980 a strong declaration of love's ultimate worth. 00:07:44.350 --> 00:07:46.889 Okay, now the perspective shifts again with the 00:07:46.889 --> 00:07:50.089 brothers. An answer to the brothers? Yes. We 00:07:50.089 --> 00:07:52.250 suddenly see her through their eyes. They're 00:07:52.250 --> 00:07:54.629 worried about their little sister. She has no 00:07:54.629 --> 00:07:56.750 breasts as yet. They're wondering what to do 00:07:56.750 --> 00:07:59.370 on the day she is spoken for. It's protective, 00:07:59.509 --> 00:08:03.009 isn't it? They see her as needing guidance, maybe 00:08:03.009 --> 00:08:05.649 healing. And those metaphors they use. If she's 00:08:05.649 --> 00:08:07.569 a wall, they'll build a silver turret on her. 00:08:07.670 --> 00:08:10.490 Right, fortifier. Or if she's a door, they need 00:08:10.490 --> 00:08:13.000 to... Boarded up with cedar planks. Contain her, 00:08:13.259 --> 00:08:15.779 protect her virtue. It seems focused on her readiness, 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:18.980 her vulnerability. Definitely. But then, her 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:21.920 response. It's fantastic. It really is. She just 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:24.040 declares, I'm a wall and my breasts are like 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:26.879 towers. Boom. Taking their metaphor and owning 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:29.399 it, transforming it. She's not a vulnerable wall, 00:08:29.540 --> 00:08:32.659 needing silver. She is the strong wall. Her breasts 00:08:32.659 --> 00:08:35.500 like defensive towers. She's claiming her maturity. 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.019 Such confidence. Yeah. And then... I became in 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:42.340 his eyes as one who brings peace. Yeah, suggesting 00:08:42.340 --> 00:08:45.320 she's found fulfillment, harmony in the relationship, 00:08:45.379 --> 00:08:48.500 she feels secure, valued. It's a statement of 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:51.220 self -possession. real agency there. Which contrasts 00:08:51.220 --> 00:08:53.320 really nicely with the next bit, the boast section, 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.820 about Solomon's vineyard. Right. You hear about 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:58.740 Solomon's fancy vineyard at Balhamom, costing 00:08:58.740 --> 00:09:01.399 a fortune, needing caretakers. A thousand pieces 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:03.919 of silver for its fruit. Exactly. It's presented 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:06.240 as this valuable commodity. But then she says, 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:09.000 My own vineyard is at my own disposal. My love, 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.840 myself, is mine to give. It's not Solomon's property, 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:15.620 managed by others. It's hers. That's a powerful 00:09:15.620 --> 00:09:17.539 claim of independence, isn't it? Absolutely. 00:09:17.899 --> 00:09:19.980 And her offering the thousand pieces to Solomon 00:09:19.980 --> 00:09:23.179 and 200 to the caretakers? Maybe it's generosity. 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:25.820 Or showing her love operates outside that whole 00:09:25.820 --> 00:09:28.159 commercial system. It emphasizes the personal 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.379 nature of her commitment. Okay, almost at the 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:34.200 end now. The lover's yearnings. Mutual longing 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:37.340 again. She wants her voice heard by her companions. 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:40.379 Oh, you who dwell in the gardens. Companions 00:09:40.379 --> 00:09:41.940 are listening for your voice. Let me hear it. 00:09:42.220 --> 00:09:44.720 So she wants her love acknowledged. witnessed 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:47.440 by the community. Seems like it. Not just a private 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:49.659 affair, but something to be shared, recognized. 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.820 The social dimension of love. And how does it 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:56.539 end with his voice? Yes, the lover's final call. 00:09:57.340 --> 00:09:59.879 Swiftly, my lover, be like a gazelle or a young 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:02.840 stag upon the mountains of spices. Swiftly, be 00:10:02.840 --> 00:10:05.379 like a gazelle, that sense of urgency, speed, 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:09.639 grace. Yeah, a wild, eager desire. And mountains 00:10:09.639 --> 00:10:12.919 of spices that sensory detail again. Fragrant, 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:15.480 maybe exotic, a place for their reunion. It leaves 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:17.679 you hanging a bit, doesn't it, with that sense 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:20.960 of intense longing anticipation. It really does. 00:10:21.179 --> 00:10:23.580 A perfect note of yearning to end on. So wrapping 00:10:23.580 --> 00:10:25.840 up this deep dive into these parts of the song 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.799 of Solomon, wow, some really strong themes came 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.799 through. Definitely. That incredibly detailed 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.019 focus on the beloved's beauty for one. Yeah, 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.679 and the raw, direct expression of desire, no 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:37.820 holding back there. Yeah, the sheer power attributed 00:10:37.820 --> 00:10:40.440 to love, its strength, its endurance, its value 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:42.690 above all else. really struck by the woman's 00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:45.769 voice, her agency, declaring, I'm a wall, owning 00:10:45.769 --> 00:10:48.789 her own vineyard. Absolutely. It's a complex, 00:10:49.090 --> 00:10:52.350 rich exploration of emotion using language that's 00:10:52.350 --> 00:10:55.049 just so vivid, so sensory. Those metaphors really 00:10:55.049 --> 00:10:57.190 stick with you. Which leads to a question for 00:10:57.190 --> 00:11:00.330 you, listening. How does all this ancient talk 00:11:00.330 --> 00:11:02.850 of love and desire land with you today in the 00:11:02.850 --> 00:11:05.330 21st century? Yeah. What feels timeless about 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:07.950 it? Yeah. Universal. And what feels maybe more 00:11:07.950 --> 00:11:10.370 specific to that ancient culture, that time and 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:13.059 place? And maybe think about that language itself, 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:15.600 the constant comparisons, the focus on scent 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.080 and touch and taste. What does that tell you 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.600 about how they actually experienced love back 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:23.320 then? How they understood it? Hmm. Lots to chew 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:25.240 on there. We'll leave you with one final echo 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:27.460 from the text. Something that captures that immense 00:11:27.460 --> 00:11:30.720 power we talked about. Love is strong as death. 00:11:31.500 --> 00:11:34.799 Deep waters cannot quench love. A powerful thought 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:37.620 to carry with you. Reflect on that enduring strength, 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:38.740 maybe in your own connections.