Imagine this, the air just thick with the sweet
smell of mandrakes. Or a picture being so captivating
that a king gets tangled up just looking at your
hair. That's a great way to start. Yeah. Because
today, we're really getting into the song of
Solomon. We are. It's this ancient Hebrew poetry
all about love and, well. Desire. Right. And
what's fascinating really is how unique it is
within religious texts. You know, there's no
direct mention of God, which is pretty unusual.
No, there isn't. And you'll see these little
notations sometimes, like D, W, M letters like
A, B, C. Yeah, those are probably markers scholars
use. Trying to figure out who's speaking when,
you know. Though it's still debated exactly who
W or M is. Exactly. So for this deep dive, our
plan is basically to unpack the big themes in
the sections we have here. Love, beauty, desire.
all that intense imagery. And see how these ancient
ways of talking about love maybe still hit home
for you today. We're gonna focus just on these
specific verses. Okay, let's dive in. It starts
right off with turn, turn, Oshulomite, turn,
turn that we may gaze upon you. Yeah, this immediate
like command to be seen. And then that strange
line, why gaze on her as at the dance of the
two camps? Hmm, dance of the two camps. What
do you think that means? Public display? Something
else? Could be. It definitely sets a scene where
she's the focus, maybe even a spectacle of sorts.
It's intriguing. It really is. And then, boom,
it zooms right in on these descriptions. Her
feet in sandals. Right. And the curving thighs,
like jewels, the product of skilled hands. That
phrasing. Skilled hands. It makes her sound almost
like a masterpiece, doesn't it? Exactly. Precious,
deliberately crafted, and then the valley around
bowl that should never lack mixed wine. Suggesting.
Abundance. Pleasure. I think so. Richness to
light. It's a very evocative language. And it
just keeps rolling. Breasts like two fawns. Twins
of Excel. A neck like an ivory tower. Eyes like
pools and heshbon. The specific location heshbon
adds a layer of reality, maybe. Maybe. And the
hair. Purple. Captivating a kin. You're just
flooded with these images. Totally. It's a full
sensory download. So what does this tell us you
think about what they saw as beautiful back then
good question? It feels very natural earthy comparisons
to animals fawns gazelles. Yeah, so just maybe
youthfulness grace Vitality things often valued
the jewels the ivory is that points to value
right deep admiration Absolutely, and the king
being caught in its locks. That's not just oh,
she's pretty that's about power allure Magnetic.
Beauty is a kind of force. Okay, so then the
tone shifts a bit, doesn't it? It gets more personal.
Right, you get how beautiful you are, how fair
my love. It moves from just describing to directly
addressing more intimate. Definitely. And the
comparisons change too. Your very form resembles
a date palm and your breasts clustered. And then
the desire becomes really explicit. Let me climb
the date palm and take hold of its branches.
That's pretty direct. It is. It's not subtle.
These are metaphors for physical intimacy, for
connection. A very clear expression of wanting.
And the sensuality continues. The fragrance of
your breath like apples. And your mouth like
the best wine that flows down smoothly for my
lover gliding over lips and teeth. Wow. You can
almost taste that wine. It makes the love feel
so tangible. That's the power of the sensory
details, isn't it? It makes it almost physically
present for you, the listener. And then she speaks
right. I belong to my lover. His yearning is
for me. Yes. That sense of mutuality, it's not
one -sided, it's a shared desire, a reciprocal
thing. Which flows so naturally into that invitation.
Come, my lover, let us go out to the fields.
Let us pass the night among the henna. Let us
go early to the vineyards. There will I give
you my love. It's all about finding intimacy
out in nature together. You see the progression,
admiring beauty, then expressing desire, now
actively seeking shared time, shared space. And
the mandricks come back, releasing their fragrance
and choice fruits kept in store. Yeah, it adds
this layer of anticipation, like she's prepared
this offering for him within their relationship.
Then there's that slightly wistful part that
you were a brother to me. Ah, yes. Nourished
at my mother's breasts. If I met you out of doors,
I would kiss you and none would despise me. What's
that about, do you think? Why a brother? Well,
it seems to point towards a desire for maybe
a more social acceptable kind of intimacy. Yeah.
Less constrained. If he were family, kissing
him publicly wouldn't cause shame. I see. So
it highlights the social pressures, perhaps.
The longing for open acknowledgement. Could be.
Yeah, notice what follows. Wanting to bring him
to her mother's house? to be taught, given spice
wine. Integrating him into her world, her family
history. Exactly. Making the connection deeper,
more grounded. And then you get those really
simple but powerful images of closeness. His
left hand is under my head. And his right arm
embraces me. Just pure comfort, affection, security,
right? And right there in that intimate space
comes the warning. The adoration, yeah. To the
daughters of Jerusalem. Do not awaken or stir
up love until it is ready. Until it's ready.
What does that suggest? Patience. That love has
its own timing. I think so. It implies love shouldn't
be forced, shouldn't be rushed. It has a natural
unfolding. It's quite profound, really. Okay,
let's shift to the next part, the return from
the desert. It starts with a question. Who is
this coming up from the desert, leaning upon
her lover? That image. leaning upon her lover.
It immediately suggests support, reliance, maybe
a journey they've been on together. And the desert
itself, often a symbol of hardship, right? Or
testing. Definitely. So, emerging from the desert,
together, leaning on each other. It speaks volumes
about shared strength, about the bond, getting
them through something difficult. Then there's
this memory recalled. Beneath the apple tree,
I awakened you. There your mother conceived you.
There she who bore you conceived. Wow. That connects
their love right back to origins, doesn't it?
Conception, birth, the very beginning of life.
The apple tree becomes this anchor point, you
know, a place of awakening, maybe where their
love really clicked or began. It ties it to something
fundamental, almost primal. Which sets up that
incredible metaphor. Set me as a seal upon your
heart, as a seal upon your arm. Oh, that line
is powerful. A seal. That's about permanence
right something marked indelible on the heart
and the arm like encompassing feeling and action
your whole being I think that's a great reading
to total unwavering connection and then the reason
For love is strong as death Longing is fierce
as sheol. Stark, comparing love to death. Longing
to the underworld. The intensity is almost overwhelming.
It really frames love as this elemental force,
doesn't it? Yeah. Not just a feeling, but something
as powerful and unavoidable as death itself.
An inseparable part of you. And then this arrows
are arrows of fire, flames of the divine. Elevating
it even further. Divine flames. Suggest something
sacred, maybe even beyond human control. A transformative
power. Not just a fleeting emotion, but something
fundamental. Exactly. And that leads into the
next statement about its endurance. Right. Deep
waters cannot quench love, nor rivers sweep it
away. Unstoppable. Unbreakable. We're one to
offer all the wealth of his house for love. He
would be utterly despised. So love is priceless.
Literally. You can't buy it. You can't trade
for it. Its value is intrinsic, immeasurable,
more valuable than anything material. It's such
a strong declaration of love's ultimate worth.
Okay, now the perspective shifts again with the
brothers. An answer to the brothers? Yes. We
suddenly see her through their eyes. They're
worried about their little sister. She has no
breasts as yet. They're wondering what to do
on the day she is spoken for. It's protective,
isn't it? They see her as needing guidance, maybe
healing. And those metaphors they use. If she's
a wall, they'll build a silver turret on her.
Right, fortifier. Or if she's a door, they need
to... Boarded up with cedar planks. Contain her,
protect her virtue. It seems focused on her readiness,
her vulnerability. Definitely. But then, her
response. It's fantastic. It really is. She just
declares, I'm a wall and my breasts are like
towers. Boom. Taking their metaphor and owning
it, transforming it. She's not a vulnerable wall,
needing silver. She is the strong wall. Her breasts
like defensive towers. She's claiming her maturity.
Such confidence. Yeah. And then... I became in
his eyes as one who brings peace. Yeah, suggesting
she's found fulfillment, harmony in the relationship,
she feels secure, valued. It's a statement of
self -possession. real agency there. Which contrasts
really nicely with the next bit, the boast section,
about Solomon's vineyard. Right. You hear about
Solomon's fancy vineyard at Balhamom, costing
a fortune, needing caretakers. A thousand pieces
of silver for its fruit. Exactly. It's presented
as this valuable commodity. But then she says,
My own vineyard is at my own disposal. My love,
myself, is mine to give. It's not Solomon's property,
managed by others. It's hers. That's a powerful
claim of independence, isn't it? Absolutely.
And her offering the thousand pieces to Solomon
and 200 to the caretakers? Maybe it's generosity.
Or showing her love operates outside that whole
commercial system. It emphasizes the personal
nature of her commitment. Okay, almost at the
end now. The lover's yearnings. Mutual longing
again. She wants her voice heard by her companions.
Oh, you who dwell in the gardens. Companions
are listening for your voice. Let me hear it.
So she wants her love acknowledged. witnessed
by the community. Seems like it. Not just a private
affair, but something to be shared, recognized.
The social dimension of love. And how does it
end with his voice? Yes, the lover's final call.
Swiftly, my lover, be like a gazelle or a young
stag upon the mountains of spices. Swiftly, be
like a gazelle, that sense of urgency, speed,
grace. Yeah, a wild, eager desire. And mountains
of spices that sensory detail again. Fragrant,
maybe exotic, a place for their reunion. It leaves
you hanging a bit, doesn't it, with that sense
of intense longing anticipation. It really does.
A perfect note of yearning to end on. So wrapping
up this deep dive into these parts of the song
of Solomon, wow, some really strong themes came
through. Definitely. That incredibly detailed
focus on the beloved's beauty for one. Yeah,
and the raw, direct expression of desire, no
holding back there. Yeah, the sheer power attributed
to love, its strength, its endurance, its value
above all else. really struck by the woman's
voice, her agency, declaring, I'm a wall, owning
her own vineyard. Absolutely. It's a complex,
rich exploration of emotion using language that's
just so vivid, so sensory. Those metaphors really
stick with you. Which leads to a question for
you, listening. How does all this ancient talk
of love and desire land with you today in the
21st century? Yeah. What feels timeless about
it? Yeah. Universal. And what feels maybe more
specific to that ancient culture, that time and
place? And maybe think about that language itself,
the constant comparisons, the focus on scent
and touch and taste. What does that tell you
about how they actually experienced love back
then? How they understood it? Hmm. Lots to chew
on there. We'll leave you with one final echo
from the text. Something that captures that immense
power we talked about. Love is strong as death.
Deep waters cannot quench love. A powerful thought
to carry with you. Reflect on that enduring strength,
maybe in your own connections.