The Daughters Offer to Help
Study note
Moved by the bride's passionate description of her beloved, the daughters of Jerusalem now want to help her find him. But the bride already knows where he is. He has gone down to his garden to enjoy its beauty and gather lilies. She declares once more the core truth of their relationship: they belong completely to each other. This repeated phrase appears three times in the poem, each time with a slight change showing the love growing deeper.
1 Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which direction did he take? We will come and help you search for him. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
2 My beloved went down to his garden, to the beds where spices grow. He is there to enjoy the beauty of the gardens and to gather lilies. My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I belong to my beloved and my beloved belongs to me. He feeds his flock in the meadows filled with lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
The Bridegroom Praises Her Again
Study note
The bridegroom praises the bride again, comparing her beauty to the cities of Tirzah and Jerusalem, both known for their splendor. Tirzah was a beautiful city that later became the first capital of the northern kingdom. He says her beauty is as powerful and awe-inspiring as an army marching with banners. He repeats his earlier praise of her hair, teeth, and cheeks. Then he sets her apart from all other women. Though there may be sixty queens and eighty other royal women, his bride is the only one for him. Even the other queens praise her.
4 My love, you are as stunning as Tirzah. You are as lovely as Jerusalem. You fill me with awe, like an army marching under its banners. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
5 Look away from me! Your gaze is too powerful; it overwhelms me completely! Your hair flows beautifully like a flock of goats cascading down the hills of Gilead. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
6 Your teeth are perfectly white, like sheep freshly washed and coming up from the water. Each one has its perfect twin, and not a single one is absent. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
7 Behind your veil, your cheeks have the warm, rich glow of pomegranate halves. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
8 There may be sixty queens in the world and eighty royal companions, and young women beyond counting. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
9 But my dove, my perfect one, is in a class all by herself. She is her mother's most treasured daughter, the pride and joy of the woman who gave her life. Every young woman who sees her speaks well of her. Even the queens and royal women sing her praises. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
The Radiant Bride
Study note
Others ask in wonder who this radiant woman is. She shines like the dawn, is beautiful like the moon, bright like the sun, and as awe-inspiring as an army marching under its banners. The bride then speaks about going down to a garden of nut trees to see the new growth of spring. The Shulammite is called to come back so others can look at her beauty. The name 'Shulammite' may be a feminine form of 'Solomon,' connecting the bride and groom in name as well as in love.
10 Who is this woman who appears like the morning dawn? She is as beautiful as the moon and as bright as the sun, as amazing as an army on the march. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
11 I went down to the grove of walnut trees. I wanted to see new growth in the valley. I checked if the grapevines had begun to bud. I looked for blooming pomegranates. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
12 Before I even knew it, my heart swept me away. I felt like a chariot racing among my people. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
13 Come back, come back, Shulammite! Come back, come back, and let us look at you! But why would you stare at the Shulammite as though watching a dance performed between two groups? Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.