Song 4:11 | KingComments | STEP | The groom then speaks to her, whom he addresses again as “bride”, about her lips and what drips off of them. He says her lips “drip honey”. He notices what the bride says. What he sees makes clear to him what she has been busy with, what she has eaten. Honey is not made in a quick process. The preparation of honey requires a lot of work and time. Honeycomb (Darby translation) – this is the honey in the first line of the verse – does not flow like a stream of water, but drips slowly, drop by drop. Honeycomb is also the pure, as yet unprocessed honey. There is no flood of words over the bride’s lips, but words that are sweet and building up. She does not speak impulsively, but thoughtfully. When people speak, their speech can resemble a waterfall of words. Such a waterfall has no depth, there was no consideration. James does not say for nothing: “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak” ( ). This is also and especially true in marriage, in the conversation between husband and wife. The husband sometimes tends to talk fast and a lot and fills in everything already. He knows exactly what his wife thinks, that’s at least what he thinks. Then communication comes to a standstill. The woman then says: I don’t have to say anything anymore, because you’ve already filled in everything. The man may think he won the discussion, but he lost his wife as a conversation partner. It is precisely the man who must learn to listen and learn to listen well, and not think that he already knows everything and can say how the matter works. Listening carefully first, and only then speaking is important. What the groom observes in the bride shows in picture a believer who for a long time, in fellowship with the Lord, diligently searches the Scriptures and collects persistent and patient food from them. The Word of God is for him “sweeter … than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” ( ) and “a joy and the delight” of his heart ( ). Our language shows that we appreciate the Word and have taken it into our hearts. Everything that comes over our lips and speaks of the Lord Jesus is sweet to those who hear it; it strengthens them ( ). The Lord Jesus notices this and appreciates it. The groom also sees what is under her tongue. Under her tongue are “honey and milk”. This means that all the blessing of the promised land ( ) is there. Honey gives strength when tired from the daily struggle ( ). Honey is the sweetness that, for example, flows from good family relationships. Honey was not allowed to be used in the grain offering ( ). The good relationships in itself should not have a limiting effect on the service toward God ( ). Milk is what the young, delicate life builds up. She has a stock of it under her tongue. The stock she has built up makes her suitable for distribution to those who need it. She keeps it hidden, she is not someone who throws everything out, but only uses it when it suits her. It is a hidden place, under her tongue, as it were ready for immediate use. In the application we can say that the believer who has enjoyed the blessings of the heavenly land, which are for him the heavenly places, will not show them off. He will know when and to whom he can say something about it. Paul knew that he could nothing say about this to the believers in Corinth. They were carnal, they did not have the right mind to hear about it. The believers in Ephesus were different. He could tell them a lot about this. The groom also speaks about the fragrance of the bride’s garments. Garments speak of what people see of us, of our behavior. Engaging with God’s Word will affect our attitude of life. We will be a pleasant fragrance for others in our environment when dealing with them. If God’s Word is our daily food, it will become visible in our way of life. Fragrance, as mentioned earlier, is not visible, but is experienced. The bride has the fragrance of Lebanon, of the height. The groom notices that she shows heaven in her actions and behavior. Thus the atmosphere of heaven will be noticed with us. As already has been remarked, it is precisely the letter to the Ephesians, which shows us the blessing of the heavenly land, that contains important directions for our life. In Ephesians 1-3 the blessings are presented and in Ephesians 4-6 is told how we should live in accordance with them. Husband and wife in marriage are addressed, as are parents and children, and employers and employees. It is a joy for the Lord Jesus when, in our daily way of life, the fragrance of heaven, the fragrance of Himself, is present in the various relationships in which we find ourselves. What the groom says also has a prophetic meaning. As we have seen before, the relationship between the groom and the bride in Song of Songs is primarily a picture of the relationship between the Messiah Jesus and the faithful remnant or Jerusalem in the end time. Here we see that the remnant will have “the fragrance of Lebanon” when it has returned to God and been restored in its relationship with the Messiah. The remnant will be clothed with “garments of salvation” and God will wrap them with “a robe of righteousness” ( ). From those garments will come a wonderful fragrance that also hangs on Lebanon. Lebanon is a picture of stability. What characterizes the remnant will characterize it throughout the realm of peace, for a thousand years. The guarantee of that is that it are the characteristics of God Himself. He gave it those garments with that fragrance.

‏ Song of Solomon 4:11

Lips, Tongue and Garments

The groom then speaks to her, whom he addresses again as “bride”, about her lips and what drips off of them. He says her lips “drip honey”. He notices what the bride says. What he sees makes clear to him what she has been busy with, what she has eaten. Honey is not made in a quick process. The preparation of honey requires a lot of work and time.

Honeycomb (Darby translation) – this is the honey in the first line of the verse – does not flow like a stream of water, but drips slowly, drop by drop. Honeycomb is also the pure, as yet unprocessed honey. There is no flood of words over the bride’s lips, but words that are sweet and building up. She does not speak impulsively, but thoughtfully. When people speak, their speech can resemble a waterfall of words. Such a waterfall has no depth, there was no consideration. James does not say for nothing: “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak” (Jam 1:19).

This is also and especially true in marriage, in the conversation between husband and wife. The husband sometimes tends to talk fast and a lot and fills in everything already. He knows exactly what his wife thinks, that’s at least what he thinks. Then communication comes to a standstill. The woman then says: I don’t have to say anything anymore, because you’ve already filled in everything. The man may think he won the discussion, but he lost his wife as a conversation partner. It is precisely the man who must learn to listen and learn to listen well, and not think that he already knows everything and can say how the matter works. Listening carefully first, and only then speaking is important.

What the groom observes in the bride shows in picture a believer who for a long time, in fellowship with the Lord, diligently searches the Scriptures and collects persistent and patient food from them. The Word of God is for him “sweeter … than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Psa 19:10b) and “a joy and the delight” of his heart (Jer 15:16). Our language shows that we appreciate the Word and have taken it into our hearts. Everything that comes over our lips and speaks of the Lord Jesus is sweet to those who hear it; it strengthens them (Pro 16:24). The Lord Jesus notices this and appreciates it.

The groom also sees what is under her tongue. Under her tongue are “honey and milk”. This means that all the blessing of the promised land (Exo 3:8 ; 17 ; Exo 13:5 ; Exo 33:3) is there. Honey gives strength when tired from the daily struggle (1Sam 14:27-29). Honey is the sweetness that, for example, flows from good family relationships. Honey was not allowed to be used in the grain offering (Lev 2:11). The good relationships in itself should not have a limiting effect on the service toward God (Mk 3:32-35). Milk is what the young, delicate life builds up.

She has a stock of it under her tongue. The stock she has built up makes her suitable for distribution to those who need it. She keeps it hidden, she is not someone who throws everything out, but only uses it when it suits her. It is a hidden place, under her tongue, as it were ready for immediate use.

In the application we can say that the believer who has enjoyed the blessings of the heavenly land, which are for him the heavenly places, will not show them off. He will know when and to whom he can say something about it. Paul knew that he could nothing say about this to the believers in Corinth. They were carnal, they did not have the right mind to hear about it. The believers in Ephesus were different. He could tell them a lot about this.

The groom also speaks about the fragrance of the bride’s garments. Garments speak of what people see of us, of our behavior. Engaging with God’s Word will affect our attitude of life. We will be a pleasant fragrance for others in our environment when dealing with them. If God’s Word is our daily food, it will become visible in our way of life.

Fragrance, as mentioned earlier, is not visible, but is experienced. The bride has the fragrance of Lebanon, of the height. The groom notices that she shows heaven in her actions and behavior. Thus the atmosphere of heaven will be noticed with us.

As already has been remarked, it is precisely the letter to the Ephesians, which shows us the blessing of the heavenly land, that contains important directions for our life. In Ephesians 1-3 the blessings are presented and in Ephesians 4-6 is told how we should live in accordance with them. Husband and wife in marriage are addressed, as are parents and children, and employers and employees. It is a joy for the Lord Jesus when, in our daily way of life, the fragrance of heaven, the fragrance of Himself, is present in the various relationships in which we find ourselves.

What the groom says also has a prophetic meaning. As we have seen before, the relationship between the groom and the bride in Song of Songs is primarily a picture of the relationship between the Messiah Jesus and the faithful remnant or Jerusalem in the end time. Here we see that the remnant will have “the fragrance of Lebanon” when it has returned to God and been restored in its relationship with the Messiah.

The remnant will be clothed with “garments of salvation” and God will wrap them with “a robe of righteousness” (Isa 61:10). From those garments will come a wonderful fragrance that also hangs on Lebanon. Lebanon is a picture of stability. What characterizes the remnant will characterize it throughout the realm of peace, for a thousand years. The guarantee of that is that it are the characteristics of God Himself. He gave it those garments with that fragrance.