Song of Solomon 1:12-14
Summary for Song 1:12-14: 1:12-14 a In the dramatic view, it appears that although the woman is physically in the king’s palace (1:4 b, 12 c), her heart is with her shepherd lover (1:13-14 d).• In the anthology view, this is a short poem on intimate fragrances. 1:12 e The meaning of the word translated couch is uncertain, and the word lying is not found in the Hebrew, so the king and the woman could be lying together on a couch or bed, or simply sitting at a table in one of the palace rooms.
• The interpretation that sees the Song as a collection of love songs is not concerned with whether the man is literally a king.
1:13 f Myrrh is extracted from the branches of a fragrant shrub that did not grow in Israel, but was imported from Arabia and India at extravagant cost. The sachet is a little packet of sweet-smelling myrrh. The woman’s desire for intimacy is expressed by comparing her lover to the sachet lying between her breasts.
• According to the three-character dramatic view, the woman is with the king in one of his palace rooms, but the fragrance of myrrh between her breasts fondly reminds her of her shepherd lover who is truly there, closer to her heart than the king.
1:14 g The woman thirsts for the sincere love of her man the way a traveler would thirst for the water of En-gedi, an oasis in the wilderness west of the Dead Sea.
• Henna is an aromatic shrub from the region around En-gedi; its blossoms were used for red hair dye.
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