Song of Solomon 6:4-10
Summary for Song 6:4-10: 6:4-10 a The man again describes the physical beauty of the woman. He repeats parts of the description from ch 4 b almost verbatim, showing the same high regard for his wife. 6:4 c Tirzah was a city-state as early as Joshua’s time; it eventually became great enough to be the capital of the northern kingdom (Josh 12:24 d; 1 Kgs 15:33 e). The town’s name means “pleasant.”• Jerusalem was the capital of David’s and Solomon’s united kingdom and after that, the most important city of Judah.
Summary for Song 6:8-9: 6:8-9 f If the Song were an allegory of the Lord’s love for his people, it would provide a very weak parallel, since Solomon’s excesses in marrying do a poor job of picturing God’s love and faithfulness (see 1 Kgs 11:1-13 g).
• sixty queens: Many of Solomon’s wives were obtained by marrying into international treaties (see 1 Kgs 11:1-3 h, 8 i).
• Concubines were wives who had secondary status, lower than a wife but higher than a slave. Concubines were acquired by war, debt repayment, or purchase.
• In the anthology view, the reference to queens and concubines simply means that the woman herself is more desirable than all other women.
6:9 j sing her praises: Literally called her blessed. If the Song is a drama, the woman has left Solomon’s harem, and the singing took place in the past, when the woman was still there.
6:10 k The poem ends as it began in 6:4 l: The woman’s majesty, like an army with billowing banners in full display, makes the knees knock and the heart flutter.
Copyright information for
TNotes