Song of Solomon 4 (Listen)

4:1   Behold, you are beautiful, my love,
    behold, you are beautiful!
  Your eyes are doves
    behind your veil.
  Your hair is like a flock of goats
    leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
  Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
    that have come up from the washing,
  all of which bear twins,
    and not one among them has lost its young.
  Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
    and your mouth is lovely.
  Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
    behind your veil.
  Your neck is like the tower of David,
    built in rows of stone;
  on it hang a thousand shields,
    all of them shields of warriors.
  Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle,
    that graze among the lilies.
  Until the day breathes
    and the shadows flee,
  I will go away to the mountain of myrrh
    and the hill of frankincense.
  You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no flaw in you.
  Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
    come with me from Lebanon.
  Depart from the peak of Amana,
    from the peak of Senir and Hermon,
  from the dens of lions,
    from the mountains of leopards.
  You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;
    you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
    with one jewel of your necklace.
10   How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
    How much better is your love than wine,
    and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
11   Your lips drip nectar, my bride;
    honey and milk are under your tongue;
    the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12   A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
    a spring locked, a fountain sealed.
13   Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates
    with all choicest fruits,
    henna with nard,
14   nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
    with all trees of frankincense,
  myrrh and aloes,
    with all choice spices—
15   a garden fountain, a well of living water,
    and flowing streams from Lebanon.
16   Awake, O north wind,
    and come, O south wind!
  Blow upon my garden,
    let its spices flow.

  Let my beloved come to his garden,
    and eat its choicest fruits.




Devotional:

How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Behind your veil, your eyes are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead…You are absolutely beautiful, my darling; there is no imperfection in you. (Song of Songs 4:1, 7)

There is quite a description of the bride in this chapter. Some of the language may seem odd to us today, but the overall point being made is how the man views his bride and highlights how lovely she is – she has captivated him (4:9). In the next chapter, the wife similarly describes her husband in glowing terms to others (5:9-16). Let’s be intentional with words and actions to speak highly of our spouse (if married) and to encourage those around us who are married to speak well of their spouse. Christian marriage is to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church, so may our marriages reflect the affection God has for his people and the praise that we offer to Him.

Pray It: Father, thank you for loving me so much in spite of my sin. Help me to be a person who loves others (and if married, especially my spouse) like you love me through the words I say to and about them. Amen.

Share it: Who can you share a verse or thought from this passage with today?