Song of Solomon 3 explained: A Night Search and a Wedding

Searching through the night (vv. 1-3)

Lying awake, she longs for the man she loves, then goes out through the streets and squares and even asks the city's night watchmen if they have seen him. Scholars are unsure whether this is a dream or a poetic picture of how restless longing feels.

Finding him (v. 4)

Soon after, she finds him, holds on tight, and brings him to her mother's house, into the very room of the woman who conceived her; many scholars take this as a hint of welcoming him into her family and toward closeness. Jewish tradition heard Israel seeking God here, and many Christians have read it as the soul or the church seeking Christ.

A charge to the women (v. 5)

She repeats a solemn request, also found in chapters 2 and 8, asking the women of Jerusalem to swear by gazelles and deer, animals the poem uses to picture the beloved. The translations differ: some read it as "do not stir up love until it is ready," others as "do not wake my beloved until he wishes."

A procession from the desert (vv. 6-8)

Something rises from the desert like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh, incense and traders' spices, and scholars debate whether "who is this" means the carriage or a bride riding in it. Sixty seasoned warriors, Israel's finest, guard it with swords ready for the dangers of the night.

The king's carriage (vv. 9-10)

Solomon had it built of wood from Lebanon, famous for its cedar, with silver posts, a gold base and a seat covered in purple, a dye so costly it signalled royalty. The phrase about love in verse 10 is unclear in Hebrew and the translations divide the verse differently, though it may mean the inside was lovingly decorated, perhaps by the women of Jerusalem.

Solomon's wedding day (v. 11)

The women of Zion, another name for Jerusalem, are called to see Solomon on his wedding day, wearing a crown his mother placed on him, which many scholars think was a wedding wreath rather than a throne crown. Some read this as the historical King Solomon, while others think the poem pictures the groom as a king for the day.

Key verse: Song of Solomon 3:4

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether the Song is mainly a poem celebrating human love and desire, an allegory of Christ and his people as many early and medieval Christians read it, or both at once.

Something to think about

When have you gone looking for someone or something you loved, and what did the searching itself show you about what mattered to you?