THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM

Passage: Song of Songs 3:6-5:1

Key verse: 4:7

NIV

6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness(A)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(B) and incense
    made from all the spices(C) of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(D)
    the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(E)
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(F)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(G)

He

4 How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes behind your veil(H) are doves.(I)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from the hills of Gilead.(J)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
    not one of them is alone.(K)
3 Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
    your mouth(L) is lovely.(M)
Your temples behind your veil
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.(N)
4 Your neck is like the tower(O) of David,
    built with courses of stone[b];
on it hang a thousand shields,(P)
    all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts(Q) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle(R)
    that browse among the lilies.(S)
6 Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(T)
I will go to the mountain of myrrh(U)
    and to the hill of incense.
7 You are altogether beautiful,(V) my darling;
    there is no flaw(W) in you.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,(X)
    come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the crest of Amana,
    from the top of Senir,(Y) the summit of Hermon,(Z)
from the lions’ dens
    and the mountain haunts of leopards.
9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;(AA)
    you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
    with one jewel of your necklace.(AB)
10 How delightful(AC) is your love(AD), my sister, my bride!
    How much more pleasing is your love than wine,(AE)
and the fragrance of your perfume(AF)
    more than any spice!
11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
    milk and honey are under your tongue.(AG)
The fragrance of your garments
    is like the fragrance of Lebanon.(AH)
12 You are a garden(AI) locked up, my sister, my bride;(AJ)
    you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.(AK)
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates(AL)
    with choice fruits,
    with henna(AM) and nard,
14     nard and saffron,
    calamus and cinnamon,(AN)
    with every kind of incense tree,
    with myrrh(AO) and aloes(AP)
    and all the finest spices.(AQ)
15 You are[c] a garden(AR) fountain,(AS)
    a well of flowing water
    streaming down from Lebanon.

She

16 Awake, north wind,
    and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,(AT)
    that its fragrance(AU) may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved(AV) come into his garden
    and taste its choice fruits.(AW)

He

5 I have come into my garden,(AX) my sister, my bride;(AY)
    I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
    I have drunk my wine and my milk.(AZ)

Friends

Eat, friends, and drink;
    drink your fill of love.

Footnotes
  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look
  2. Song of Songs 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. Song of Songs 4:15 Or I am (spoken by She)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Solomon Arrives for the Wedding

6 (A)What is that coming up from the wilderness
    like (B)columns of smoke,
perfumed with (C)myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
7 Behold, it is the litter[a] of Solomon!
Around it are (D)sixty (E)mighty men,
    some of the mighty men of Israel,
8 all of them wearing swords
    and expert in war,
each with his (F)sword at his thigh,
    against (G)terror by night.
9 King Solomon made himself a carriage[b]
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love
    by (H)the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, O (I)daughters of Zion,
    and look upon King Solomon,
with the crown with which his mother crowned him
    on (J)the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.

Solomon Admires His Bride's Beauty

He

4 Behold, (K)you are beautiful, my love,
    behold, you are beautiful!
(L)Your eyes are doves
    (M)behind your veil.
(N)Your hair is like a flock of goats
    leaping down (O)the slopes of Gilead.
2 Your (P)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.
3 Your lips are like (Q)a scarlet thread,
    and your mouth is (R)lovely.
Your (S)cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
    (T)behind your veil.
4 Your (U)neck is like the tower of David,
    built in (V)rows of stone;[c]
on it (W)hang a thousand shields,
    all of (X)them shields of warriors.
5 Your (Y)two breasts are like two (Z)fawns,
    twins of a gazelle,
    that (AA)graze among the lilies.
6 (AB)Until the day breathes
    and the shadows flee,
I will go away to the mountain of (AC)myrrh
    and the hill of (AD)frankincense.
7 (AE)You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no (AF)flaw in you.
8 (AG)Come with me from (AH)Lebanon, my (AI)bride;
    come with me from (AJ)Lebanon.
Depart[d] from the peak of Amana,
    from the peak of (AK)Senir and (AL)Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
    from the mountains of leopards.

9 You have captivated my heart, my (AM)sister, my bride;
    you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
    with one (AN)jewel of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my (AO)sister, my bride!
    How much (AP)better is your love than wine,
    and (AQ)the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
11 Your (AR)lips drip nectar, my bride;
    (AS)honey and milk are under your tongue;
    the fragrance of your garments is (AT)like the fragrance of (AU)Lebanon.
12 A garden locked is my (AV)sister, my bride,
    a spring locked, (AW)a fountain (AX)sealed.
13 Your shoots are (AY)an orchard of pomegranates
    with all (AZ)choicest fruits,
    (BA)henna with (BB)nard,
14 nard and saffron, (BC)calamus and (BD)cinnamon,
    with all trees of (BE)frankincense,
(BF)myrrh and (BG)aloes,
    with all (BH)choice spices—
15 a garden fountain, a well of (BI)living water,
    and flowing streams from (BJ)Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind,
    and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my (BK)garden,
    let its spices flow.

Together in the Garden of Love

She

(BL)Let my beloved come to his (BM)garden,
    and eat its (BN)choicest fruits.

He

5 I (BO)came to my garden, my (BP)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my (BQ)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my (BR)honeycomb with my honey,
    I (BS)drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, (BT)friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love!

Footnotes
  1. Song of Solomon 3:7 That is, the couch on which servants carry a king
  2. Song of Solomon 3:9 Or sedan chair
  3. Song of Solomon 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  4. Song of Solomon 4:8 Or Look
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The King and his entourage (3:6-11)

When King Solomon came to his wedding, he came in great splendor and glory. His carriage was finer than a custom-made Rolls-Royce; it was equipped with everything to make it comfortable and beautiful. When the Bridegroom Jesus comes, he will come on clouds of glory, with the holy angels.

2. How beautiful you are! (4:1-5:1)

The bridegroom describes the beauties of his bride in 4:1-7. When he sees her with the eyes of love, she is flawless. In verses 8-15, he looks forward to being alone with her. She is like a locked-up garden. She wisely keeps herself pure as she waits for the one who is her true bridegroom. In 4:16-5:2, she invites him in and he comes. Their marriage is consummated.

Prayer: Lord, grant to our land pure men and women who can use your beautiful gift of sexuality in the context of the commitment of marriage. Keep us pure in heart as we wait for our true Bridegroom Jesus.

One Word: Ready when the Bridegroom comes