DAWN

     Explanation: In Song of Solomon 4 Solomon praises the delightful physical qualities of Abishag and invites her to be with him. At the end of the chapter she reciprocates and invites him to be with her. Much of the imagery in the chapter has to do with spices. Today's image depicts a spice and tea garden.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Song of Solomon 2. Song of Solomon 3. Song of Solomon 5. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Song of Solomon 4. ]

     Solomon praises Abishag for her beauty, using metaphors to describe the beauty of each part of her body and her garments. He compares her eyes to the eyes of doves and her hair to a flock of goats which leap down the slopes of Mount Gilead (1). Her teeth are as white as a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, each one bearing twins, and not one among them has lost its young. They are clean, white, symmetrical, and all are present (2). Her lips are like a scarlet thread; her mouth is lovely. Her cheeks are like red slices or pomegranate behind her veil (3). Her neck is like the tower of David, and its armory which has a thousand shields of mighty men. It is both lovely and strong (4). Her breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle which feed among the lilies. The image is of beauty surrounded by beauty (5). Until the day breaks (breathes, or comes alive) and the shadows flee away, Solomon says that he will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense (6). He calls her lovely and flawless (7). He invites her, his bride, to come with him from Lebanon and to depart from the peaks of Amana, Shenir, and Hermon, and from the dens of lions and from the mountains of leopards. The invitation is to depart from remote, difficult, and dangerous places (8). She ravished (captivated) his heart when he saw only a glimpse of her -- a single eye, and a single chain (or jewel) which she wore (9). She is beautiful, and her love is better than wine, and the smell of her perfumes than all spices (10). Her lips drip nectar; honey and milk are under her tongue; and the fragrance of her garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon (11). She is like a garden, a spring, and a fountain which are sealed (12). She blossoms like an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruit -- henna, nard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, and aloes -- all the choice spices (13-14). She is like a garden fountain, a well of living water, and the flowing streams from Lebanon (15). He calls on the north wind and the south wind to blow upon his garden and to let its spices flow. She responds by asking him to come to her, his garden, and to eat of its choicest fruits (16).

The Third Quest (Continued) - Love Sought & Found in the City (3:6 - 5:1)

Solomon

¹ Behold, thou art fair, my love;
behold, thou art fair;

thou hast doves' eyes [from] within thy locks:

thy hair is as a flock of goats,
that appear from mount Gilead.

² Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn,
which came up from the washing;
whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

³ Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,

and thy speech is comely:

thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate [from] within thy locks.

⁴ Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury,
whereon there hang a thousand bucklers,
all shields of mighty men.

⁵ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins,
which feed among the lilies.

⁶ Until the day [shall] break,
and the shadows flee away,
I will get me to the mountain of myrrh,
and to the hill of frankincense.

⁷ Thou art all fair, my love;
there is no spot in thee.

⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
with me from Lebanon:
look from the top of Amana,
from the top of Shenir and Hermon,
from the lions' dens,
from the mountains of the leopards.

⁹ Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse;
thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes,
with one chain of thy neck.

¹⁰ How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse!
how much better is thy love than wine!
and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

¹¹ Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb:
honey and milk are under thy tongue;
and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

¹² A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse;

a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

¹³ Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates,
with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
¹⁴ Spikenard and saffron;
calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes,
with all the chief spices:

¹⁵ A fountain of gardens,
a well of living waters,
and streams from Lebanon.

¹⁶ Awake, O north wind;
and come, thou south;
blow upon my garden,
that the spices thereof may flow out.

Abishag

Let my beloved come into his garden,
and eat his pleasant fruits.