DAWN

     Explanation: In Song of Solomon 5 Solomon and Abishag share their love; and afterward she seeks him again, announcing his praises to her maidens. Today's painting depicts an idyllic couple such as Abishag and Solomon.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Song of Solomon 2. Song of Solomon 3. Song of Solomon 4. Song of Solomon 5. Song of Solomon 6. Song of Solomon 7. ]

          [ 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 5. ]

     Solomon calls out to Abishag telling her he has arrived with myrrh, spice, honey, wine, and milk. Her friends interject their invitation to the couple to drink abundantly. This concludes the scene from the previous chapter; and Abishag and Solomon (implicitly) partake of their marital love (1).
     The scene shifts and presents Abishag asleep and dreaming. This may have been shortly after Abishag and Solomon had been together, perhaps the same night. But for some reason Solomon is out and Abishag is asleep. But her heart wakes. She hears the voice of her beloved who is knocking and asking her, with terms of endearment, to open the door to him because his head is filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night (2). A conflict arises within her as she lies half asleep -- how will she get her coat on; how will she defile her feet after she has washed them (3). But her beloved put his hand on the latch, and her heart was thrilled within her (4). She arose, and with hands dripping with myrrh, she took hold of the bolt (5). She opened the door, but her beloved had turned and gone. Her soul failed when he spoke. She sought him but could not find him. She called but he did not answer (6). The watchmen found her, beat her, bruised her, and took away her veil, (7). So she commanded the daughters of Jerusalem, that if they found her beloved, to tell him that she was sick with love (8).
     They asked her why her beloved was so special and why she adjured them so (9).
     She replied that he is radiant and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand (10). His head is like fine gold; and his locks are bushy, and black as a raven (11). His eyes are like doves by the rivers, washed with milk, and fitly set (12). His cheeks are like a bed of spices, sweet as flowers; and his lips are like lilies, dripping with sweet smelling myrrh (13). His hands are like gold rings set with beryl; his belly is like bright ivory overlaid with sapphires (14). His legs are like pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold; his countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars (15). His mouth is most sweet: yes, he is altogether lovely. This is her beloved, her friend (16).

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

Solomon

¹ I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk:

Chorus

eat, O friends; drink,
yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

The Fourth Quest - Love Sought & Found in the City (5:2 - 7:11)

Abishag

² I sleep, but my heart waketh:
it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh,
saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled:
for my head is filled with dew,
and my locks with the drops of the night.
³ I have put off [this] my coat;
how shall I put it on? I have washed these my feet;
how shall I defile them?
⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door,
and my bowels were moved for him.
⁵ I rose up to open to my beloved;
and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh,
upon the handles of the lock.
⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone:
my soul failed when he spake:
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
⁷ The watchmen that went about the city found me,
they smote me,
they wounded me;
the keepers of the walls took away [this] my veil from [over] me.
⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if ye find [this] my beloved,
that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

Chorus

⁹ What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
O thou fairest among women?
what is thy beloved more than another beloved,
that thou dost so charge us?

Abishag

¹⁰ My beloved iswhite and ruddy,
the chiefest among ten thousand.
¹¹ His head is as the most fine gold,
his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
¹² His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters,
washed with milk, and fitly set.
¹³ His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
as sweet flowers:
his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
¹⁴ His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl:
his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
¹⁵ His legs are as pillars of marble,
set upon sockets of fine gold:
his countenance is as Lebanon,
excellent as the cedars.
¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet:
yea, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.