Solomon on Sex #5
The Wedding Night - part one
Continuing with Mr.Dillow's book THE WEDDING NIGHT (Reflections #8, Song 4:1-5:1) CONTEXT In Chapter 1:1-2:7, we find Shulamith's memory lingering tenderly on their first night together and the events of the wedding day. Then, in the window of her mind, she begins to reflect on the events leading to the marriage. Her thoughts of the wedding procession naturally lead her to thoughts of their first night together. In this chapter we have an extended description of their lovemaking on the wedding night. It is difficult to be certain this is the wedding night, but the close proximity with the wedding procession in the preceding chapter tends to imply the wedding night is intended. It is possible, however, that this chapter describes another lovemaking experience months later in their marriage. Thus, we assume the wedding ceremony occurred between chapters three and four. Also, the events of chapter one with Shulamith in the palace and later at the banquet table all occur chronologically before this song but after the arrival of the wedding procession. The royal couple is alone. Solomon outdoes himself in praising the beauty of his bride. The beautiful love song in this scene gives us a glimpse into the consummation of their marriage. The time of the scene seems to be late afternoon or early evening (4:6). (We must remember that for the ancients, the day ended much earlier than it does for us.) It appears that the wedding procession arrived sometime in the morning or about midday. Shulamith was then taken to the palace where she prepared for the wedding banquet. There we met her in the opening verses of the book. In mid-afternoon the wedding banquet was held. Now the afternoon draws to a dose and twilight comes. The bride and groom retire to the bridal chamber eagerly anticipating the consummation of their love in intercourse. COMMENTARY 4:1 SOLOMON: How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Presumably Solomon and his bride, on the couch in the bridal chamber, have initiated their loveplay. Solomon is overwhelmed by the beauty of his bride and begins to praise her charms as his eyes and caresses pass over her body. A dove (with which he symbolizes her eyes) is a traditional symbol of purity, innocence, and beauty. The reference to the veil most likely does not refer to the veil that covers most of the face. Even though Delitzsch seems to think it does, several factors make this improbable. (1) It seems rather unnecessary and even awkward for a bride to remain veiled on her wedding night. The veil was to seal her off from the eyes of other men, not from her husband. (2) The text clearly states that Solomon could see her teeth (4:2), her lips (4:3), her cheeks (4:3), and her neck (4:4), all of which would be covered by the oriental veil. Jews used a piece of silk or other material to cover women's faces. In view of this, it seems preferable to take the suggestion of Lehrman and others that the veil here refers to her hair cascading down her head. Thus, the long hair of his Shulamite bride hangs across her face like a veil, but between the strands of hair he sees and praises her beautiful features. Now prepare yourself for some seemingly unflattering praise. 4:1 SOLOMON: Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Mount Gilead. If a modern husband said that to his wife on her wedding night, he'd either be met with tears or a purse hurled in his direction. This is a metaphor of subjective response. Many times poets use certain metaphors in order to create a subjective response in the mind and emotions of the reader. In this particular case, these goats refer to black goats with long silky hair that glistens in the twilight sun. As they wound their way homeward coming down the restful slopes of Mt.Gilead, they created a sense of restfulness and beauty in the eye of the beholder. Solomon is saying Shulamith is like that. As he beholds her hair and her general beauty, he is overwhelmed with a sense of quiet. He loves to just look at her and take in what he sees. He's actually being quite romantic. 4:2 SOLOMON: Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come from their washing; To liken her teeth to sheep is to say they are as white as snow. To say that they are like newly shorn ewes suggests they are smooth. The allusion to the "washing" suggests that her teeth glisten with saliva. All of which bear twins And not one among them has lost her young. All her teeth are twins; they come in pairs, top and bottom, and are evenly matched. Not only that, but she still has all her teeth - she has lost none of "her young." 4:3 SOLOMON: Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Shulamith apparently used lipstick of some type and other cosmetics in a comely way which highlighted her natural beauty. It is very difficult to imagine that Solomon's words are separate from the parts of her body he is caressing. It would seem rather awkward to simply stare at her without caressing the parts of her body he is describing. Thus, he starts his lovemaking by kissing her hair, teeth, and lips and stroking these areas as well. Next he kisses and caresses her temples or cheeks. Your temples are like a slice of pomegranate Behind your veil. Her rosy cheeks veiled by her hair resemble the pomegranate when cut open. The preceding verse likened her charms to the rustic background from which she came. But she is not only a country maiden; she is the wife of the king of Israel. Hence, the following features are likened to things associated with Solomon. 4:4 SOLOMON: Your neck is like a tower of David Built with rows of stones, On which are hung a thousand shields, All the round shields of the mighty men. To liken her neck to a tower of David speaks of her erect and queenly carriage. The shields refer to the ornaments that normally adorned her neck as she walked in public. Shields were often hung on the outside of a tower wall to protect the tower. He is saying she is a source of strength to him. He needs her strength and encouragement. 4:5 SOLOMON: Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies. Delitzsch comments, "The breasts are compared to a twin pair of young gazelles in respect of their equality and youthful freshness, and the bosom on which they raise themselves is compared to a meadow covered with lilies, on which the twin pair of young gazelles feed." The imagery suggests her breasts are uncovered. It is interesting to observe how otherwise brilliant Hebrew commentators will allow their cultural preconditioning to reject the obvious meaning of some of the passages of the Song. Zockler, for example, the brilliant German exegete says concerning this verse: A more detailed parcelling out of the comparison, as for instance ... by Weissb, who supposes a particular reference in the young gazelles to the dark colored nipples of her breasts as their especial charm, and in the lilies to the snowy whiteness of her bosom is inadmissible, and leads to what is in violation of good taste or to what is obscene. Detitzsch and others believe the text teaches what Zockler asserts to be in violation of good taste. Zockler rejects this interpretation because to him it appears obscene. This is not an exegete speaking. It is a man conditioned by his culture so that probable interpretations of the Song are ruled out by cultural preconditioning and not by hermeneutical principle. Others might see nothing in violation of good taste or obscene, but on the contrary, something beautiful. The symbolism of gazelle and lilies is actually quite delicate and very beautiful. The reference was to the dorcus gazelle, an animal about two feet high at the shoulders, and a marvel of lightness and grace. The beauty of its eyes was proverbial. One of the most common associations with the gazelle was that it was a delicacy served at Solomon's table (1 Kings 4:23). They are delicious to eat. They are fawn in color and when tamed are very affectionate. Furthermore, they have a frolicsomeness and gaiety which irresistibly enchants the eyes of the beholder and attracts them to come near and touch theme The lily is curvy and is often therefore alluded to as an architectural ornament. Casual reflections on the many associations connected with the words "gazelle" and "lilies" make his description of his wife's breast pregnant with beautiful connotations. They are very curvaceous like the lily. Their beauty creates within his heart a desire to reach out and fondle them as one would a gazelle feeding by a brook. The notion of frolicsomeness suggests sexual playfulness. The fact they were served as a delicacy to eat at Solomon's table suggests his desire to caress them with his lips and tongue. As gazelles were warm and affectionate, so was Shulamith as a sexual partner. 4:6 SOLOMON: Until the cool of the day When the shadows flee away, (at twilight time) I will go to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. This appears to be synthetic parallelism. Thus the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense are the same place. But what do they represent? The female genitals are referred to in 5:1 as a "garden" and in 4:13 as "shoots" (see discussion on 4:13). In both passages, myrrh and frankincense are described as characteristic scents of her "garden." Thus, when Solomon says he will go his way "to the mountain of myrrh," the reference to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense becomes, in this interpretation, an obvious reference to the proverbial "Mount of Venus." That this is the intent of the imagery is further reinforced by the fact that Solomon's praises and caresses start at her head and work downward. Note the sequence: 1. eyes - like doves 2. hair - long and black 3. teeth - white and smooth 4. lips - red and lovely 5. cheeks - red 6. neck - erect 7. breasts - full and youthful 8. "garden" - (mount of myrrh, etc.) - erotically scented Solomon now sums up the beauty of his bride by saying: 4:7 SOLOMON: You are altogether beautiful my darling, And there is no blemish in you. I once counselled a couple who were having some difficulties in the physical dimension of their marriage. The trouble, on the surface, seemed to be the wife's inhibitions. The husband was rather distraught at her refusal to disrobe and display her body to him. The first question I asked him was, "Have you ever told your wife you thought her body was beautiful?" She volunteered, "No he hasn't. I had no idea he thought my body was appealing to him. In fact, because he never expressed that it was appealing I sort of assumed it wasn't." As a result the inhibitions set in. Every woman wants to believe her appearance arouses her man. Solomon's sensitive to this fact and expresses himself accordingly. Like any woman, Shulamith wanted to hear Solomon comment he liked what he saw when she entered the room. The problem is, many women have "hang-ups" about various parts of their anatomy. They can stand in front of a mirror and see scores of imperfections that never even occurred to you. That appendectomy scar, for example, looks to her as if it's 18 inches long. If she has picked up a few stretch marks from having babies, as far as she is concerned her tummy looks like a plowed field. Her thighs are either too fat or too skinny. Her breasts are either too big, too small or too something. Tell her she is beautiful to you. That's what Solomon is doing here and he's doing it in poetry! Now there is a brief pause in their lovemaking while Solomon sums up her beauty in 4:7 and discusses a journey to the Lebanon mountains, her country home. 4:8 SOLOMON: Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. The passage is somewhat difficult in view of the fact that they are in the bridal chamber in Jerusalem. Delitzsch argues that the Hebrew of the passage suggests he wants her to go with him to Lebanon up to the steep heights of the mountains. He is promising her a vacation in the country. He will take her to the country home she loves. He describes what they will see and do while in the mountains: Journey down from the summit of Amana, Amana is the name of one of the outermost peaks of the Lebanon mountains. From the summit of Sent, and Hermon, Hermon is the most southern peak of the Anti-libanus chain. This chain of mountains (about 10,000 feet) forms the northeastern border of Palestine. The springs of the Jordan River take their rise here. Senir is another section of the same mountain range. It is very probable that Solomon built royal residences in this region. It was his San Clemente and Camp David, a sort of northern White House. He is, in effect, promising her a vacation, or perhaps a honeymoon in the mountains north of where she was raised. From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards. Leopards live in these mountains even today, although lions have long since become extinct. From the heights of these mountains, Solomon promises they will honeymoon together and look down where the lions and leopards dwell. Before moving on to verse 9, let's consider several principles related to sexual love that are evident in these verses. Put yourself in Shulamith's position. Two days earlier she had been walking around barefoot in the vineyards in the Lebanon mountains to the north In the past forty-eight hours she had been transported south in a gala wedding procession, placed in the splendid palace of the richest man in the world, officiated at a wedding banquet, and now she finds herself alone with her new husband at last. That's quite a lot to happen to a country girl in two days! Without a doubt she is probably a little restless inside. She probably is longing for her Lebanon home. She feels slightly out of place. Also, it seems evident she was somewhat concerned about her appearance in comparison to the lovely court ladies (1:5,6; 2:1,2), feeling she was only a "lily of the valley," a common country girl. In view of these inner feelings, Solomon's approach to lovemaking seems very exemplary. In 4:8 he deals with her first concern - her longing for her country home. He promises her they will return there for the honeymoon. Her second problem, her concern about her beauty, is dealt with in 4:1-7 where he tells her how beautiful she is. Solomon's a mind reader! He is very sensitive to his wife's psychological and emotional concerns and is not only concerned with his own satisfaction on the physical level. Too frequently men tend to divorce sex from the total relationship. Women on the other hand tend to be so concerned about the relationship and the "spiritual" aspects of sex that to view it as pure pleasure and fun is offensive. Both extremes are wrong. Solomon is being extremely thoughtful and tender toward his new bride. A woman needs to feel her husband wants to make love to her as a person and not as a "body" or thing. Their loveplay here was relaxed, unrushed, and a time for enjoying one another as persons and not just as objects. Too many men carry a "thirty-second" approach into the bedroom and wonder why their wives never seem to be responsive. In order for sex to be an expression of love, the needs and desires of the other person should be more important than your own. Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phil 2:34). If your lovemaking tends to last only five or ten minutes, you might consider whether or not you are really making love to your wife as a person or simply using her for a sexual release. Solomon's main concern was to satisfy his bride and not himself, as a result he received plenty of satisfaction in return (5:1). After a brief interlude and joyful conversation, their lovemaking resumes at a faster pace in the following verses. 4:9 SOLOMON: You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride. You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes. Her eyes were apparently very alluring and had the ability to arouse him. You have made my heart beat faster with a single strand of your necklace. 4:10 SOLOMON: How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride, How much better is your love than wine, Solomon says her love ("caresses," see discussion on 1:2) are beautiful (2:3). They are more beautiful than wine, a symbol for supreme pleasure. When he says her love is better than wine, he is complimenting her on her love skill. She was a skilful mistress! And the fragrance of your oils Than all kinds of spices! Her oils, those she naturally produces, are more fragrant to him than "all kinds of spices." Since the spices are also oils of myrrh, etc., the contrast must be between naturally produced "oils" (the moistness associated with feminine passion), and external man-made perfumes. 4:11 SOLOMON: Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, These symbols speak of the sweetness of her kisses. "No doubt some historians of romance are under the illusion that a certain kind of kissing originated in France in recent centuries. This Song, however, was written long before that" one writer has noted. And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. This apparently refers to a flimsy, scant, and perfumed negligee she is wearing while they are enjoying their love together. It must be sheer; he can see her breasts through it (4:5) and her "mountain of myrrh" (4:6). This attire provided Solomon with ample access to her feminine charms. Shulamith knew how to dress for bed! One woman in a book I recently read put it this way: "Wives, if your husbands like black, see-through lingerie, don't wear flannel pyjamas to bed. You're not living in a nunnery, you are sleeping with a man." He's not interested in fighting through yards of cloth or "missionary mumus" in order to find you. 4:11 SOLOMON: A garden locked is my sister, my bride, A rock-garden locked, a spring sealed up. The garden refers to her vagina. When Solomon says it is locked, he is saying it has never been entered; she is a virgin. Gardens and vineyards in Palestine were surrounded by rock walls to prevent intrusion of strangers. Only the lawful possessor of the garden could enter it. Solomon's use of the word "garden" to describe his wife's genitals is full of poetic and symbolic beauty. The Hebrew word "gannah" 's literally translated, "a covered or hidden place," and in the Eastern traveller's mind denotes much more than an ordinary garden does today. Gardens in biblical times "were usually walled inclosures, as the name indicates in which there were paths winding in and out among shade and fruit trees, canals of running water, fountains, sweet-smelling herbs, aromatic blossoms and convenient arbors in which to sit and enjoy the effect. The literature of ancient Egypt, Palestine, and Babylon indicates kings were especially fond of gardens and laid out vast expanses of rich gardens containing the rarest trees and plants. To the oriental mind, a garden was a place of shade and refreshment. Frequently the ancient picture of Paradise involves a shaded garden, the air laden with sweet perfumes from the fruits and flowers, accompanied by the music of running water and a couch upon which to recline. To the Hebrew mind, especially, the reference to a "garden" recalled the beauty and perfection of the Garden of Eden. Only one who has travelled for days in a dry, glaring desert country (such as surrounds Palestine), and has come upon a beautiful shaded garden can appreciate how similar to Paradise these gardens can appear. Thus to describe Shulamith's vagina as a garden is to say it is beautiful to behold, like flowered gardens of the East. It is also a source of sexual refreshment for him to experience. As a carefully cultivated Eastern garden yields delicious "fruit," so Shulamith's garden is a source of delicious fruit (sexual pleasures), when "cultivated." Furthermore, it is a source of fertility. To make love with her is like entering Paradise. Her pleasures are secret and hidden from all but Solomon - the rightful owner of the garden. Not only does Solomon refer to her vagina as a "garden," but also as a "spring sealed up" (4:12). Because water was scarce in the East, owners of fountains sealed them with clay which quickly hardened in the sun. Thus, a sealed fountain was shut against all impurity; no one could get water out of it except its rightful owner. Thus, Shulamith was closed against the world and inaccessible to all who would disturb her pure heart or desecrate her pure person. 4:13 SOLOMON: Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, 4:14 Nard and saffron, calainus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices. The Hebrew word translated "shoots" is used in the Old Testament to mean a missile or a weapon. It is also used of plants or fruit (Jer.17:8; Ps.80:12). Both meanings make no sense here. It seems Solomon's giving the word a distinct meaning unique to the love song. This should not be unexpected as he takes other common words and gives them erotic meanings ("oils," "garden," "fruit," etc.). Some of the commentators suggest the word should be translated "they sendings forth." Although this interpretation has the advantage of being very literal, it lacks sense. Perhaps Harris Hirschberg is correct when he says that since the preceding verses are referring to the female anatomy, we should think of the Arabic "shalkh," or vagina. Thus "the shoots" would refer to her "garden." This interpretation gains prominence in that the aroma of frankincense is attributed to her "shoots" in 4:14 and also to her "garden," or vagina, in 5:1. The plural, "shoots," is somewhat awkward in this interpretation, but it is probably a plural of intensity like elohim (God - Gods is a plural of intensity emphasizing the divine majesty). Zockler says the term "plants" refers to a single plant. ................... To be continued Entered on my Website July 2007 |
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