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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Song of Solomon Chapter 8

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Solomon
Date Penned: (971-931 BC)
Overview: The Love Between the Bride and the Bridegroom (c 1-8)
Theme: The Power of Love (c 8)
Message: A Satisfying Companion (v 1-13)

Song of Solomon 8 Commentary 

(8:1) Affection - In the ancient Middle East, it was improper to show public affection except between family members. The young woman was wishing that she could freely show affection to her lover even in public. 

(8:4) Marriage - For a third time, we are warned not to rush into marriage (see also 2:7; 3:5). Many unmarried people want to experience all the delights and comforts of marriage--like living together and having sex-before they are married. This refrain warns us not to let our desires leap ahead of our commitment and the relationship's maturity. It is still a timely warning for today. Remain pure and wait patiently to fully express your love. 

(8:6-7) Love is Strong - In this final description of the couple's love, the young woman includes some of love's significant characteristics (see also 1 Corinthians 13). Love is as strong as death; it cannot be killed by time or disaster. Love is priceless; even the richest king cannot buy it. Love must be accepted as a gift from God and then shared within the guidelines God provides. If you are married, accept the love of your spouse as God's gift, and strive to make your love a reflection of the perfect love that comes from God himself.

(8:8-10) Preparing for Marriage - The young woman's brothers are reflecting on the days when the young woman was younger and under their care. At the time, they wondered how to help her prepare for marriage. They decided that if she remained a virgin before marriage, standing firm like a wall against sexual temptation, they would praise her. But if she was like a door, open to immorality, they would take steps to guard her from doing something foolish. The young woman testifies that she was persistent in her morality and thus found favor in Solomon's eyes. 

(8:11-12) Shared Resources - Solomon could demand rent from the tenants for his vineyard, but the woman had her own vineyard, and she had the right to assign it. But she willingly gave Solomon its fruit. A good marriage has no private property, for everything is shared between the husband and wife. This village of Baal-hamon is mentioned only here in the Bible, and its location is unknown.

( 8:14) Oneness - The love between Solomon and his bride did not diminish in intensity after their wedding night. The lovers relied on each other and kept no secrets from each other. They related to each other openly. Love, respect, and commitment were key to their relationship, just as they are in our relationships with our spouses and with God. The faithfulness of our marital love should reflect God's perfect faithfulness to us. Paul later showed how marriage represents Christ's relationship with his church (Ephesians 5:22-33), and John pictured the Second Coming as a great marriage feast for Christ and his bride--his faithful followers (Revelation 19:7-8; 21:1-2). Many theologians have thought that the Song of Solomon is an allegory showing Christ's love for his church. A more likely explanation, however, is that it is a series of love poems about a real human love relationship, and that all loving marriages are reflections of God's love for us.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Biblical Love

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Song of Solomon with Chapter 8. In our text today, we see the power of love as Solomon describes it with a picture of our communion with Christ. In making application, we see that no love is greater than the love our Lord exhibited to us when He paid the price for our sin on the cross of Calvary. How about you? Do you see the love that our Lord extended to us? Let us learn from our text today and see the Love of Christ pictured for us as He loves us and proved that love on the Cross of Calvary.

 

Song of Solomon 8 - Free Online King James Study Bible - A Free Gift from the United States Bible Society, Inc.

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Song of Solomon 8

Song of Solomon 8

 1O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.

 2I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

 3His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

 4I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

 5Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

 6Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

 7Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

 8We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

 9If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

 10I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

 11Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

 12My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

 13Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

 14Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.