22009 Commentary on the Song of Songs – Love Does Not Keep Track of Wrongs, Solomon Recognizes the Worth of Shulamite

22009 Commentary on the Song of Songs
Love Does Not Keep Track of Wrongs
Solomon Recognizes the Worth of Shulamite
The Song of Songs 6:4-13

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

The Song of Songs 6:4-13

4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

Through the previous passages, we have seen that Solomon deeply loved Shulamite, and Shulamite also deeply loved Solomon. However, when comparing their love for each other, we observe that Solomon was always wholehearted toward Shulamite, while Shulamite, at least on one occasion, showed that she was not fully wholehearted toward Solomon.

To love someone deeply is to desire to possess that person and to want them to belong to you. But to be wholehearted with the one you love is to be willing to sacrifice everything, in every place and at every time, for the well-being and benefit of the one you love.

Solomon did not mind traveling long distances, climbing over hills, and crossing mounds and fields to visit Shulamite. Even though he was busy with national affairs, whenever he could, Solomon hurried to find Shulamite, even if it was late at night and the evening dew was chilling. On the other hand, Shulamite was hesitant to put on her robe again and reluctant to dirty her feet when she had to get out of her cozy bed to open the door for Solomon.

In this passage, we will learn about how Solomon treated Shulamite after she failed to be wholehearted in her love for Solomon.

Below is the verse-by-verse breakdown according to the context of the Song of Songs 6:4-13.

I. The Engagement Stage (1:2-3:5)

A. Love for Each Other (1:2-2:7)

1. Shulamite’s Love for Solomon (1:2-8)

2. The Language of Love (1:9-2:7)

B. The Maturity of Love (2:8-3:5)

1. The Springtime of Love (2:8-17)

2. The Anxiety in Love (3:1-5)

II. The Wedding (3:6-5:1)

A. The Procession of Fetching the Bride (3:6-11)

B. The Wedding Night (4:1-5:1)

III. Marital Life (5:2-8:14)

A. Small Faults in Love (5:2-6:3)

1. A Moment of Indecision (5:2-5:8)

2. Missing the Beloved (5:9-6:3)

B. Love Does Not Keep Record of Wrongs (6:4-7:9)

1. Solomon Recognizes the Worth of Shulamite (6:4-13)

(1) Solomon: Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

(2) Solomon: There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

(3) People: Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

(4) Shulamite: I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

(5) The Daughters of Jerusalem: Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee.

(6) Solomon: What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

Next, let us together explore the meaning of each verse:

When Shulamite arrived at the vineyard and met Solomon, he did not utter a single word of reproach, not even a mild one, about her failure to open the door when he knocked. Solomon’s words carried no hint of displeasure or resentment, and he did not even mention his previous visit. This attitude shows that Solomon was more concerned about his beloved than about himself. After a long journey or a tiring day, Solomon would miss his wife and hasten to visit her. But when she did not wake up to open the door, he simply left without making a fuss to force her to wake up and open the door for him. He understood that perhaps his wife was in a deep sleep and did not hear his call. Then, when he saw his wife coming to find him, Solomon did not bring up the fact that he had knocked on the door, possibly because he did not want her to feel guilty for not waking up to let him in. Instead, he welcomed her with joy and greeted her with loving and tender words.

We can infer that before going down to the vineyard to find her husband, Shulamite had dressed herself properly and adorned herself to present herself before him. As a result, in the early morning light, Solomon saw his beloved as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, and majestic as an army with banners.

Tirzah means “delightful” and was the capital of a small kingdom in Canaan, located west of the Jordan River, which was conquered by Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 12:24). Tirzah was within the territory allotted to the tribe of Ephraim, and later, when Israel was divided into two kingdoms due to Solomon’s sin, Tirzah was used as the capital by several kings of the northern kingdom. Solomon compared Shulamite’s beauty to the splendor of the two most beautiful cities in Israel at that time: Tirzah in the north and Jerusalem in the south. It is also possible that Solomon intended to liken Shulamite’s beauty to the combined beauty of the girls from Tirzah and Jerusalem, similar to how we might say today: a Hà Nội and Huế girl, a Saigon and Cần Thơ girl [1].

“Terrible as an army with banners”: This phrase denotes a beauty that is both splendid and awe-inspiring, like a night sky illuminated by stars, a towering and majestic mountain range, or a vast and powerful army. Solomon meant that Shulamite’s beauty was not only gentle and radiant but also dignified, evoking admiration and respect in those who beheld her, in contrast to a frivolous and indulgent beauty that reflects debauchery. Chinese literature has a few lines of poetry that express a similar sentiment:

In the north, there is a beautiful woman.
She stands alone, peerless in the world.
At a glance, she topples a city.
With another glance, she topples a nation [2].

These lines of poetry are used to praise the beauty of someone so extraordinarily beautiful that just one glance could cause a general to lose his city or a king to lose his country. Truly, such beauty is indeed “terrible as an army with banners.”

“Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me.” The verb “overcome” in this context can be translated as causing a profound emotional disturbance, to the point of being unbearable. Shulamite came to find Solomon with a repentant heart, regretting her lack of wholeheartedness in their love. The passionate and earnest gaze of Shulamite, which had previously softened Solomon’s heart (4:9), now, combined with her regret and embarrassment for not being fully devoted to her husband, had become so poignantly beautiful that Solomon could not look at her for long.

“Thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead” (4:1): Solomon compares Shulamite’s beautiful black, silky hair to a flock of plump, healthy black goats grazing on the lush green pastures of Mount Gilead. Mount Gilead was a highland region consisting of many hills, located east of the Jordan River, and today it is part of modern-day Jordan. Black goat hair was a prized commodity in the Middle East, often used to make tents, cloaks, and rugs.

“Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them” (4:2). Shulamite’s teeth are white, even, clean, and beautiful, which Solomon compares to a flock of sheep that have come up from the washing. They are likened to a pair of sheep, symbolizing their perfect alignment and purity.

“As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks” (4:3): Shulamite’s cheeks, blushing like a piece of a pomegranate, are enhanced by the white veil that highlights her modesty and shyness.

Verse (1) can be paraphrased as follows: Solomon says to Shulamite, “O my beloved! You are incredibly beautiful! Your beauty encompasses all the beauty of the young women of Tirzah and Jerusalem. You shine with a radiant and majestic beauty like a powerful army, a grand mountain range, or a night sky filled with stars. Please do not look at me with those passionate, poignant eyes, for my heart cannot bear the overwhelming emotions. Your hair is black and silky, as beautiful as the black fleece of strong, plump goats resting on Mount Gilead. Your teeth are white and even, like a flock of sheep that has been washed clean, all paired and perfectly aligned. Even the veil cannot conceal your cheeks, which are as rosy as pomegranate seeds.”

Spiritual Lesson: Although we may sometimes make mistakes and sin, Christ loves us immensely. He empathizes with our weaknesses. The Bible says:

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

Because He has endured all forms of temptation and trial, He sympathizes with our weaknesses and does not blame us when we stumble, as long as we do not intentionally live in sin and are willing to repent when we fall. Remember the story of Peter’s denial of Christ?

Christ will always view us through the glory of *God that He has received from *God and given to us. This is the glory of a flesh-and-blood man who has been given the title “*God” because he lived a life of perfect love, holiness, and righteousness, just as *God does.

We would like to reiterate that the Lord Jesus Christ possesses:

The glory of God in the person of the Word (John 1:1-4; Isaiah 6:3; John 12:41), which is the eternal glory shared with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit from eternity to eternity.
The glory in His human person, bestowed by God, by granting Him the title of *God (John 17:11, 22; Hebrews 1:8-9). He has bestowed this glory upon the Church, which is why the Church is worthy of the authority to bind and loose, to forgive sins, and to retain sins (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).
The glory brought to Him by the Church through its righteous deeds, as the Church is His body (Ephesians 1:23; Revelation 19:8).

The beauty of the Church is both the glory bestowed by Christ and the glory created by the righteous deeds of each believer in the Church.

We do not know when Solomon married Shulamite during his lifetime, but by the time the story is recorded in the Song of Songs 6, Solomon had 60 queens and 80 concubines. We also do not know if the number of 60 queens includes Shulamite. In addition, there were countless maidens responsible for serving the king, the queens, and the concubines, all of whom were virgins and likely also beautiful, with gentle speech. However, Solomon did not find anyone among them who resembled Shulamite. Once again, Solomon uses the affectionate terms he used when he knocked on the door the previous night to call Shulamite: My dove! My undefiled one!

The term “my undefiled is but one” that Solomon uses to address Shulamite refers to her completeness in both character and appearance. She is unique. Among all the women Solomon has ever encountered, there is no one who compares to Shulamite.

“She is the only one of her mothe” does not mean that Shulamite is her mother’s only child, but rather that she is a special child to her mother. We know that Shulamite had many brothers. Similarly, when the term “only begotten” is used for the Lord Jesus, it signifies that He is uniquely born and cherished by *God, not that *God has only begotten Jesus. After Jesus, all who believe in the Gospel are born again by *God. In terms of fleshly relationships, Jesus is the firstborn and elder brother of all the saints (Romans 8:29).

“She is the choice one of her that bare her.” Shulamite is cherished by her mother more than her other children.

“The daughters saw her, and blessed her”: This implies that when young women see Shulamite, they recognize her perfection and understand that this perfection is a blessing from God, so they call her blessed. This is similar to Elizabeth calling Mary “blessed among women” (Luke 1:42).

“Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.” Even though there may be envy in the hearts of the queens and concubines towards Shulamite, they still praise her in the face of her perfection.

Verse (2) can be paraphrased as follows: Solomon says to Shulamite, “Even though there are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and countless maidens around me, my dove, my perfect one! No one can compare to you! You are the only beloved one in my heart! You are the wonderful and cherished child of your mother! You are the pride of your mother! The young women who see you call you blessed. Even the queens and concubines must praise you.”

Spiritual Lesson: Christ loves the Church and makes the Church perfect and exalted above all creation through a wondrous unity with the Church. On that glorious day, angels and saints outside the Church from all ages will lift their voices in praise of the Church, calling the Church blessed.

(3) People: Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

This song may come from the common people or nobles visiting Solomon’s vineyard. They see Shulamite’s magnificent yet dignified and noble beauty and respond with praise.

“Who is she?” If they are common people, they may not know who Shulamite is. If they are nobles, they might know who Shulamite is, but her appearance and attire at that moment could cause them not to recognize her.

“Looketh forth as the morning,” Shulamite’s radiant and brilliant appearance is compared to the sky at dawn. The verb “looketh forth” in the original Hebrew implies looking down from a high place.

“Fair as the moon,” Shulamite’s gentle and elegant appearance is likened to the beauty of the moon.

“Clear as the sun,” Shulamite’s holiness and majesty are compared to the purity of the sun.

“Terrible as an army with banners,” Shulamite’s beauty has the power to captivate and overwhelm, much like the strength of a vast and powerful army.

Verse (3) can be paraphrased as follows: The visitors to Solomon’s vineyard marvel at Shulamite’s beauty. Who is this beautiful woman? She shines and radiates like the dawn; she is gentle and elegant like the full moon. She is pure and majestic, like the sun. Her beauty has the power to topple cities and kingdoms.

Spiritual Lesson: The Church must display its beauty to the world, meaning the glory of God shining through the lives of each believer, so that the world will honor God:

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14)

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

The Church, meek and humble like Christ, always respects others more than itself. The Church loves everyone with God’s love, even its enemies, showing mercy, and doing good to them. The Church is pure and holy, not accepting or hiding sin or remaining silent in the face of wrongdoing within the Church. The Church is righteous in all its understanding and judgment, always using the Word of God as the standard to examine everything, everyone, and every situation. It absolutely does not use personal feelings, personal opinions, or worldly standards as a substitute for the Word of God. The Church has such amazing power that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

This song is Shulamite’s reflection shared with those present in the vineyard (Solomon, the queens, the concubines, the maidens, the nobles, and the common people). After being warmly and affectionately welcomed by Solomon and receiving praise from either the common people or the nobles, Shulamite might have shyly explained to everyone how she came to meet Solomon and became his one and only beloved.

Verse (4) can be paraphrased as follows: Shulamite’s reflection: A year ago, I yearned to go down to the orchard to see the fresh green of spring growing in the valley. While I was there, I visited the king’s vineyard, which my brothers tended. I wanted to check if the vines were budding as expected and if the pomegranate trees had blossomed. Unexpectedly, my desire to enjoy the spring scenery led me to meet the king, my beloved, who granted me a high position and allowed me to ride with him in his chariot, standing out among the chariots of the nobles.

Spiritual Lesson: The Lord Jesus Christ refers to our initial relationship with Him as “the first love” (Revelation 2:4). The Lord is unchanging:

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Therefore, His first love for us remains unchanged. He loved us before He laid the foundation of the earth. Only our love for Him can change. It can change for the better, meaning we grow to love the Lord more. But it can also change for the worse, as we might grow to love the world or ourselves more than we love the Lord. That is why the Lord rebuked the church in Ephesus during the time of the Apostle John for abandoning their first love!

Whenever we receive grace from the Lord or praise from others, let us remember the first love we had with the Lord, nurturing our love for Him to become even more fervent and passionate.

(5) The Daughters of Jerusalem: Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee.

Perhaps the queens and concubines followed Shulamite to the vineyard to see if she would meet Solomon. When they saw that Solomon did not reprimand Shulamite but instead spoke affectionate praises, publicly placing her above all the queens and concubines; when they heard Shulamite being praised by nobles or common people; and when they themselves recognized that such praise was fitting for Shulamite’s beauty, they changed their attitude toward her. They begged Shulamite to return to the palace so they could admire her and follow her example.

Verse (5) can be paraphrased as follows: The queens and concubines pleaded with Shulamite, “Return! Return! O Shulamite! Return! Return so that we may behold your exquisite beauty and witness your noble virtues!”

Spiritual Lesson: One of the important teachings from the Lord about how we should treat our enemies is:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [Deuteronomy 32:35]” (Romans 12:19)

It is the Lord who exalts us in the sight of our enemies:

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Psalm 23:5)

We do not need to think about taking revenge but should show mercy to our enemies who harm us. We should intercede for them, asking the Lord to grant them another opportunity to repent. When necessary, we should help them. And we should wholeheartedly live according to the Word of God, shining forth His glory through our lives. Sometimes, our enemies may become our friends.

“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify *God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:12)

And remember:

“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15)

We should carefully examine our hearts each day, both in relation to the Lord and to those around us, to see if we truly love God above all and love others as ourselves. This is the foundation of all the commandments and laws of God.

(6) Solomon: What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

In the original Hebrew, the noun “מחלה” (H4246) means dancing, while “מחנה” (H4264) means a camp or a group of people. Therefore, instead of translating it as “the company (H4246) of two armies (H4264),” it should be translated as “the dancing of the dancing groups.”

When Solomon heard the queens and concubines pleading for Shulamite to return to the palace so they could admire her more, he asked them if Shulamite’s appearance, movements, and grace were as delicate, rhythmic, and beautiful as the dance of a troupe of professional dancers. The dance of the troupe involves many dancers with different postures, coordinated harmoniously into a single performance. All the grace, rhythm, and fluidity of the dancers are embodied in Shulamite, who displays these qualities magnificently.

Verse (6) can be paraphrased as follows: Solomon asks the queens and concubines, “You have observed Shulamite. Do you see how her appearance, movements, and grace are truly beautiful, gentle, rhythmic, and elegant, just like the marvelous dance of the troupe of dancers?”

Spiritual Lesson: What will the saints of all ages see when they behold the Church on the day when the Church is mysteriously united with Christ in the Marriage of the Lamb? The beauty of the Church is both the glory that Christ grants to the Church (John 17:22) and the glory that the Church builds for itself by doing the good works that *God has prepared for it (Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 19:8). Therefore, we can say that the beauty of the Church in the eternal kingdom partly depends on the life of each believer in this life. Each of us should wholeheartedly work together to build the glory of the Church, enhancing its beauty by fulfilling all the good works that *God has prepared for us.

Thus, we have completed the study of the meaning of Song of Songs 6:4-13. We will summarize our interpretation of Song of Songs 6:4-13 as follows:

O my beloved! You are extremely beautiful! Your beauty surpasses that of all the beautiful young women of Tisza and Jerusalem. You are as radiant and majestic as a troop of warriors, as majestic as the mountain range, and as bright as the night sky. I beg you not to look at me with those tender, mournful eyes, for my heart cannot bear the emotions that are surging within me. Your hair is black and smooth, as beautiful as the black fleece of the strong, well-fed goats resting on Mount Gilead. Your teeth are white and even, like a flock of ewes that have been washed clean. All are paired and balanced with each other. Even the veil cannot conceal your rosy cheeks, which are as pink as the color of pomegranates.

Although there are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and countless maidens around you, my dove is my perfect one! No one can compare to you! You are the one and only love in my heart! You are the beloved daughter of your mother! You are the pride of your mother! The young women who see you call you blessed. Even the queens and concubines must sing your praises.

Who is this beautiful woman? She is bright and radiant like the dawn; she is gentle and elegant like the full moon. She is pure and majestic, like the sun. Her beauty has the power to overthrow generals and topple kings.

A year ago, my heart longed to go down to the apricot orchard to see the greenery of spring emerging in the valley. Along the way, I visited the king’s vineyard, which my brothers tended. I wanted to see if the vines had sprouted in season and if the pomegranate trees had blossomed. Little did I know that my desire to enjoy the spring scenery led me to meet the king, who loved me and granted me a high status, allowing me to sit with him on his chariot, standing out among the chariots of the nobles.

Return! Return! O Shulamite! Return! Return so that we may behold your marvelous beauty and see your noble virtues.

You have gazed upon Shulamite. Have you not seen how her form, movements, and grace are as beautiful, gentle, rhythmic, and fluid as the wonderful dance of a troupe of dancers?

And here is the poem:

Your Beauty Surpasses All

O my beloved, your beauty transcends all,
Surpassing the fairest of Tisza and Jerusalem’s hall.
Majestic as a troop of warriors or a towering range,
As the night sky’s stars, your radiance is beyond exchange.

Turn away those tender, mournful eyes; my heart cannot endure
The flood of emotions they stir, so deep and pure.
Your hair, black and smooth, like goats’ fleece on Gilead’s crest,
A sight so striking, it leaves my soul impressed.

Your teeth, white and even, like a flock of ewes washed clean,
All paired and balanced, a vision serene.
Your cheeks, unveiled, shine like pomegranates bright,
Outshining the sixty queens, the eighty concubines in sight.

My dove, my perfect one, you alone hold my heart,
The cherished daughter, the pride of your mother’s part.
The young women who see you declare you blessed and true,
And even queens and concubines sing your praises too.

Who is this beauty, bright as dawn and gentle as the moon?
Pure and majestic as the sun, her charm can undo
The mightiest kings and generals with her ease,
This vision of loveliness brings my soul peace.

A year ago, I longed to visit the apricot orchard’s bloom,
To see spring’s greenery in the valley’s room.
There, in the king’s vineyard, tended by my brothers’ care,
I met the king himself, who loved me and gave me a place rare.

Return, return, O Shulamite! Let us see your grace,
Your noble virtues, your form, your movements—a dance
Of beauty, gentleness, rhythm, and fluidity divine,
My heart’s desire, my beloved, forever mine.

May the love, grace, and fellowship of God forever cover each of us. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
10/27/2018

Notes:

[1] Hà Nội, Huế, Saigon, and Cần Thơ are the main cities in the four main regions of Vietnam.

[2] This poem is attributed to the Chinese poet Li Yannian (李延年), who lived during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD). The poem is often associated with a legend about the poet praising the beauty of his sister, who later became a favored consort of Emperor Wu of Han. The lines describe a beauty so extraordinary that it could bring down a city or a nation.

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.