Canticles

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● Song 2:9 . . Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the
windows, peering through the lattice.

(chuckle) That makes Shiloh appear to be sort of a peeping Tom but really
his behavior is no different than a boy tossing little pebbles at a girl's
window to get her attention.

● Song 2:10 . . My lover spoke and said to me; "Arise, my darling, my
beautiful one, and come with me."

You know, there's nothing like early morning in the countryside during fair
weather. The air, the sights, the sounds, and the smells are all very
invigorating; and even better when done with someone special.

● Song 2:11-13 . . See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of
doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming
vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one,
come with me.

I sometimes wonder if maybe city planners don't have lovers in mind when
they design city parks where people can at least feel in nature; though only
a microcosm of the real thing.

There's a moon out tonight,
Let's go strollin'.
There's a girl in my heart
Whose heart I've stolen

There's a moon out tonight,
Let's go strollin' through the park

There's a glow in my heart,
I never felt before.
There's a girl at my side
That I adore
(The Capris, 1958)
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● Song 2:14a . . O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of
the steep pathway,

The Hebrew word for "dove" is very often translated pigeon; a peaceable
bird that prefers roosting in confined spaces; preferably with a roof over its
heads like docks, wharfs, bridges, and roadway overpasses; hence the
mention of clefts.

● Song 2:14b . . show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice
is sweet, and your face is lovely.

Hard-core, ascetics play down women's looks, but you know; beauty still
counts for something in romance.

And really, just beauty per se counts with most women. I usually accompany
my wife when she goes shopping for cosmetics at Sephora-- which is sort of
like what Home Depot is to men --and have come to the conclusion that if
Sephora doesn't have what women need to look their best, then they're
already looking their best.

One's voice has a role in romance along with their appearance. For example:
one day at the Dentist's office, I observed a receptionist talking with her
boyfriend on a landline and you should've seen her face. It was all lit up with
the brightest, toothiest smile ever. Had her guy seen the effect that his voice
was having upon that girl, he would've been greatly encouraged.

NOTE: It was mentioned back in post No.8 that very few of the men I've
encountered during my 75 years on the third rock from the Sun care all that
much about the color of a woman's face. It's a very minor consideration; if
it's considered at all. Well; here in Song 2:14 we encounter Shiloh's
infatuation with Shulah's face in spite of her swarthy complexion. Duh. No
surprise there.
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● Song 2:15 . .Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines. For
our vines have tender grapes.

The Hebrew word for "foxes" actually means jackals. Why it's translated
foxes I haven't a clue. But whether foxes or jackals makes no real difference
because it's just a metaphor anyway.

Love usually doesn't shipwreck all at once, rather, it goes to ruin in small
ways, a little at a time, until the damage is so great that there's no
possibility of recovery.

Apparently the love that we've been examining is a blooming love; hence
the words "tender grapes". In point of fact, the Hebrew word refers to a vine
blossom. The same word can also be used as an adverb, e.g. abloom.

It doesn't take all that many foxes to spoil a blooming love; it's very fragile:
a few wrong looks, a few wrong words, a few betrayals of trust, and/or a few
simple misunderstandings.

BTW: Many of Hallmark Channel's blooming loves are almost ruined
by perceived betrayals of trust combined with simple misunderstandings.
The theme is very recurring probably because it's so true to life.
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● Song 2:16 . . My beloved is mine, and I am his;

You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys.
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys.
Lesley Gore, 1963

The lyrics of that song depict a defiant girl standing up to a possessive
boyfriend. Well; that defiance may be warranted for people dating for the
fun of it; but the girl in Solomon's song is very much in love. Her dreamboat
isn't just another guy; he's "the" guy: the one.

True love is possessive, i.e. jealous; which is an attribute seen of God in the
Old Testament. Jealousy wants the object of it's love all to itself and
tolerates no rivals.

Jealousy is often the target of cruel, insensitive teasing --which has no
consideration for the feelings of people really fallen in love. True love is
vulnerable; teasing it is like viciously kicking somebody in the stomach when
they're down.

● Song 2:16 . .He pastures his flock among the lilies.

The only sheep in this particular flock is Shulah; and a pasture with lilies in it
suggests the best soil for grasses rather than just any soil that will support
some growth. In other words; Shiloh gives Shulah special attention as
opposed to merely being polite to the other girls in Jerusalem. (Compare
Genesis 43:34 where Joseph served Benjamin five times more on his plate
than the other brothers.)
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● Song 2:17 . . Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, come back
to me, my love. Run like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains.

Why her Shiloh would be away at night, is a mystery. But Shulah is okay
with it just so long as she doesn't wake in the morning and find his side of
the bed cold and empty, and him gone.

● Song 3:1-2 . . One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover, but
he did not come. So I said to myself: I will get up now and roam the city,
searching for him in all its streets and squares. But my search was in vain.

Apparently Shiloh was later than usual and Shulah began to panic that
maybe her man was lying in the streets somewhere beaten half to death by
muggers on his way home. Women's imaginations tend to run a little wild
like that at times.

● Song 3:3 . .The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I
said to them: Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?

It appears that Shulah felt that the night watchmen should know the identity
of the man for whom she searched without her having to tell them. Perhaps
they inquired (after first calming her down a bit) but we're not told.
Solomon's love song is sketchy in places, lots of places.

Shulah's venture out at night says something about the Jerusalem of
Solomon's day. It was safe for a lone woman after hours. Actually that's
believable because the Bible characterizes Solomon's kingdom as peaceable.
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● Song 3:4 . . It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him
whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had
brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that
conceived me.

It appears that Shulah had to practically drag Shiloh away from whatever it
was keeping him out late,

The Hebrew word for "chamber" doesn't necessarily refer to a bedroom;
though in this case it probably does because Shulah was tucked in that night
when she became concerned that Shiloh wasn't home yet.

● Song 3:5 . . I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and
by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he
please.

In other words; Shulah hung out a sort of "Do Not Disturb / Late Sleeper"
sign on the front door just in case some of the local girls were up early and
singing, dancing, and playing out in the street having fun and making a
ruckus like kids normally do.

The Hebrew for "daughters" is a nondescript word indicating females of any
age; from children to adults. It's likely in this instance, they were children.
Shulah maybe had to scold a few of them in order to get them to quiet down
out there.
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The next few verses don't seem to be Shulah speaking; it's more likely a
herald in the song who went ahead of Solomon gathering a crowd to
welcome him. His arrival though would've been nothing rare or unusual
seeing as how Jerusalem was his home; the site of his palace.

The overall passage smacks of braggadocio; roughly defined by Webster's as
boasting. I rather suspect that Solomon tended to be a bit ostentatious;
defined by Webster's as attracting or seeking to attract attention,
admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness.

● Song 3:6a . . Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke

Like they say: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

● Song 3:6b . . Perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of
the merchant?

Apparently if the wind was just right, people could smell Solomon coming
before he was in sight. No doubt nobody in the Israel of that day smelled
like he did, nor could afford to. The bouquet of spices producing his scent
was likely quite distinctive.

● Song 3:7-8 . . Look! It is Solomon's carriage, escorted by sixty warriors, the
noblest of Israel, all of them wearing the sword, all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night.

The armed escort probably wasn't the only members of the king's
entourage; but his personal bodyguards are notable because they're all
combat veterans.

I'm guessing Solomon made sure everybody all around knew that his guards
had what it takes to survive in battle so that wannabee assassins wouldn't
assume that attacking him would be no more risky than breaking through a
pack of Boy Scouts.

You know, losing your life by a bullet is actually kind of tidy compared to
losing your life by sword. Soldiers back then typically disemboweled their
opponents, hewed their limbs; and sometimes even hacked off their heads.
That's a messy, grisly way to die; and just the thought of it can be very
intimidating.

● Song 3:9 . . King Solomon made for himself the carriage; he made it of
wood from Lebanon.

This carriage was custom made rather than taken out of storage from a
previous king's garage.

● Song 3:10 . . Its posts he made of silver, its base of gold. Its seat was
upholstered with purple, its interior lovingly inlaid by the daughters of
Jerusalem.

The song says that Solomon's carriage was upholstered "lovingly". Well; I
have to doubt that because he's known in other parts of the Bible for
conscripting huge labor forces to accomplish extravagant building programs.
I even kind of doubt that his bodyguards were volunteers.

But in this song, Solomon is thinking very highly of himself so the women
are of course pleased, proud, and happy to do something for him; I mean,
after all he's a king; what's not to admire? Right?

● Song 3:11a . . Come out, you daughters of Zion,

No men are called to come out? You know, I can't help but detect a touch
of narcissism in this song's lyrics coupled with the fantasies of a man who
sincerely believes himself desired not just by some women, but by all
women.

● Song 3:11b . . and look at King Solomon wearing the crown, the crown with
which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart
rejoiced.

I'd like to know exactly which of his weddings that Solomon was thinking
about when he penned that verse. He had something like seven hundred
wives.
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● Song 4:1 thru 8:14

The remainder of Solomon's love song is mushy. It's filled with the lovers'
expressions of admiration and praises for each other.

I mentioned in post No.1 that in my opinion the song is a romantic fantasy;
so to cap my comments, I'd like to share a pertinent line from the 1995
movie "Sabrina" staring Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford, and Greg Kinnear.

While strolling with a friend in Paris, Sabrina expressed her feelings for
Kinear's character David, who at the time was living back in the States.
Sabrina and David weren't an item; they'd never dated nor had he even
once shown the slightest interest in her; yet Sabrina regarded David as the
love of her life, and had only good things to say about him. But Sabrina didn't
know the real him; rather, her David was an illusion, i.e. a fantasy.

After Sabrina told her friend that thoughts of David keep her company, the
friend remarked:

"Illusions are dangerous people because they have no flaws".

Well; Solomon's song has only good things to say about Shiloh and about
Shulah, viz: they're both flawless; but that's an illusion-- in real life, nobody
is flawless; and some flaws can be rather intolerable once we get to know
them.

Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
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