HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 972
SONG OF SONGS 8
13
There the mandrakes give off their fragrance,
and the finest fruits are at our door,
new delights as well as old,
which I have saved for you, my lover.
Young Woman
1 Oh, I wish you were my brother,
who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
Then I could kiss you no matter who was
watching,
and no one would criticize me.
2 I would bring you to my childhood home,
and there you would teach me.*
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
my sweet pomegranate wine.
3 Your left arm would be under my head,
and your right arm would embrace me.
8
4
Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
not to awaken love until the time
is right.*
Young Women of Jerusalem
5 Who is this sweeping in from the desert,
leaning on her lover?
• Commitment
SO NG O F S O NG S 8 :6 -7
This ancient poem paints a lovely
picture of both married love and the
love God desires from his people.
In a world where marriage vows are
routinely broken and hearts are scarred
by infidelity, commitment serves as a
seal on our hearts that is never to be
broken. It will not allow destructive
forces into a marriage, nor will it allow
tempting thoughts within us to burst out
and manifest themselves in unfaithful
actions. A love “as strong as death”
is a love committed “till death do us
part.” A committed love does not give
way when the storms of life cause the
floodwaters to rise. This kind of commitment is built carefully through effort,
sacrifice, and courage. It is more valuable
than any material possession. Have
you ever been tempted to give up on a
committed relationship when things got
tough? Resolve now, with the Lord’s
example as your strength (Matthew
4:1-11), to place a seal of commitment
on your most important relationships.
page 602
Young Woman
I aroused you under the apple tree,
where your mother gave you birth,
where in great pain she delivered you.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy* as enduring as the grave.*
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.
The Young Woman’s Brothers
8 We have a little sister
too young to have breasts.
What will we do for our sister
if someone asks to marry her?
9 If she is a virgin, like a wall,
we will protect her with a silver tower.
But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging
door,
we will block her door with a
cedar bar.
Young Woman
10 I was a virgin, like a wall;
now my breasts are like towers.
When my lover looks at me,
he is delighted with what he sees.
11
12
Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon,
which he leases out to tenant
farmers.
Each of them pays a thousand pieces
of silver
for harvesting its fruit.
But my vineyard is mine to give,
and Solomon need not pay a thousand
pieces of silver.
But I will give two hundred pieces
to those who care for its vines.
Young Man
O my darling, lingering in the gardens,
your companions are fortunate to hear
your voice.
Let me hear it, too!
13
Young Woman
Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains
of spices.
14
8:2 Or there she will teach me. 8:4 Or not to awaken love until
it is ready. 8:6a Or its passion. 8:6b Hebrew as Sheol.