Song of Solomon 3

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

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.

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.

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

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Song of Solomon 3:10

“He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.”

Study Summary

The voice concludes the description by noting that the interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem, establishing the interior adornment as an expression of love and a gift from the female community. The explicit statement that the interior is inlaid 'with love' suggests that the beloved community participates in the lovers' celebration and contributes their own care and affection to the beautification of the space. The identification of the daughters of Jerusalem as the decorators establishes female community not as passive observers but as active participants in honoring and celebrating the lovers' union. This verse theologically suggests that erotic love belongs to the community and that the community's role is to actively honor and celebrate the lovers through material and artistic generosity.

Community Reflections

Sarah Koenig (test user)1d ago

The promise of restoration — Song of Solomon 3

God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it…

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