Song of SolomonStudy Guide

Chapter 4

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

2Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

4Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

5Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

6Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

7Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

8Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

14Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

16Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Key VerseSong of Solomon 4:7

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Overview

The beloved lavishes praise upon the bride, describing her beauty from head to foot using rich imagery of doves, flocks of goats, pomegranates, towers, and gardens. He declares her altogether beautiful with no spot in her, and calls her his sister and spouse, a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed. She responds by inviting the winds to blow upon her garden so that its spices may flow out.

Key Themes

1

The Delight of the Beloved in the Bride

The beloved sees and celebrates every aspect of the bride's beauty, expressing the wholehearted delight that covenant love takes in the other person.

2

Thou Art All Fair

The declaration 'Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee' speaks of a love that sees the beloved as complete and beautiful, without flaw.

3

The Enclosed Garden

The bride is a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed, imagery suggesting purity, exclusivity, and the precious intimacy reserved for covenant love.

Study Questions

1.

How does the beloved's detailed praise of the bride (vv. 1-7) model affirming speech in relationships?

2.

What does 'Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee' (v. 7) teach about how love sees?

3.

What does the 'garden enclosed' and 'fountain sealed' (v. 12) symbolize?

4.

How does the bride's invitation for the winds to blow (v. 16) express her opening of herself to the beloved?

5.

How does this chapter celebrate the goodness of physical beauty within covenant love?

Connection to Christ

The beloved's declaration that his bride is 'all fair' with 'no spot' anticipates Christ's work of sanctification, presenting His church 'not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish' (Ephesians 5:27).

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Song of Solomon 4. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Song of Solomon

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