Song of Songs 4

The productive beloved calls her lover to her garden
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Text
Explanation
.1 ¶ Behold, 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.   Thou art fair The first five verses describe the readiness of Christ's bride – His people.
 2  Thy 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.   Up from the washing Did the people of God pass through a time of purification before the time of judgment? Yes, during the 1260 years when those who believed differently from the official doctrines were persecuted. "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified, and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly. . . ." Dan. 12:9, 10, NASB. See the time periods article.
.3  Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
 3 - Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate. (NKJV).
  Lips ... speech After the long time of oppression, the bride, representing the godly people, were able to speak.
  Temples behind your veil  "Temples" here are the side of the head raqqah. Understanding and freedom of expression had been suppressed. See ps119130. Compare 1:7; v1.
.4  Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.   Neck like the tower Women carried loads on their heads and developed strong necks. Spiritual strength. See the Tower of David illustration.
.5  Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
 5 - Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies. (RSV)
  Breasts The Lord rescued His people, Jerusalem, from their hopeless state of apostasy. In the symbolic explanation we may see breasts as maturity ez1607.
.6  Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
 6 Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. (NASB)
  Until the day break The wait must continue. Response to 2:17; the beloved is finally called to return in 8:14. Notice in the NASB translation that "cool" replaces "break." The Hebrew puwach is from "to puff." Thus we sense the evening breeze. See how the end of probationary time is expressed in jn0904.
.7  Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.   No spot She is the pure remnant church after the cleansing time of the day of atonement le1630, ep0525, 2pe0315.
.8 ¶ Come 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.   Come This reminds us of the wise virgins who were called to enter the marriage place mt2510.
  Lebanon Consider is6013.
.9  Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.   Sister Mentioned also in verses 10 and 12. See he0214. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. . . ." Rom. 8:3. Also mr0331.
 10  How 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!   Sister By His humanity, Jesus became our brother ro0817. Thus the church, as His bride, is his sister. The highest human character quality is love 1co1313.
 11  Thy 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.
  Smell of Lebanon Perhaps the fragrance of cedar.
 12  A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.   A garden inclosed After sin entered, the garden of Eden was closed. The beauty and life therein were no longer available ge0324. In a similar way, the sister is not sharing her qualities with others – specifically not with her lover. In verse 16 this will change. As a player in church history, she had preserved truth long distorted and buried by tradition. In our story the sister had come down from the mountains v8 where she had found refuge from the dragon re1214.
.13  Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
 14  Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
  She had all the wonderful and desirable spiritual blessings, or the fruits of the Spirit ga0522.
 15 ¶ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.   Living waters From the Bible. Compare jn0414.
.16  Awake, 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.

  In this verse 16 and the next, 5:1, The bride and her lover come into harmony. Here at the apex of the literary pattern is the essence of a saving relationship with Christ. It is the cleansing and refining work of the Day of Atonement. It is the work of knowing the bridegroom, experienced by the virgins who went in to the wedding (Lev. 16:29, 30; Mal. 3:1-3; Matt. 25:10-13). Also 2co0318 and 1:7 and v1,3.
  Blow upon my garden "The wind blows where it wishes, and you her the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes." John 3:8 NKJV.
  My garden ... his garden A change is needed for those who would follow Christ. ga0220.
  Spices may flow out The garden is no longer closed. Others now rejoice in the richness of a relationship with Christ 2co0215.
  Fruits Fruits of the Spirit ga0522.
 5:1 ¶ I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten....   At the left, the first part of the next verse is included for comparison.
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