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Song of Solomon

The SONG OF SOLOMON was actually a song about an historical event that occurred to Solomon (the son of David and King of Israel) and Solomon made into a drama.

Players:

Solomon [S] (this part would have been sung bass). S was the villain - trying to seduce the Shulamite woman [SW] away from her right man [SL].

Shulamite woman [SW] ( would have been sung soprano). Was in love with SL. Her brothers sent her north to the vineyards to 'cool off' the relationship with SL. S sees SW in the vineyards and has to add her to his collection of women.

Shepherd Lover [SL] ( would have been sung tenor).

Daughters of Jerusalem [DJ] (they make up the 'Chorus'). They were the virgins of the harem who took care of the wives (or queens) and concubines. They do not have sex with the king.

SW agreed to become a DJ and then S wanted her to become a Queen.

Jealous Queen [JQ] (which would be sung Alto). JQ was one of S's wives that was upset with Solomon's attraction to SW.

 
Chapter 1

1~~ {TITLE OF THE JEWISH FIVE ACT DRAMA}

  The Song of Songs - which belongs to Solomon

{ACT 1 (1:2- 3:5)}

{ BACKGROUND OF STORY }

[SW]2~~ "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth."
{a real intense romantic kiss}

{Note: Shulamite woman is singing about responding to her right man's love (shepherd lover) while he is away but always present in her soul}

[DJ]~~ "For thy love (Shulamite woman's love) is better than wine."

{Note: 'Daughters' respond that every woman is like a different type of wine - some men like white wine, some red. When treated correctly, the wine is tasty. Treated incorrectly, the same wine is ruined.}

[DJ]3~~ "Because of the smell
of thy good ointments {good character}
thy character is as ointment poured forth,
therefore do the virgins {those singing}
love thee".

[SW] 4~~ "Draw me!"

{Note: Shulamite woman is dreaming about her right man - the Shephard lover. She wants him to find her and take her away}

[DJ]~~ "We will run after thee."

{Note: If she leaves they say they will follow}

[SW]~~ "The king hath brought me into his chambers".

[DJ]~~ "We will be glad and rejoice in thee,
we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee."

{Note: They would be so happy to have her as the Queen! and we will serve YOU - appealing to her approbation lust}

[SW] 5~~ "I am black ."

{Note: Being sun tanned was not considered beautiful at that time -- I am not worthy!}

[DJ]~~ "But beautiful!"

[SW]~~ "O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
I am like the tents of Kedar."

{Note: Which were made out of black goat's hair}

[DJ]~~ "No, you are like the curtains of Solomon."

{Note: Solomon had white drapes.}

[SW] 6~~ "Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me.
My mother's children {her brothers} were angry with me.
They made me the keeper of the vineyards;
but mine own vineyard have I not kept."

{Note: She let her own appearance suffer.}

[SW] 7~~ "Tell me,
O thou whom my soul loveth
  {true love starts in the soul},
where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon? For why should I be as one that turneth aside
by the flocks of thy companions?"

{Note: Lover is faithful to his job - has a job to do and he is doing it!}

[DJ] 8~~ "If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,
go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,
and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents?"

{Note: Human viewpoint - why don't you go to him? Why? Because she is a woman in love and he is the aggressor, not her! He is off doing his job as he should be.}

[Solomon now is wooing SW with confidence] 9-10~~ "I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots".

{Note: S is giving SW a huge compliment on her beauty. Also the analogy is S is the chariot and he can not 'move' without her - he is saying she is HIS 'right woman'.}

[S]~~ "Thy cheeks are beautiful (comely) with rows."

{Note: SW had beautiful high cheek bones}

[S]~~ "Thy neck with chains of gold."

{Note: S is also saying she has symmetry between neck and facial structure}

[DJ] 11~~ "We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver."

{Note: DJ's are describing a detail of life - a very beautiful wedding dress if she accepts S's advances.}

{Another point of doctrine is that the DJ's agree with S's analysis of SW's beauty. Point is also that once a 'right woman' has responded to her 'right man' (SL), she is so complete and attractive that she also gets along with the other women (DJ's).}

[SW] 12~~ "While the king sitteth at his table,
my spikenard
  {fragrance of soul -- her beautiful memories of SL}
sendeth forth the smell thereof."

[SW] 13~~ {A good smelling pouch used to be hung around the woman's neck with the theory that her body picked up the scent} "A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved unto me. He (SL) shall lie all night betwixt my breasts."

{Note: The SL symbolically lies between her breasts like the pouch}

[SW] 14~~"My beloved is unto me
as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi."

{Note: the Engedi vineyards were great vineyards, but they used to be attacked by bugs and other pests. The vineyards were therefore protected by the smell of the 'cluster of camphire'. In the same way, the SL is 'in her soul' and is a sweet smell AND-- on the 'outside' the SL 'in her soul' protects her - in this case from Solomon's advances}

[S is still assuming SW is falling for him] 15~~ "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes."

{Note: bone structure around SW's eyes are also beautiful. Solomon is an expert on the beauty of woman and she is beautiful.}

[SW thinking about SL] 16~~ "Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant {good rapport}.
Also our bed is green."

{Note: Hebrew idiom - a new bed was made when people married - so the tree where the wood of their marital bed would be made . . .
is still standing and 'green' - i.e. SW is thinking about marriage is in the future to SL.}

1:17 {Note: Thought in verse 17 should be with that in 2:1 so I moved verse 17 to Chapter 2.}