Song of Solomon 6
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Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.
12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
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Commentary
Chapter 6 contains the second of three refrains in the Song containing the couple’s equality, mutuality, oneness, and reciprocal love. The Shulamite says of her husband: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (6:3). This chapter also contains the third of Solomon’s four wasfs (expressions of praise) describing the beauty of his beloved (for the other three wasfs see 3:6–11; 4:8–15; and 6:13–7:9).
Solomon’s wife is described in glowing terms: “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, [beautiful and] awesome as an army with banners” (verse 10). Ellen White applies this language to the onward triumph of the church militant: “So long as they remained united, the church would go forth ‘fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.’ Song of Solomon 6:10. Nothing could withstand onward progress. The church would advance from victory to victory, gloriously fulfilling her divine mission of proclaiming the gospel to the world.” (Acts of the Apostles 91; cf. Revelation 12:1).
“O Lord, let this be the experience of Your church in these last days! Amen.”
Richard M. Davidson
Professor of Old Testament Interpretation
Andrews University Theological Seminary
