Song of Solomon Chapter 5: Meaning

The beloved comes to the door but the woman hesitates, and then she describes how wonderful and special he is.

Summary

The chapter opens with the man arriving at his beloved's door. He knocks and calls out to her. But she is already resting in bed and hesitates to get up. By the time she gets to the door, he is gone. She goes out into the city looking for him, but the night watchmen find her and treat her badly. She is sad and heartbroken.

She asks the young women of Jerusalem to help her find her beloved. They ask her what makes him so special. This gives her the chance to describe him in beautiful detail. She talks about him from head to toe, his hair is dark and wavy, his eyes are like doves, his cheeks smell like spices, and his arms are like gold. She says he is tall and strong, like a cedar tree from Lebanon.

She finishes by saying he is completely wonderful in every way, and that this is the man she loves.

Historical Context

This chapter has a dreamlike, story quality to it. Some scholars think the woman is describing a dream or an imagined fear of losing her beloved. In ancient times, wedding celebrations included songs about missing and searching for a loved one, this added drama and emotion to the celebration of love.

In ancient cities like Jerusalem, night watchmen patrolled the streets to keep order. For a woman to be out alone at night was unusual and could be dangerous. This helps explain why her search was so difficult.