Read Song of Solomon 3 and 4 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Son 3:1-5 {s} The bride dreams of seeking and finding the bridegroom
Son 3:6-8 {s} Solomon’s couch comes up from the wilderness, guarded by the valiant of Israel
Son 3:9-11 {s} The glory of Solomon on his wedding day
Son 4:1-7 {s} The bridegroom extols the bride’s beauty
Son 4:8-11 {s} The bridegroom pours out the love of his heart to the bride
Son 4:12-5:1 {s} The bridegroom compares his bride to a secret garden, which together they unlock
Son 1:15-4:7 {sx8} chiastic structure
Parts of the Song sound as if it were sung by new lovers, anxiously waiting for their wedding day; and other parts sound as if they were already married and knew each other well. If the Song is prophetic of Messiah Yeshua, returning as a Bridegroom for His bride (us, the ekklesia of believers), as I believe it is (as Solomon is a type of Messiah, in His coming reign in glory), then the structure taught me a few things.
First, isn’t it amazing that to our Bridegroom, we are all fair, and there is no spot in us? (Son 4:7). Of all people, He who paid the price for our sin, and all our spots, ought to know them. But we have been washed in His blood, and betrothed to Him. We are now clean, without spot or blemish, and so He sees us. When we see ourselves as we were, but not as we are, then we charge Him with bearing false witness, and that ought not be so.
It is the bridegroom who first seeks the bride, and she responds to him. I think this is a perfect illustration of the nature of men and women as it is from the beginning, and of course, Messiah and the church of His body. He sought us and revealed Himself to us, Amen?
And lastly, if they are married as it seems to imply throughout, they are still to each other, my bride, and my bridegroom. They treat each other as their first love. May we do likewise, Father!
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works …” Rev 2:4-5a.
Hi Christine.
I’ve had this question for a few weeks now. Who is the bride? There’s the bride, friends of the bridegroom and the guests at the wedding. Just wondering how we know who will be the bride. Lots of scriptures that say what she does, but not one that says who she is..
The Bride is the Body of Christ, a corporate entity and not an individual, just as Israel as a corporate entity is the wife of YHVH who gave birth to the Messiah, the Son of God:
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Rev 21:9-10
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev 21:2