song of solomon 5 through 8

Read Song of Solomon 5 through 8 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions (Fill in your own topics if you would like; I need to meditate longer than two days on the Song in order to finish my notes for it):

Son 5:2-6:3 {s} The bride seeks the bridegroom
Son 6:4-9 {s} The bridegroom praises the bride’s beauty
Son 6:10 {s} The daughters of Jerusalem: Who is she who is fair, awesome as an army with banners?
Son 6:11-7:11 {s} The bridegroom praises the bride’s beauty
Son 7:12-8:4 {s)
Son 8:5-7 {s}
Son 8:8-10 {p}
Son 8:11-14 {p} Solomon’s vineyard + the bride’s vineyard

The whole book chiastic structure, needing more wisdom than I yet have to complete:

1a) Son 1:1-4 {p} Introduction: the bride’s longing for the king, for he is her bridegroom;

central axis?) Son 1:5-6, The bride’s brothers/ she has not kept her own vineyard;
1) Son 1:5-6a, The bride’s unconventional dark beauty, for her brothers were angry with her;
2) Son 1:6b, They made her the keeper of the vineyards, but her own vineyard she has not kept;

(The text from Son 1:7-2:2, probably from Son 1:1-2:2, is yet waiting to map);

1b) Son 2:3-5, My beloved is like an apple tree, his fruit sweet to my taste/ his banner over me is love;

1c) Son 2:6-7 {s} The bride: he embraces me/ charge to the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken love before its time;

1d) Son 2:8-16 {sx3} The bridegroom’s invitation to his bride to come away with him;

1e) Son 3:1-5 {s} The bride’s dream: she sought her bridegroom at first vainly, but then found him;

central axis) Son 3:6-5:1 {sx4} Solomon’s wedding day, the day of the gladness of his heart;

1a) Son 3:6-11 {s} Solomon’s royal couch, perfumed with myrrh + frankincense, on his wedding day;
1b) Son 4:1-5, The bridegroom praises his bride’s beauty;
1c) Son 4:6, He anticipates going to the mountain of myrrh + hill of frankincense (lebona);
central axis) Son 4:7 {s} The bridegroom: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you;”
2c) Son 4:8, He invites his bride to him from the mountains of Lebanon;
2b) Son 4:9-11a, The bridegroom praises his bride’s love;
2a) Son 4:11b-5:1 {s+s} The bride, perfumed with the fragrance of Lebanon, is Solomon’s secret garden of spices; they consummate their marriage on his private couch.

2e) Son 5:2-7:11, The bride’s dream: she sought her bridegroom at first vainly, but then found him;

1a) Son 5:2-6:3 {s} The bride dreams of their separation + her praise of him + she is his/ he is hers;

1) Son 5:2a The sleeping bride dreams of the voice of her beloved;
2) Son 5:2b, He invites her to open her door for him;
3) Son 5:3-9, Her delay + her longing awakened, but he was gone + her vain search (dream sequence);
4) 5:10-16, The bride praises her bridegroom from the head down;
5) Son 6:1, The daughters of Jerusalem seek the bridegroom;
6) Son 6:2, The bride: My beloved has gone to the garden of spices;
7) Son 6:3 {s} I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies;

1b) Son 6:4-7, The bridegroom praises his bride’s lovely countenance, awesome as an army with banners;
1c) Son 6:8, There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number;
central axis) Son 6:9a, My dove, my perfect one, is the only one of her mother, her favorite;
2c) Son 6:9b {s} The daughters called her blessed; the queens + concubines praised her;
2b) Son 6:10 {s} The daughters of Jerusalem praise the bride’s fair countenance, awesome as an army with banners;

2a) Son 6:11-7:11 {s} The bride and bridegroom reunited + his praise of her + she is his/ he desires her;

6) 6:11-12, The bride: I went down to the garden of nuts;
5) 6:13, The daughters of Jerusalem call for the return of the bride;
4) Son 7:1-9a, The bridegroom praises his bride from the feet up;
1) Son 7:9b, The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently our lips as we sleep;
7) Son 7:10a, I am my beloved’s;
3) Son 7:10b, And his desire is toward me;
2) Son 7:11 {s} The bride invites the bridegroom to lodge with her away from the palace + the royal city;

2d) Son 7:12-8:2, The bride’s invitation to her bridegroom to come away with her;

2c) Son 8:3-4 {s} The bride: He embraces me/ charge to the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken love before its time;

2b) Son 8:5-7 {s} I awakened you under the apple tree/ set my love as the seal upon your heart;

Son 8:8-12, The bride’s brothers/ her own vineyard is before her;
1) Son 8:8-10 {p} The bride’s brothers deride her, but she is at peace with her beauty;
2) Son 8:11-12, Solomon leased his vineyard to keepers, the bride’s own vineyard is before her;

1a) Son 8:13-14 {p} Conclusion: the bridegroom’s longing for the bride, and their mutual happiness.

The Song is a mystery, but it is clear to me that it prophesies of the soon coming wedding day of the returning King of kings and His bride! Woot!