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Song of Solomon 3

World English Bible

WEB

1By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him. 2I will get up now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him. 3The watchmen who go about the city found me; “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” 4I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. 5I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up nor awaken love, until it so desires. 6Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant? 7Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel. 8They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night. 9King Solomon made himself a carriage of the wood of Lebanon. 10He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem. 11Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Song of Solomon Chapter 3 presents a beautiful and poetic depiction of love and longing between the bride and her beloved. The chapter opens with the bride expressing her deep desire for her beloved, as she searches for him throughout the city at night. This search symbolizes the intensity of her love and the yearning that often accompanies romantic relationships. She asks the watchmen if they have seen him, highlighting her desperation and the importance of her beloved in her life. This imagery reflects the spiritual longing that believers have for Christ, as seen in #Psalm 42:1, where the psalmist expresses a thirst for God’s presence.

As the chapter progresses, the bride finally finds her beloved and joyfully brings him back to her mother's house, a place of safety and intimacy. This reunion emphasizes the theme of love's fulfillment and the joy that comes from being united with the one we love. The bride describes her beloved in vivid terms, likening him to a king and emphasizing his beauty and strength. The imagery used throughout the chapter serves to illustrate the depth of their relationship, which can also be seen as a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and the Church, as expressed in #Ephesians 5:25-27. The chapter concludes with a celebration of love, underscoring the sacredness and beauty of romantic love as designed by God.

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