Song of Songs 3

3:2 The poem is partly about a lover’s being willing and able to overcome all obstacles in order to be with the beloved. • Since the women of Jerusalem are mentioned frequently (3:5), the city is probably Jerusalem. Searching in all its streets and squares was an ambitious effort. • The king of Israel would probably not be outside in the city at night, and if he had his sixty-man entourage with him (3:7-8), she would find him easily. Rather, the woman appears to be looking for a common man in common places.

3:3 The watchmen of ancient towns or cities were roughly equivalent to police. Guardians of social custom and law, they were posted on the city walls to look out for attack and to assure that any traffic in or out of the city was not threatening. • The woman may have been stopped because she was not a resident of the city and was not recognized. It was not considered appropriate for a woman to be out alone at night. The scene accentuates the strong desire that the woman must have felt toward the man as she ignored social conventions and safety considerations.

3:6-11 According to the three-character dramatic interpretation, Solomon’s humility and generosity show in his attending this wedding of a woman who preferred a common shepherd’s love over his. With Solomon in attendance, this ordinary wedding becomes a magnificent ceremony. • If the Song is an anthology, this poem describes what appears to be Solomon’s wedding procession. People are amazed by the opulence of his carriage and the power represented by his entourage. All of this reflects on the significance of marriage in the same way that expensive and beautiful wedding dresses and tuxedos do in modern marriages.

3:9-10 The materials out of which King Solomon’s carriage was made befit his wealth and power, including the same expensive Lebanese wood that was used in building the Temple (1 Kgs 5:5-6). • decorated with love by the young women of Jerusalem: Beyond all his splendor, Solomon was admired and served with love, even by his servants.

3:11 This is the only explicit mention of a wedding in the Song. The woman is called a “bride” in 4:8-12; 5:1.