The Song Of Solomon 7: Love Is All Around

Now back into the love song between lover and beloved, we see chapter 7 consisting of two parts where they sing to one another.

The lover is speaking to his beloved in verses 1-9.  In this section, he once again compliments her physical beauty through simile, focusing on her feet, legs, navel, waist, breasts, neck and nose (both like a tower), eyes, head and hair.  He brings geography into his comparisons, citing such contemporary locations as the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim to describe her eyes, the tower of Lebanon to describe her nose, and the crowning of her head like Mount Carmel.  You could say that "love is all around!"

This section also contains the memorable phrasing of verses 7-8 which has made modern-day middle schoolers giggle and lovers sigh: "Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit.  I said, 'I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit."  Perhaps you can see why the Song of Solomon was considered controversial - even objectionable by some.  Yet God made romantic and sexual love, and the Bible celebrates this creation throughout the Song of Solomon.

Love continues to be "all around" as the beloved takes her turn in verses 9-13 and sings about taking their love to the countryside, to the villages, and to the vineyards.  Love is meant to be shared and enjoyed both inside and outside the city.