Song of Solomon 7: Praise and Desire

Short answer: Song of Solomon 7 is a poetic dialogue celebrating the physical beauty of the beloved and the mutual desire between lovers. It moves from detailed praise of her body to her invitation for them to go out into the fields and vineyards to express their love.

What Song of Solomon 7 says

The chapter opens with a series of vivid images praising the beloved's body from feet to head. Her feet in sandals, rounded thighs like jewels, and body like a round goblet are celebrated as works of a skillful workman. Her waist is compared to a heap of wheat set about with lilies, and her breasts to twin fawns. Her neck is like an ivory tower, her eyes like pools in Heshbon, and her nose like the tower of Lebanon. Her head is like Carmel, and her hair like purple, holding the king captive. These images are not clinical but poetic, drawing from nature, architecture, and agriculture to convey delight and admiration.

The speaker then declares how beautiful and pleasant she is, calling her love for delights. He compares her stature to a palm tree and her breasts to its fruit. He expresses his intention to climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit, asking that her breasts be like clusters of the vine and the smell of her breath like apples. Her mouth is like the best wine that goes down smoothly. This section intensifies the physical imagery, moving from observation to intimate desire, while still using the language of nature and harvest.

The beloved responds with a declaration of belonging: she is her beloved's, and his desire is toward her. She then invites him to go out into the field and lodge in the villages. She proposes an early visit to the vineyards to see if the vine has budded, the blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There, in that setting of new growth, she promises to give him her love. The mandrakes produce fragrance, and at their doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, stored up for him. This movement from praise to invitation shows mutuality and anticipation.

The chapter ends with the beloved's invitation and the mention of stored fruits. The imagery of the vineyards and mandrakes suggests fertility and romance. The beloved has prepared and stored up precious fruits, new and old, for her beloved. This final note emphasizes her initiative and the abundance of what she offers. The entire chapter is a celebration of love that is both physical and poetic, rooted in the created world and expressed in mutual desire and belonging.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.” (Song of Solomon 7:1) — This verse begins the detailed praise of the beloved's body, setting the tone for the chapter's celebration of physical beauty as something crafted and valuable.
• “How beautiful and how pleasant you are, love, for delights!” (Song of Solomon 7:6) — This verse summarizes the admiration with a direct address, calling the beloved beautiful and pleasant, and naming love itself as a source of delights.
• “I am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me.” (Song of Solomon 7:10) — This verse is the beloved's clear declaration of belonging and mutual desire, a pivotal moment of reciprocity in the poem.
• “Let’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love.” (Song of Solomon 7:12) — This verse contains the invitation to go early to the vineyards and the promise to give love there, tying intimacy to the rhythms of the natural world.

Gospel connection

The Bible often uses the language of marriage and romantic love to describe the relationship between God and his people. In the Song of Solomon, the mutual desire and delight between the lovers echo the covenant love that God has for Israel and that Christ has for the church. The beloved's declaration that she is her beloved's and his desire is toward her reflects the security and belonging found in being loved by God. The invitation to go out into the fields and vineyards, to see new growth and give love, can be seen as a picture of the fruitful life that flows from union with Christ. While the text itself does not explicitly mention Christ, the wider biblical story uses this kind of imagery to portray the intimacy and joy of salvation, where God's people are called to respond to his love with their own.

Application

This chapter invites readers to reflect on the goodness of physical love within its proper context and to see desire as something that can be expressed with poetry and mutuality. It challenges any view that treats the body or romantic love as shameful, instead presenting them as gifts to be celebrated. For those who are married, it offers a model of admiration and invitation, where both partners speak and act. For all readers, it points to the deeper truth that we are made for relationship and that our longing for love finds its ultimate fulfillment in God. The beloved's initiative in inviting her lover to the fields and vineyards also encourages us to be active in pursuing and nurturing love, not passive. It is a call to see the ordinary settings of life, like fields and vineyards, as places where love can be expressed and enjoyed.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not identify the speakers by name, nor does it specify the historical setting or occasion. It does not claim to be an allegory, nor does it explicitly mention God, Christ, or the church. The imagery is poetic and open to multiple interpretations, but the text itself does not state that it is about divine love. It also does not prescribe rules for marriage or sexuality; it simply celebrates desire and beauty. Readers should be careful not to read later theological systems into the text or to treat the imagery as literal description. The chapter is silent on the duration of the relationship, the social status of the lovers, and the outcome of their invitation. It is a lyric poem that stands within the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.

Questions for study

1. What specific images in verses 1 through 5 are used to describe the beloved, and what do these images suggest about how she is valued?
2. In verses 6 through 9, how does the speaker's language move from admiration to desire, and what does this reveal about the nature of their love?
3. What does the beloved's statement in verse 10, that she is her beloved's and his desire is toward her, indicate about her sense of security and mutual belonging?
4. Why do you think the beloved invites her lover to go out into the fields and vineyards in verses 11 and 12, and what does this setting add to the poem?
5. How might the mention of mandrakes and stored fruits in verse 13 contribute to the theme of love and fertility in this chapter?

Keep reading

Related studies: Song of Solomon 1 Bible Study, Song of Solomon 2 Bible Study, Song of Solomon 3 Bible Study, Song of Solomon 4 Bible Study.

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FAQ

Who is speaking in Song of Solomon 7?

The chapter alternates between speakers. Verses 1 through 9 appear to be the beloved's lover praising her, while verses 10 through 13 are the beloved speaking, declaring her belonging and inviting him to the fields.

What is the meaning of the imagery in this chapter?

The imagery draws from nature, architecture, and agriculture to celebrate the beloved's beauty and the lovers' desire. It is poetic and not meant to be taken literally, but to convey delight and admiration.

Does this chapter have a moral or teaching about marriage?

The chapter does not give explicit moral instruction. It is a poem that celebrates physical love and mutual desire within a romantic relationship, and it can be read as affirming the goodness of such love in its proper context.