Song of Solomon 3

The Explanation

Song of Solomon is a special book in the Bible. It is a long love song, sung between a bride and her bridegroom. In chapter 3, the bride is speaking first. She lies in her bed at night and cannot sleep, because she misses the man she loves so much. She says, "I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn't find him."

She cannot stand it any longer. In the middle of the night she gets up and goes into the city. Through the streets and the squares she walks, searching. The watchmen, the men who guard the city at night, meet her. She asks them right away, "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?" She does not even say his name. As if there is only one person she could possibly mean.

Just after she passes the watchmen, she finds him. She holds him tight and does not want to let him go. She takes him with her to her mother's house.

Then the song changes. Something is coming up from the wilderness, in a cloud that looks like pillars of smoke. It smells wonderful, like myrrh and frankincense and expensive spices. What is it? It is the wedding carriage of King Solomon. Sixty strong soldiers walk around it with swords, because the night can be dangerous. The carriage itself is beautiful. Silver pillars, a bottom of gold, a purple seat. And in the middle, worked in by the women of Jerusalem, is love.

At the end of the chapter, all the girls of the city are called to come and look. Solomon is wearing a crown that his mother placed on his head, on the day of his wedding, "the day of the gladness of his heart."

What Does This Mean?

This chapter is about longing and finding. The bride's love is so strong that she cannot lie still. She has to search. And then, when she finds her beloved, everything becomes a feast. The story ends with a royal wedding, full of scent and gold and joyful people.

The Bible does not hide that love between two people is something big and beautiful. God made it that way. But three times in Song of Solomon there is a warning: do not stir up love before the right time. Love is precious, and it has its own moment. That is honest advice, also for later.

The Common Thread

Christians have read this chapter for a long time in another way too. They saw a picture of Jesus in it. The bride who searches everywhere and cannot rest until she finds her love, that is like a person who searches for God. And the bridegroom coming from the wilderness with a beautiful carriage, wearing a crown, going to his wedding, that reminds us of Jesus. In the last book of the Bible, Jesus is called the Bridegroom, and His people are called the bride. There will one day be a wedding feast for Him too.

You do not have to see every detail of this chapter as being about Jesus. But the longing to find Him, and the joy of the wedding at the end, do fit with the big story of the Bible: God wants to be close to people, and one day there will be a great feast.

For You

Have you ever missed someone so much that you could not sleep? Then you know a little of what the bride feels. Missing someone shows how much they mean to you.

Sometimes you can miss God too. You pray, and it feels like nothing is happening. You read the Bible, and it stays quiet. The bride kept searching. She got out of bed. She walked through the streets. She asked others. That is not childish, that is brave. If you miss God, you may keep searching. Talk with someone about it. Keep praying, even when it feels empty. In the Bible, seekers usually find, even if it takes a while.

Talk About It

Why do you think the bride does not even mention her beloved's name when she asks the watchmen about him?

Have you ever felt that God seemed far away? What did you do, or what could you do next time?

Praying Together

Lord Jesus, sometimes I miss You without even knowing it. Teach me to search for You, and let me find that You are already near. Thank You that one day there will be a feast, and that we are invited. Amen.