Chapter Seven:

THE COURTSHIP OF THE LOVERS

The Song of Songs - Chapter 1 (MP3)

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth... For better are your caresses [Dodêkha] than wine.

Verse 2 begins with verbal introspection; verses 2b-3 are directed to the Loved One. Verse 4a is a request ("Draw me after you, let us run!"); 4b, the description of an event ("The king has brought me into his chambers"); 4c-d, a paen to the Loved One by a group of women; 4e, the Dear One's admission of the justice of their praise. The shifting of perspective from one person to another is common enough in Hebrew poetry (especially in Psalms) -- but why so many shifts in just three verses?

Every commentator and translator seems to have his own solution to the problem. The RSV groups verses 2-4 together, implying that one speaker says them. The NIV splits this section between the "Beloved" (verses 2-4a, 4e) and her "Friends" (verses 4c-d). The "love-triangle" theory would demand the praise be divided between the anonymous shepherd (verses 2-4a) and Solomon, who has brought her to the palace as his guest (verse 4b-d).

No one seems sure when these verses occur in the Lovers' relationship. Fruchtenbaum thinks Shulamith is getting ready for her wedding feast (allegedly described in 1:9-14), which will be followed by her being taken to the bridal chamber (1:15-2:7). Others think 1:1-4 describes Shulamith actually being taken to the bridal chamber (and having mixed emotions about the event). (Both these opinions assume the word dod always means the same thing in the Song -- which is not the case.) Still others put these verses at the very beginning of the Lovers' relationship, long before their wedding.

What is actually being said here?

In the Song's chiasmic poetic structure, 1:2-4 parallels 8:14, while 1:4b parallels 8:13. The idea of Shulamith being drawn after2 and running with Solomon (verse 4) parallels that of Solomon "making haste" to join sexually with Shulamith (8:14) -- actions which are related, but not equivalent (the one happening at the beginning of the relationship, the other as its ongoing consummation). Whereas the admiration of Shulamith and the "maidens" for Solomon (verse 4b) parallels that of Solomon and the "companions" for Shulamith (8:13). Solomon expresses his interest by noting that of the "companions" (who do not speak themselves). So Shulamith may well express her interest by citing that of the "maidens", without necessarily letting them speak for themselves.

The simplicity and transparency of the melos confirm that only a soloist is required. Verses 2-4 bring Shulamith into what we surmise are the royal apartments, or else the rooms of the palace proper (hadarav, "his chambers") -- not a single bridal or even banquet chamber. The musical effect of these verses is striking. The events appear to us through the eyes of Shulamith -- not from the alternating views of Shulamith and the "maidens" as some commentators have inferred. Nor do the "maidens" address first Shulamith ("we will rejoice and be glad in you"), then Solomon ("we will extol your caresses more than wine"), as the New King James Version infers. The Hebrew behind "in you" is indeed bakh -- but this is the pausal form of the masculine singular bekha, not the feminine singular bakh. Only the original melos of the Song could have assured us of this.3

In these verses, Shulamith is looking back (as if in meditation) upon events that have "swept her off her feet". Her longing for Solomon is painfully intense, yet noble and spiritual. The melody, of moderate tempo and Dorian mode (which could be called "more minor than minor"), expresses the haste of events (despite the slow gravity of the melodic line) even as it underlines the Dear One's wonder in thinking about them:

Shulamith's mood, while "lovesick" (as she herself says later), is not the dizziness of "spring fever", as the modern Ashkenazic chant (post-imposed on the words and musical signs) might suggest:4

The Ashkenazi chant is undeniably beautiful -- but being arbitrary, its exact correlation with the meaning of the words quickly breaks down! Note too that the positions of the te`amim above and below the words are not taken into account. Each ta`am is simply assigned a melodic motif, and that not on the syllable where the ta`am is placed, but from the beginning of the accented word or phrase onward. In the Ashkenazi chant, as in any synagogue chant, the grammatical function of the te`amim comes first, the musical second -- precisely the reverse of the order of functions in Haïk-Vantoura's restitution of the melodic system.

The melodic-verbal hemistichs (in Haïk-Vantoura's score) are set apart by eighth rests (as at the ends of verses normally), not by the usual glottal stops that separate phrases (in keeping with the changes of person, place and time and the particular placement of modal degrees). Melodically, verse 3 is a restatement (with a variation) of verse 2; the verbal ideas, similar in meaning, are thus connected by similar melodic ideas. Verse 4 introduces two different new melodic and verbal ideas, connected through verbal and melodic action, not meaning (4a, 4b); then repeats a third melodic idea twice to connect related ideas (4c, 4d); then ends the section with a variation (4e) of the ending used in verses 2b and 3c. All these details underline a specific series of events, experienced over an unknown (but probably rather brief) period.

Verse 2 opens not long after Shulamith has met Solomon. In verse 2b, the Dear One expresses her appreciation of the Loved One's "caresses" (Haïk-Vantoura) or "affections" (Hebrew Dodêkha).5 In verse 3, she describes his personal fragrance; the very sound of his name is to her like fragrant oil poured out. No wonder the maidens love him (with 'ahava: love in its most idealized sense, as the supporting melody and its mode confirms). The original word for "maidens" is `alamot, which refers to young women eligible for marriage.6

Obviously the good impression is mutual. Solomon, upon meeting Shulamith, must have been drawn to her at once. His touches, casual as they would have been, must have had a profound effect on her. How sensitive these two individuals are, as these few words and notes portray them -- unlike many who have dulled their sexual senses with abuse!

Here, truly, is "love at first sight" -- but one with the spiritual and personal components dominating the physical. Shulamith evidently understands the Divine purpose of marital love; and she is not at all ashamed of her emotions for Solomon.

In verse 4a, Shulamith asks to "run away with" Solomon for a while7 -- which leads to his bringing her to his chambers (4b). There, she attends a reception for Solomon (4c, 4d) -- with other women Solomon has brought to the palace. They all rejoice in Solomon's presence, extolling his "affections" (Dodêkha). The melodic-verbal tension reaches a peak when they say through Shulamith's voice (to put it somewhat more literally than the English translation in the score does):

We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will extol8 your affections more than wine...

Shulamith portrays herself as rejoicing with the women, as being part of them rather than the focus of attention. These phrases are not addressed first to the Dear One, then to the Loved One by a chorus of well-wishers, as the New King James Version suggests. Bakh ("in you") is not the feminine form, but the masculine form "in pause". The ta`am used on the word (called zaqef qaton) is here the equivalent of a full stop rather than (as it is most commonly elsewhere) of a comma.

Finally (perhaps after the reception), the Dear One sighs wistfully:

...Rightly do they love you!

"Rightly" (mêscharim) means the other women have just cause for "loving" Solomon ('ahava again: idealistic love). They respond not only to his romantic attractiveness, but to his words, his deeds, and his personal ethics (as Fruchtenbaum implies), as shown in his sensitive treatment for those he has brought to the palace.

Are these women already in Solomon's harem? Is Shulamith becoming part of it here? No and no; the love the women express for Solomon is too pure. Dodêkha, here, cannot refer to sexual love in its full sense, but to "your affections" (touches, even if casual ones). This is something only the original melodic context could have told us!9

Solomon is apparently doing something similar to what Ahasuerus will do later: he is "dating", according to the customs of the day (cf. Esther 2:1-17). Shulamith's presence in Jerusalem ensures that Solomon will have time to get to know her better, in a relaxed courtship. Of course, at this point Shulamith can only hope she will be finally chosen!

Unlike Ahasuerus, Solomon does not bed each of the maidens to discover his preferences. He knows that compatibility must be built over time, before marriage, before the sexual relationship begins. He is sensitive enough to learn his physical, emotional and spiritual preferences through a casual touch, a conversation, the observation of a woman over time and her reactions to his own presence.10

Even today, group dating is recommended for Christian singles especially (all the more if a couple has a strong, mutual initial attraction). Group dating can help keep the passions of a couple in check until they know each other better.

The believer likewise should feel part of a greater whole -- the assembly of those the Divine Loved One calls. The Bible typifies such as "maidens" or "virgins", or even a "virgin" collectively. Notice too that Shulamith was in Solomon's chambers by invitation (verse 4b). Just so, God's calling of Israel (or of the Church or an individual) is by His initiative, not ours. Our very desire for God comes from God Himself, just as the Loved One provokes the Dear One's desire.11 And the Divine Loved One is still the future sole regent of the world, yet already crowned its King, just as Solomon was the crowned head of state long before he actually ascended the throne.

Is then the message of the Song primarily spiritual? Yes. The verbal action and chronology of the Song are driven by its melodic texture -- and all three find their wellspring here.12 This wellspring is not merely erotic love (dod),13 but idealistic love ('ahava)-- soon to blossom into spiritually dominated Love ('et - ha'ahava).14

Moreover, the melodic and chiasmic poetic structures demand these verses cannot be a flashback, nor refer in any other way to the Lovers' wedding day. Shulamith's words do not describe the desire of a new wife for her husband, but of a spiritually-minded, single woman for her future "soulmate": a desire quite literal, yet antitypical of the Divine! No wonder Haïk-Vantoura herself concludes they describe man's intense search for God, even more than it does the Dear One's longing for the Loved One.15

In these verses, as in the rest of the Song, the melody chains the different verbal ideas into a causal sequence -- one seen solely through Shulamith's eyes, described solely by her voice. Shulamith tells us how these events have affected her, and how they have brought her to an unexpected relationship with the future sole regent of Israel.

C. Song 1:5-6: The Dear One and the Daughters (pages 3, 4, 5)

These verses occur some brief, indefinite time after the reception. By now the Dear One is acquainted with at least some of the women of the city, the "Daughters of Jerusalem" (enough to feel their scorn and to respond to it candidly). Clearly, life in Jerusalem is a new experience for her.

The "Daughters of Jerusalem" were no doubt upper-class residents of the city, and perhaps also of the royal court (and so the later appearances of the Daughters indicate).16 Today a tan is a mark not only of beauty, but of wealth or status (and the leisure that goes with it). In Solomon's time (and in many, many societies before and since), a tan was the mark of a common laborer. Even city dwellers in Israel usually owned farmland and could expect considerable exposure to the sun. Only the well-to-do could avoid such exposure and what it did to their skin. Thus the Dear One decries (without overlamenting the fact) her lack of upper-class protection from the sun:

[My mother's sons]...made me keeper of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I have not kept! (Song 1:6d-e)

The Dear One sees her tanned complexion from her own culture's viewpoint -- and that of modern medicine as well.17 Her brothers were "angry" with her; as many have remarked, no doubt their action was in part to keep her safe from seduction after she "tried the reins"18 in her teen years.

The choral structure of Song 8:8-9 indicates that Shulamith had at least four brothers. Nowhere does she refer to her father; her brothers were in charge of her upbringing. Solomon nowhere mentions her father (or a step-father) when discussing her family background (Song 6:9; 8:5). We surmise that Shulamith's father died during her early childhood, and that her mother was still a widow when Shulamith met Solomon.

Poetically, verses 5-6 parallel Song 8:11-12. Here and there, Shulamith mentions "my vineyard, my very own" (karmi scheLi): here meaning herself, there, Solomon (in contrast to the opinions of most commentators). In 1:6, she points out she was raised by her brothers (who made her "keeper of the vineyards"); in 8:12, she refers to "the keepers of [the vineyard's] fruit", the family and retainers who helped preserve Solomon for her.

The musical mode found in these verses appears elsewhere only in Song 2:17b. As the melody shows, the Dear One senses the Daughters' gaze and is troubled by it; yet she entreats rather than chides them. By comparing herself positively (using "major" and "perfect" intervals defined by the tonic, 3rd, 4th, and 5th degrees) to "the tents of Kedar" and "the curtains of Solomon", the Dear One points out that beauty is often in the eye of the beholder.

Do the "curtains" refer to the pleasure-tent of Solomon? We think not. They are set parallel to "the tents of Kedar" (a sheepherding people). The word yeriot does mean "tent-curtains" -- and specifically the two sets of curtains, one of embroidered linen and one of goats' hair, which formed the roof of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1-13).19 The "tent-curtains" of Solomon form his work-a-day dwelling as a shepherd (cf. Song 1:7-8), which would of course be of high quality and beauty, just as the curtains of God's "tent in the wilderness" were. But the personal intimacy imparted to the words by the melody shows that Solomon regards Shulamith with special favor, just as God regarded Israel in the wilderness by dwelling in its midst. (Of course, in the latter case YehaVeh had already "married" Israel by that time, through the establishment of the Sinaitic or Old Covenant.)

D. Song 1:7: The Dear One's Request (page 5)

This verse (which is in "diatonic minor") occurs a little later; yet its action (as shown by the melodic texture) flows out of the previous verses. Here the flute enters again (in Haïk-Vantoura's score). The mood is now tender, longing, as the Dear One departs from the Daughters and asks to see him "whom [her] soul loves (root: 'ahava)" as he tends his flocks.

Verses 1-4 have already confirmed that Solomon and the Loved One are one and the same. His flocks belong to no mere peasant, but to a royal shepherd, a type of the Shepherd of Psalm 23 and John 10.

Here in verses 7-8, if anywhere, the Lovers could be "role-playing". Yet the context is not broken, despite the shift from one mode in verse 6 to another, related mode in verse 7. We do not know exactly where the Lovers are meeting -- near Jerusalem (most likely) or somewhere else -- but the action remains strictly chronological. Moreover, the mood in verses 7-8 is quite serious: not what one would expect were the Lovers playing romantic games.

Solomon at least is not merely playing a role. Remember that Solomon, though crowned king, had yet to assume his office (just as the Messiah, though crowned king, has yet to sit on His earthly throne). Whether from personal interest, an enlightened concept of work, or simply in obedience to his father's command, Solomon followed his father David's example. His experience as a shepherd was part of the foundation of his practical wisdom as a king.

The Dear One wished to see her Loved One when he had leisure: when he had made his flocks lie down at noon. Yet she could not simply come looking for him, lest20 she appear "like a veiled woman" (Hebrew ke`otya; see Appendix 1). One who is "veiled" hides her identity, her individuality and her motives. Shulamith did not want these advertised, for good reason; yet she could easily have been mistaken for a harlot if she did not know exactly where to meet her Loved One. The melody confirms that the Dear One wanted no part of the shame this would have caused her.

E. Song 1:8: The Loved One's Reply (pages 5, 6)

Here the Loved One speaks for the first time: warmly, tenderly, with consideration for the Dear One's needs. Already he calls her "the most beautiful among women"; yet there is far more to her attractiveness than meets the eye! This is not a snub or rebuke by the Daughters, chiding the Dear One for her ignorance and impudence. It is not even positive direction by them (as Fruchtenbaum thinks). This is Solomon's personal response to a personal question.

The best way (the Loved One says) for the Dear One to meet him is to come as a shepherdess herself: to follow the "paths of the flock" and to pasture her young goats near the shepherd's tents. That way, he can come to meet her and spare her potential embarrassment.

We do wonder where Shulamith's "young goats" come from -- if we are to understand Solomon's words literally. City-dwellers often had at least a few livestock (this, at least, has not changed in traditional Middle Eastern towns). Did Shulamith bring them all the way from Mahanaim, or buy them? Did Solomon give some to her? Or does Solomon merely recommend she take on the role of a shepherdess -- one she would have been familiar with from her youth?

But Solomon (even if he is speaking literally) has a deeper meaning in mind. The melody lingers in an almost sensual way on the description of the Dear One's wanderings "in the paths of the flock". It cannot be a simple "road map"; its gentle, warm eroticism is too prominent! "Your young goats" could be symbolic of Shulamith's breasts (as "twins of a gazelle" are later); "the tents of the shepherds", Solomon's own robes. Shulamith, in a warm embrace with Solomon, would have had her "young goats feeding" near "the tents". The intimacy of Solomon's "melody-text" supports this idea: Solomon is speaking in "code" -- one Shulamith understands more easily than we.

Moreover, 1:7-14 is poetically parallel to 8:8-10; while Shulamith searches for Solomon in the former section (1:7-8), Solomon "finds" Shulamith "as one who finds peace" in the latter (8:10). Her "breasts" in the latter section would be parallel to "your young goats" in the former. Shulamith's yearning question (1:7) finds its answer through her favor in Solomon's eyes (1:8ff; 8:10). Obviously, 1:7-8 and 8:10 refer to the same event: the time when Solomon and Shulamith first express their mutual love for each other.21

No longer does Shulamith have to fear competition from the other women we think Solomon has brought to the royal apartments. Her hopes have come true: Solomon feels about her as she feels about him. As we will see, it took time for both of them to really believe it!

The Loved One's words may also be a veiled request for the Dear One to follow his path in life. Many commentators think so, and the melody seems to confirm this idea. The words of 1:7-8 especially evoked the wanderings of Israel to certain medieval Jews. Is there not here a type of the Divine Loved One's response to the believer's desire to "meet" Him?

F. Song 1:9-11: The Loved One's Respectful Praise (pages 6, 7)

Here the scene changes again (though it is connected, via its musical mode, with verse 8). The section is a little faster in tempo, and introduces a melodic theme (in verse 10) which repeats in every verse to the end of the chapter. The mode with which verse 11 ends ("Greek Dorian") continues to the end of the chapter, showing that this section and the next are connected in some fashion.

No longer is Shulamith in her shepherdess' clothes, but adorned with ornaments on her cheeks and pearls around her neck -- ornaments which Solomon has provided for her. He promises still more: "we [that is, Solomon's court artisans] will make for you necklaces of gold, with encrustations of silver" (verse 11).

This is not (as some think) a comment made by the Daughters of Jerusalem; one male speaker is indicated by the melos. Nor is this an attempt by Solomon to lure Shulamith away from her shepherd lover with opulence; the Loved One's emotion is too selfless.22 Rather, some formal event seems foreshadowed here. Since the end of verse 11 leads (in its mode) into the rest of the chapter, we surmise that Shulamith will wear the jewelry at the private banquet described in verses 12-14.

We have noted that Song 1:7-14 is parallel poetically to Song 8:8-10. The words "breasts", "silver" and "we will make/build" are found in both passages. The first section refers to Solomon's artisans and retainers; the second, to Shulamith's brothers. In the first section, Solomon, then Shulamith are the soloists; in the second, Shulamith is the soloist.

Verse 9 is a puzzle to many. The Hebrew can be literally translated "to my mare of the chariots of Pharaoh I liken you, my Dear One." Haïk-Vantoura renders this as "to my mare (worthy of the chariots of Pharaoh)...".23 Why this imagery? Do we find proof here that Shulamith is really the daughter of Pharaoh?

Later in his reign, Solomon imported and traded horses from Egypt and elsewhere (1 Kings 10:29; 2 Chroncles 9:28), so we assume he had an earlier interest in them. For his own use, Solomon would have wanted the best: a mare bred and groomed for the royal chariots of Egypt, drawn by horses long famous in the ancient world. The image is one of strength, gracefulness, beauty and nobility of bearing. This is the intent of the Hebrew phrase (as its sober supporting melody confirms).

The Loved One's emotion (as expressed by the melody) underlines the worthiness of Shulamith of Gilead in his eyes. To him, she is no mere peasant girl; she is worthy of the greatest king in the world. The tone of his praise would hardly be appropriate for Pharaoh's daughter, who was worthy by her inherited status alone. The Loved One's encouragement of a "commoner" would be condescending toward one of royal blood. Moreover, Pharaoh's daughter would have no need of (and likely wouldn't want) jewelry from her Israelite husband-to-be. Her own ancient, high culture would have dictated a certain pride.

Once again, the parallel with God's relationship with His people is clear. We are worthy of Him, not because of our inherent or inherited value, but because He has chosen us. It is His love that encourages His own and leads them to see their true potential.

G. Song 1:12-14: The First Banquet (pages 7, 8)

"While the king sitteth at his table..." (1:12a, KJV). The RSV translates "at his table" (Hebrew bimçibo) as "on his couch"; the NIV, "at his table". The BDBG translates "table" (meçab) as "that which surrounds, or is round." The word is used elsewhere in a number of ways (2 Kings 23:5; 1 Kings 6:29; Job 37:12; Psalm 140:10). Here, the BDBG suggests a cushion or divan.24 Since meçab can mean "that which surrounds", we think of a semicircular divan partly surrounding a round table -- the perfect place for an intimate dinner.

Instead of bottled perfume, ancient women used ointments made from aromatic plants, or satchels of aromatic spices or herbs tied around their necks. Shulamith describes two which were commonly used: nard and myrrh.25 Both substances were quite costly, showing that the Dear One had definitely come up in the world financially.

In either case, body heat would cause aromatic substances in the ointment or satchel to evaporate, just as with modern perfumes. When the Dear One describes the scent of her nard rising from her (in the same musical mode used to describe her first intense longing for the Loved One), she is delicately pointing to her desire for the Loved One, the "warmth" of her passion and the attraction the Loved One had for her.

The Dear One then compares the Loved One to a satchel of myrrh lying between her breasts.26 The Hebrew word translated (in the KJV) "he shall lie all night" (from the root lin) here means simply to lodge or to rest. It does not refer to Solomon literally lying all night between his Dear One's breasts (not yet!), though she may already be looking forward to this. The verb is in imperfect state, but (in this context) it simply refers to his intimacy with her -- his metaphorical closeness to her heart. The music of this verse, in its reserved delicacy, confirms this.

Finally, the Dear One compares her Loved One to "a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En Gedi," an oasis in the desert near the Dead Sea. Henna is "a shrub or low tree, with fragrant whitish flowers growing in clusters like grapes" (BDBG). Its clusters of aromatic flowers would invite comparisons to those of grapevines; yet even in a vineyard, such a plant would stand out. (We see the word again in Song 4:13, in the Loved One's description of the scent of the Dear One.) Both Lovers wear perfume, each to the delight of the other.

In verses 13-15, the verbal action moves from the perfect state (here implying the past) to a static state (the immediate present) to the imperfect state (implying the future) and back to a static state. Past, present or future, the Loved One is very much on the Dear One's mind. He has become truly special to her. The melody in these verses portrays the Lovers' spiritual and romantic intimacy throughout.

Many commentators think Song 1:12 refers to the betrothal feast (which would sensibly put the betrothal in 1:8). But the intimate setting of melody and words in 1:12, and its link to the rest of the chapter, tell a different story. The banquet (which is part of the courtship) leads to the full realization of mutual love rather than follows from it. It is a private sharing, not a public celebration. The banquet at the "house of wine" in 2:4, however, is a public affair. It would most logically be where the public announcement would be made, if it had not been made already. Song 1:8, then, describes Solomon as king in the context of Shulamith's commitment in love, but not yet her hand in betrothal.

H. Song 1:15-17: The Expression of Mutual Love (pages 8, 9)

Here again, the scene as pictured by the words changes. Now the Lovers express their attraction to each other openly. What was cautiously ventured before is now stated freely, even passionately, yet with mutual respect and subdued eroticism. (In verse 15, the Loved One first compares his Dear One's eyes to doves, as he does in Song 4:1.)

"Our couch is green," the Dear One says (verse 16). "Our couch" ('arçênu) is not a literal bed or couch, but a bower in the woods.27 "The beams of our houses (baTênu) are cedars; our rafters, firs," the Loved One replies. The word "green" describes elsewhere the verdancy of growing plants. Besides, the Lovers would not have spoken literally of "our couch", "our houses" so early in their relationship. These references must be figurative in the light of the strict chronological progression of events (melodic and poetic).

The radiance of the melodic expression, its lyric openness and penetrating power, all confirm a natural setting, not the interior of a literal house. Here, on a wooded peak somewhere in northern Israel (where cedars and firs grow together), the Lovers confess the depth of their love for each other -- directly, then indirectly (but no less passionately) through their admiration of the setting.

The repetition of the incise on the 6th degree of the mode is what gives verses 10-17 their special tension: a visionary quality which builds to the end of the chapter. Verse 17 illustrates the point. Here is a love that is simply "too good to be true", as perfect as the day on which it is confessed. No wonder Song 1:15-2:2 parallels the paean to Love in Song 8:6-7! In both cases, the Divine element of the Lovers' relationship dominates the human.

These verses do not describe the wedding night; the love expressed is too idealistic, too detached from sensuality. It is almost prophetic in tone (especially when compared with the musical styles of Isaiah and certain other prophets).28 The Lovers do not share (yet) a marriage bed; yet the language used ("couch", "houses", "rafters") hints that they are already playing at (and planning for) their future life together.

In this chapter, the focus of the melos is on spiritual love. The rest of the Song gives more emphasis to the physical and emotional sides of the Lovers' relationship. This is as it should be. The Lovers' growing relationship is typical of the Divine; its earthy details are not allegorical of the Divine. Besides, spiritual love is where a lasting marriage under God begins.

FOOTNOTES

1. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Biblical Lovemaking: A Study of the Song of Solomon (San Antonio, TX.: Ariel Press, 1983), p. 9. (Fructenbaum views the the Song as a literal song of sexual love, rather than as an allegory of the spiritual life.)
2. Not drawn by love itself, as Fructenbaum contends (op. cit., p. 11), but by the Loved One: a physical action. Fructenbaum, the KJV, and the Masoretic grammatical "rules" for the te`amim all punctuate the verse: "Draw me -- After you let us run!" The original melody punctuates correctly (as do some interpreters and versions): "Draw me after you -- let us run!"
3. The melos here implies a pause of one beat after "in you" -- and that with a melisma not normally used to mark full cadences. On the other hand, the melos is too transparent to bear the weight of anything but a solo voice.
4. Our examples, here and elsewhere, of Ashkenazi chant are adapted from The Penteteuch with Haftaroth and Five Megillot (New York: Hebrew Publishing Co., 1928), pp. 5-6 (section on musical notes). The melodic "tropes" are arranged by M. Nathanson. (In the MIDI playback files, we can only approximate the tempos and their changes both for the restored original chant and the Ashkenazi chant. In the former, we have made modifications to approximate the rubato style of the performance on recording; in the latter, we have elected to simply follow the score as written. In practice the Ashkenazi chant is not as rhythmically unbalanced as the MIDI file may suggest.)
5. Throughout the Bible, dod refers to physical affection of various degrees of intensity (as defined by the melodic-verbal context), but never directly to sexual intercourse -- not even in Proverbs 7:18, where dodim (caresses, foreplay) is parallel to 'ahavim ("loves": lovemaking in general). Dod (contrary to Fruchtenbaum, op. cit., p. 10) does not refer to movement by thrusts and pushes, as one would find in intercourse (cf. BDBG and its verse citations).
6. Thanks to the original melody of the Song, we may affirm that `alma normally refers to an unmarried (and by implication, a virginal) young woman. We explain the implications of this for the exegesis of Isaiah 7:14 (a text cited in Messianic terms by the New Testament) in Appendix 1.
7. This hemistich reminds us of Disney's animated film The Little Mermaid, in which Princess Ariel pretends Prince Eric has asked her to "run away with him"! Of course, Shulamith's desires are much more serious in tone than Ariel's...!
8. Literally, "to remind, to mention" (the Hif'il form of zakhar, "to remember": thus, "to cause to remember"). This fits with our idea that these are women Solomon is "dating". These women, before or during the reception, have had their own first-time experience of Solomon's "affections" and attention, and think them highly memorable! The melody gives the intensity our English word "extol" would suggest.
9. Again, this has important implications for our understanding of Isaiah 7:14, since Song 1:3 and 6:8 are often used to support the Judaic exegesis of that verse (cf. Appendix 1).
10. Another possibility, of course, is that Solomon has simply brought Shulamith to Jerusalem for a visit. Shulamith could then decide (between verses 4 and 5) to move to Jerusalem to be with Solomon. But given the distance of Jerusalem from Gilead, and the social difference between the Lovers, we think this unlikely.
11. Cf. Psalm 27:8a, which may be rendered literally, "Of Thee says my heart, 'Seek ye My face.'"
12. It is no accident that the Song begins with the fundamental mode of prosody, supporting love at its most general and idealized state. The different modes which follow reflect more specific feelings and attitudes by the Lovers. The Song ends with the most positive, "major" (actually Mixolydian) mode, indicating love at its most complete and personalized state.
13. Despite the mention of Dodêkha ("your caresses") twice in verses 2-4.
14. The mere use of the sacred prosodic system for this book should prove this; but so does the otherworldly "tone" of the mode and melody used in Song 1:1-4.
15. As her translator Dennis Weber mentioned during her October 1985 concert in San Francisco, CA., when Song 1:1-4 were introduced and performed.
16. These "Daughters" likely are (or at least include) the other women Shulamith saw at the reception. Fruchtenbaum and many others assume the Daughters of Jerusalem sing "we will rejoice...we will extol..." in verse 4. Fruchtenbaum adds that the chorus throughout the Song is figurative, not a literal part of the action. Both ideas are refuted by the melody of verse 4c-d, which demands a soloist in the opening verses. Besides, why would Shulamith speak with such intimacy, such candor, such adjuration to a merely fictional chorus? But they do have a symbolic role: they represent (among other things no doubt) women in general.
17. Today the tanned Shulamith would be the pride of the beach (lowered ozone levels notwithstanding). Ironically, Shulamith's attitude turns out to be healthier than ours (literally).
18. As a horse might -- not as God "tries the reins" (KJV) -- that is, the "kidneys" or innermost motives -- of those who serve Him!
19. Does Shulamith's choice of word allude to the holiness of her relationship with Solomon? The sacred melody focuses on the romantic nature of the relationship, but also on its purity.
20. There is a "word-play" here between schalama ("for why should?", "that lest") and schelomo. The consonantal spelling of the two words is the same.
21. Notice that here, Solomon expresses his physical attraction to Shulamith; she, her love for Solomon as a person. By Song 1:13-17, this is already reversed; Shulamith describes Solomon as Dodi ("my Loved One", physically); Solomon describes Shulamith as ra'yati ("my Dear One", his closest friend).
22. So God adorned his fiancée, Jerusalem, in Ezekiel 16:8-14.
23. The RSV evades the literal meaning of the first Hebrew word thus: "I compare you, my love, to a mare of Pharaoh's chariots."
24. Divan: "a long backless couch, especially one against a wall with pillows" (American Heritage Dictionary).
25. Nard is a plant which originates from India, and was used to make ointment. Myrrh is a gum resin from a plant found in India, Arabia and East Africa. Both were used to counteract natural body odor.
26. Some women still wear such satchels, or little ceramic bottles, on chains around their neck. (This author once playfully pointed out Song 1:13 [RSV] to a very lovely friend who wore such a bottle. Her reaction was priceless.)
27. The Hebrew word itself may be rendered "bed", "couch" or "divan" (the BDBG thinks of a Turkish couch or sofa), or even "bower". This is not a marriage bed as some think. The common idea of the root word's cognates is that of a wooden structure or frame (cf. BDBG) -- which would fit its figurative use to describe a wooded setting (as it would a literal frame bed in other melodic-verbal contexts).
28. And for the same reason: the repetition of the incise on the 6th degree, common in Isaiah's more impassioned prophecies especially (such as Isaiah 11:1-9 and chapter 60, both published by Haïk-Vantoura).

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