# Song of Songs 01 đź“–: Love Better Than Wine
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Title/Superscription
[[#Verse 01.]] Solomon’s Most Excellent Love Song.
### The Desire for Love
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 02.]] Oh, how I wish you would kiss me passionately!
For your lovemaking is more delightful than wine.
[[#Verse 03.]] The fragrance of your colognes is delightful;
your name is like the finest perfume.
No wonder the young women adore you!
[[#Verse 04.]] Draw me after you; let us hurry!
May the king bring me into his bedroom chambers!
#### The Maidens **_to the Lover:_**
We will rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
How rightly the young women adore you!
### The Country Maiden and the Daughters of Jerusalem
#### The Beloved to the Maidens:
[[#Verse 05.]] I am dark but lovely, O maidens of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Qedar,
lovely like the tent curtains of Salmah.
[[#Verse 06.]] Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has burned my skin.
My brothers were angry with me;
they made me the keeper of the vineyards.
Alas, my own vineyard I could not keep!
### The Shepherd and the Shepherdess
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 07.]] Tell me, O you whom my heart loves,
where do you pasture your sheep?
Where do you rest your sheep during the midday heat?
Tell me lest I wander around
beside the flocks of your companions!
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 08.]]Â If you do not know, O most beautiful of women,
simply follow the tracks of my flock,
and pasture your little lambs
beside the tents of the shepherds.
### The Beautiful Mare and the Fragrant Myrrh
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 09.]] O my beloved, you are like a mare
among Pharaoh’s stallions.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments;
your neck is lovely with strings of jewels.
[[#Verse 11.]] We will make for you gold ornaments
studded with silver.
#### The Beloved about Her Lover:
[[#Verse 12.]]Â While the king was at his banqueting table,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â My beloved is like a fragrant pouch of myrrh
spending the night between my breasts.
[[#Verse 14.]]Â My beloved is like a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of En Gedi.
### Mutual Praise and Admiration
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 15.]] Oh, how beautiful you are, my beloved!
Oh, how beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves!
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 16.]]Â Oh, how handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, how delightful you are!
The lush foliage is our canopied bed;
[[#Verse 17.]]Â the cedars are the beams of our bedroom chamber;
the pines are the rafters of our bedroom.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. "Song of Songs" is a Hebrew superlative meaning "the greatest song," like "Holy of Holies."
2. First Kings 4:32 says Solomon composed 1,005 songs.
3. The Hebrew phrase in 1:1 can mean the song is by Solomon, for Solomon, or about Solomon.
4. The book contains no clear use of the name of God, except possibly the "flame of the Lord" in 8:6.
5. Rabbi Akiva, an early second-century teacher, defended the book by calling it the "Holy of Holies" of the Writings (Mishnah Yadayim 3:5).
6. In Jewish tradition, the Song of Songs is read during Passover.
7. Kedar (1:5) was a nomadic Arabian tribe known for dark tents woven from goat hair.
8. En Gedi (1:14) is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea, known for springs and lush plants.
9. Comparing the bride to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots (1:9) was high praise, since Egyptian horses were prized.
10. Bernard of Clairvaux, a medieval monk, preached 86 sermons on the Song and never got past the beginning of chapter 3.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Bridegroom whose love is better than wine (1:2). The love between husband and wife is a picture of Christ's love for His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:25-32). He draws us to Himself (1:4; John 12:32).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. The Song opens with honest delight and desire within committed love (1:2-4). Why do you think God included a book like this in Scripture?
2. The young woman feels self-conscious about how she looks (1:5-6). How does knowing you are loved change the way you see yourself?
3. The couple keeps praising each other (1:15-16). What would change in your closest relationships if words of honor and encouragement were more frequent?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 1: The title calls this Solomon's most excellent song.
- đź“– verse 2: The bride says her beloved's love is better than wine.
- đź“– verse 15: He tells her she is beautiful and that her eyes are like doves.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Ephesians 05#Verse 25.|Ephesians 5:25-32]] - Marriage points to Christ and the church.
- đź”— [[Genesis 02#Verse 23.|Genesis 2:23-25]] - The first husband and wife delight in each other.
- đź”— [[Proverbs 05#Verse 18.|Proverbs 5:18-19]] - Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
- đź”— [[John 12#Verse 32.|John 12:32]] - Jesus draws all people to Himself.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 13#Verse 04.|Hebrews 13:4]] - Let marriage be held in honor among all.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Song of Songs 01 - SOAP|The Most Wonderful Gift]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes