Song of Solomon 8:13

THE ABSENT BRIDEGROOM CALLS FOR THE BRIDE TO SPEAK

"Thou that dwellest in the gardens.

The companions hearken for thy voice:

Cause me to hear it.

Make haste, my beloved,

And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart

Upon the mountains of spices."

"The Song of Solomon closes here with the bridegroom's request, for the bride to speak so that his friends may hear her voice. This reflects the constant desire of Christ the heavenly Bridegroom to hear the prayers of his people.[18] Inherent in this request is the evident physical absence of the bridegroom.

Back in Song of Solomon 8:5, the bride is seen "leaning on the arm of her lover"; but here they are separated. How is this? Christians are "with Christ" continually. We walk with him; we commune with him; and he is `with us' always (Matthew 28:18-20); and yet he is physically absent. The narrative corresponds to that paradox.

The absence of the bridegroom shows that Solomon was not the woman's lover. Solomon was present.

"Make haste, my beloved, ..." (Song of Solomon 8:14). Balchin catches the spirit of this perfectly: "In this, the bride's final recorded response, she earnestly requests that her husband come to her with the speed and agility of a gazelle or a young stag. This anticipates the Bride of the Apocalypse and her cry, `Yea, ... come quickly. Amen; Come, Lord Jesus'! (Revelation 22:20)."[19]

This should be contrasted with the interpretation that must rest on these verses if the theory is received that Solomon was the woman's husband. In that case, what we would have here is a neglected, disconsolate, love-starved woman in Solomon's immense harem, pleading and waiting in vain for her jaded old lover to call her to his bed. How does that stack up against the interpretation which we have adopted here? How does the love of God for his Church appear in that comparison? (And practically all the scholars admit that this is the essential ingredient in the whole Song).

As this writer sees it, the overwhelmingly predominant question in this book is simply, "Who is the Shulamite's lover"? Solomon, or a shepherd? We sincerely believe that we have correctly answered this in seeing him as the shepherd, on the grounds of his being a far more acceptable representative of Christ than Solomon.

We confess that this does not answer all the questions, solve all the mysteries of this book, nor fit every single verse in the Song. We would welcome a better solution if we could find it. We pray that God through Jesus Christ will forgive any errors we have made or solutions which we have overlooked.