| SONG OF SONGS |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 2:4 His Banner Over Me A "banner" was a large military flag that held a fighting unit together in battle. In the noise and dust of the fight, soldiers needed a visible sign to keep them oriented. For these lovers, a public and visible declaration of love forms a "banner," keeping them together. 3:5 Let Love Sleep If love is so wonderful, as this poem beautifully sings, shouldn't people pursue it recklessly? Yet the beloved warns them not to. Three times she urges others not to force love, but to let it develop at its own rate. Love should wait for its proper time. 5:2 A Nightmare This short passage (5:2-8) and the first five verses of chapter 3 are strange and troubling interludes. Many scholars think they are dream sequences, nightmares showing that the beauty of love also brings an increased vulnerability to pain and fear. Here, the beloved is slow to get out of bed to welcome her lover. As a result, he is gone when she reaches the door. 8:1 A Brotherly Kiss In oriental culture, even a married couple could not express their love publicly. Only a brother and sister could openly kiss. The beloved is wishing she had the right to show their love to the world. 8:6 Love and Death Death sweeps everything away. It yields to no one, and once you are in it's power you cannot escape. So with love: it takes control of your life, and like a gigantic fire, it cannot be doused. Love must be treated with the greatest caution and respect. |