\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And his desire is for me.\n11<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCome, my beloved, let us go out into the country,
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let us spend the night in the villages.\n12<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLet us rise early\u00a0and go<\/i>\u00a0to the vineyards;
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let us see whether the vine has budded
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And its<\/i>\u00a0blossoms have opened,
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And whether<\/i>\u00a0the pomegranates have bloomed.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There I will give you my love.\n13<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe mandrakes have given forth fragrance;
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And over our doors are all choice\u00a0fruits,<\/i>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Both new and old,
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.\n8\u00a01<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cOh that you were like a brother to me
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Who nursed at my mother\u2019s breasts.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If<\/i>\u00a0I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0No one would despise me, either.\n2<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI would lead you\u00a0and<\/i>\u00a0bring you
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.\n3<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLet his left hand be under my head
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And his right hand embrace me.\u201d<\/blockquote>\n
This the third expression of unity between Shulammith and Solomon. While it essentially states the same thing as found in Song of Solomon 2:16 and 6:3, it is subtly different. Our heroine is fully secure in her relationship with her husband and she has fully lost herself in him.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/pomegranateblossom1.jpg\")
<\/a>Pomegranate Blossom<\/p><\/div>\n
She approaches Solomon with a suggestion to get away from the city and visit the country. Ostensibly, the visit is to check on the progress of their vineyards, but what she has in mind is much more personal. Recall that vineyards sometimes refer to the person in this poem. She is suggesting they check up on their love for each other and see if it is still in full bloom. Basically, she is suggesting they get away for a time of lovemaking underneath the grapevines.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Mandrake<\/p><\/div>\n
Shulammith tells her husband that she has a full supply of choice mandrakes saved up. Mandrakes, also known as \u201clove apples,\u201d were considered to be aphrodisiacs (see Genesis 30:14-16). She plans to show him both old familiar and creative new ways to have sex, which she has been saving for a special time.<\/p>\n
In their society, it was considered impolite for husbands and wives to publicly show affection for each other, though it was considered proper for affection to be shown between family members. Therefore, she wishes they were siblings so that she could kiss him in public without causing a scene.<\/p>\n
Once again she expresses a desire to bring him to her mother\u2019s house (see Song of Solomon 3:4). Here the implication is that in this secure place she would have sex with her husband. She would give Solomon a cup of spiced pomegranate juice to drink. The idea is equivalent to a student in our society giving an apple to a teacher they admire and respect. What she is saying is that her mother taught her some things in regards to lovemaking, but she is interested in learning some ideas from her husband. They could lie close to each other with his left arm under her head while his right arm pulls her close …<\/p>\n
4<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do not arouse or awaken\u00a0my<\/i>\u00a0love
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Until she pleases.\u201d<\/blockquote>\nOnce again, Shulammith breaks out of her role to warn the women in the audience not to force this type of love until the proper time. She and her husband have been married for quite a while now. They are comfortable with each other and are deeply in love. Their love has fully awakened and they are ready for it. Unmarried women are not prepared for this level of involvement with a man, so don\u2019t push it.<\/p>\n
Questions:<\/h3>\n
\n
- How has Shulammith found security?<\/li>\n
- How is her comfort expressed and demonstrated?<\/li>\n
- Are only men interested in sex? Must husbands be the ones to initiate sex?<\/li>\n
- Why are new ways important in a sexual relationship? What would this do to a man\u2019s interest in his wife?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Greatest Love Song Written\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Lesson\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 13 Innovative Styles Habits are easily established and sometimes hard to break. Sex doesn\u2019t have to take place in the same way or even be initiated by the same person. 10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI am my beloved\u2019s, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And his desire is for me. 11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCome, my beloved, let us go out into the country, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let us spend the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4463,"menu_order":12,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4583","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4589,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/the-greatest-love-song-written-a-study-of-the-song-of-solomon\/let-love-continue\/","url_meta":{"origin":4583,"position":0},"title":"Let Love Continue","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 15 Let Love Continue And so we come to the end of this beautiful song of love. 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Every marriage faces problems. Every husband and wife relationship must overcome difficulties, some\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/latchstring.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4552,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/the-greatest-love-song-written-a-study-of-the-song-of-solomon\/spring-has-arrived\/","url_meta":{"origin":4583,"position":3},"title":"Spring Has Arrived!","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 6 Spring Has Arrived! 8 \u201cListen! My beloved! \u00a0 \u00a0Behold, he is coming, \u00a0 \u00a0Climbing on the mountains, \u00a0 \u00a0Leaping on the hills! 9 \u201cMy beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. \u00a0 \u00a0Behold, he is standing behind our wall, \u00a0 \u00a0He is looking through the windows,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lattice.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25856,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-isaiah\/judgment-on-judah\/","url_meta":{"origin":4583,"position":4},"title":"Judgment on Judah","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Judgment on Judah Text: Isaiah 3:1-5:30 The Punishment - Isaiah 3:1-15 God declares that He will remove both the food supplies and the leadership from Judah. The Hebrew verb for \"to remove\" indicates something that is certain and will happen in the near future. The lack of food and water\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4539,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/the-greatest-love-song-written-a-study-of-the-song-of-solomon\/daydreams-of-love-during-dinner\/","url_meta":{"origin":4583,"position":5},"title":"Daydreams of Love During Dinner","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 3 Daydreams of Love During Dinner 12 \"While the king was at his table, \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0My perfume gave forth its fragrance. We move forward in time to the scene of a dinner being served. The king is obviously having difficulty focusing on the task at hand. 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