Song of Solomon 5

“I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with…” The line’s distinctive content terms include drink, abundantly, beloved. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.

“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my…” Naming Open keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.” The line’s distinctive content terms include beloved, bowels, door. Its relationship to verses 3 and 5 shows what work it does in this passage.

“I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include myrrh, beloved, dropped. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

“I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought…” The line’s distinctive content terms include beloved, answer, failed. Its relationship to verses 5 and 7 shows what work it does in this passage.

“The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my…” The line’s distinctive content terms include city, keepers, smote. Its relationship to verses 6 and 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” The number ten makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.” Naming His keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.” Naming His keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.” Naming His keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.” Naming His keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the…” Naming His and Lebanon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of…” Naming His and Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.