LOVE IS AS STRONG AS DEATH

Song of Songs 7:10-8:14 / Keywords 8:6

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

 

7:10 I belong to my beloved,

    and his desire is for me.

11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,

    let us spend the night in the villages.[a]

12 Let us go early to the vineyards

    to see if the vines have budded,

if their blossoms have opened,

    and if the pomegranates are in bloom—

    there I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakes send out their fragrance,

    and at our door is every delicacy,

both new and old,

    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.

8:1 If only you were to me like a brother,

    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!

Then, if I found you outside,

    I would kiss you,

    and no one would despise me.

2 I would lead you

    and bring you to my mother’s house—

    she who has taught me.

I would give you spiced wine to drink,

    the nectar of my pomegranates.

3 His left arm is under my head

    and his right arm embraces me.

4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:

    Do not arouse or awaken love

    until it so desires.

Friends

5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness

    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;

    there your mother conceived you,

    there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6 Place me like a seal over your heart,

    like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

    its jealousy[b] unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

    like a mighty flame.[c]

7 Many waters cannot quench love;

    rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

    all the wealth of one’s house for love,

    it[d] would be utterly scorned.

Friends

8 We have a little sister,

    and her breasts are not yet grown.

What shall we do for our sister

    on the day she is spoken for?

9 If she is a wall,

    we will build towers of silver on her.

If she is a door,

    we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10 I am a wall,

    and my breasts are like towers.

Thus I have become in his eyes

    like one bringing contentment.

11 Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon;

    he let out his vineyard to tenants.

Each was to bring for its fruit

    a thousand shekels[d] of silver.

12 But my own vineyard is mine to give;

    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,

    and two hundred[e] are for those who tend its fruit.

He

13 You who dwell in the gardens

    with friends in attendance,

    let me hear your voice!

She

14 Come away, my beloved,

    and be like a gazelle

or like a young stag

    on the spice-laden mountains.

Footnotes

a. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes

b. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor

c. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord

d. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he

1. As the Shulamite woman has become one with the king as his wedded wife,

she feels secure knowing that the king desires her. She boldly invites the king to

come to her sacred place to be alone together (13). Now that she has experienced

the perfect love relationship with the king, she wishes they had been together

sooner (8:1). The woman and the king are united and secure. Yet, they continue

to express their longing to hear each other’s voice and see their beloved sight

(8:13,14).

 

2. The woman wants to seal the king’s heart and describes their love as ‘strong

as death’ (8:6). In her complete devotion and trust in her husband, she is eager to

share even a small possession of hers with him (8:11,12).

 

3. God has repeatedly described himself as a ‘jealous God’ (Ex 20:5). Therefore,

he desires our undivided hearts. Yet, he had indeed shown love as strong as death

when he came down to the world to die on the cross to save and bring us back to

life. This is the perfect unity in love we experience in Christ.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for letting me experience your amazing love. You have

saved me from the power of death through your love. Help me remain in

you and always have the strength to devote myself to you completely. I

delight in your words. Please sustain me each day and moment through

your breath.

One Word His love is perfect