Brethren,
The modern church has erroneously followed the early teaching of Augustine by saying the Song of Songs is an allegory of Christ and church. Consequently, they say the book is about Christ and His “bride.”
Not so, saints! This is a wonder-full book from our Lord about heterosexual (man-woman) marriage and sexual celebration in its fullest. I in no way, as I am sure you too, want our Lord Christ to treat us in this fashion.
Why do these other folks bastardize the text like this? They are afraid of the fullest of our God given sexual freedom and ability to celebrate frequently in this manner. Praise God!
As a fascinating point, we steer you to the place in the Song of Songs where God is there in the bedroom watching and commenting on the lover’s sexual celebration.
Song of Songs 5:1b “…Eat, friends. Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.”
Eat, drink, and imbibed deeply. Yes, that is my God. The God of intense and extreme pleasure. I hope and pray this is your God too! We may walk worthy and please Him in every respect. This includes sexually.
Colossians 1:10 …so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…
Enjoy, saints, this modern paraphrase I so enjoyed writing.
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Chapter 1 – Song of Songs 1.1-17
The Wife: May my Husband kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love, dearest husband, is better than the finest wine. Your body oils have a pleasing fragrance. I want to make love with you now.
Your very name is like the rarest of purified oil. Therefore I love you so very much. Draw me after you and let us run together to be all alone! My sensual husband has brought me into our bedroom.
The Chorus, the Assembly of believers who know them: We will rejoice with you and be glad. We will extol your love for each other more than wine. Rightly do you love each other. Celebrate your marriage, you lovers.
The Wife: Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, my Husband. Where do you slip away in the day to be alone, like when we first met and our love grew? I want to come to you there. Where do you make us lie down at noon, taking a break from work so we can make love? For why should I be like one who covers up her body around our companions when they are near?
The Husband: If you yourself do not know, most beautiful among women, go forth on the path where I will wait for you. To me, my darling, you are like a rare jewel. Your ears are lovely with earrings, and your neck with strings of beads. Your body is a pleasure to me.
The Wife: My beloved Husband is to me like pleasant aromatic oils which lies all night between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of rose blossoms in our garden.
The Husband: How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are inviting and loving, like quiet and soft doves.
The Wife: How handsome and pleasant you are, my beloved Husband, my passionate lover. Indeed, our bed is luxuriant! Our house and bed chamber is solid like the cedar and cypress trees, and it awaits us.
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Chapter 2 – Song of Songs 2.1-17
The Wife: I am the rose of your delight, my love, my Husband, the lily of the valleys here in our garden.
The Husband: Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling Wife among all the other women.
The Wife: Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade of his body I took great delight and sat down at his feet, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He has brought me to his banquet hall of his body, and his banner over me is love, sweet love. Sustain me with sweet cakes, my love. Refresh me with luscious apples, because I am lovesick. Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace my most sensitive body parts.
The Husband: I adjure you, O daughters of Christ, by any means, that you do not arouse or awaken my love, my Wife, until she pleases. She will need her rest so she is ready to be with me.
The Wife: Listen! My beloved is near! Behold, he is coming, climbing on the mountains, leaping on the hills! My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, and he is looking through the windows. He is peering anxiously through the lattice at me.
My beloved Husband then responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, my sweetheart forever in my heart, and come along. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. It is spring and the flowers have already appeared in the land. The time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. It is time for love.
The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, my sweetheart forever in my heart, and come along with me right now!’
The Husband: O my dove, my lovesick love, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway. Let me only see your form, your luscious body that is mine. Let me hear your voice; for your voice is very sweet, and your form, your body, is lovely.
The Chorus – the Assembly of believers who know them: Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes of life that are interfering with Husband and Wife and their love, and are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom.
The Wife: My beloved Husband is mine, and I am his. He does his work among the lilies of the fields, until I am with him later in love. Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away as the sun sets, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag while enjoying your work.
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Chapter 3 – Song of Songs 3.1-11
The Wife: On my bed night after night I sought him whom my soul loves, my Husband, my Boaz; I sought him but did not find him. I must arise now and go about the city. In the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him but did not find him. Oh, where is my Husband?
I asked my friends and his friends, and I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’ Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, and into a room there where we made love.
The Husband: I adjure you, our friends, and other possible disturbances, that you will not arouse or awaken my love, my Wife, until she pleases, for we made love well into the night. Our physical love, our continued celebration of our marriage, is a delight, and she needs to rest thoroughly.
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Chapter 4 – Song of Songs 4:1-16
The Husband: How beautiful you are, my darling, my wife. How beautiful you are, my lady! Your eyes are so soft and tender for me like doves. Your hair is smooth and long while it flows gently around and over your lovely shoulders.
Your teeth are bright and clean through your welcoming smile. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is so very lovely and moist as I kiss them over and over. Your temples are like a slice of a smooth and aromatic pomegranate.
Your neck is like a safe and strong tower as I caress it in our love. Your two breasts are like two fawns, soft and firm and waiting for me. Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, I will go my way to your mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense, and I will eat of its offering.
You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you. You are perfect for me and my desire is only for you forever! Come with me, my bride, may you come with me from our home to our secret place…
You have made my heart beat faster and faster, my sister, my bride. You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace. You have fully captured me.
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more intoxicating is your love than wine, and the perfumed fragrance of your oils and body than all kinds of spices!
Your lips, my bride, drip honey. Honey and milk are under your tongue, and I long for this every day, every night. And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of the earth after a cleansing rain.
A garden locked and for me only is my sister, my bride. A garden locked, a wet and inviting spring sealed up and only for me. Your seductive body is like an orchard of the choicest fruits, desirable and waiting. Cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices is in my sealed and locked garden.
You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, and streams flowing from clear and clean mountains.
The Wife: Awake, O north wind, and come, wind of the south. Make my garden, my whole body, breathe out its fragrance. Let its spices be wafted abroad, and into the nostrils of my beloved that he will come to me now. May my beloved come into his garden, my body, and eat its choice luscious and wet fruits!
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Chapter 5 – Song of Songs 5:1-16
The Husband: I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey of your body. I have drunk my wine and my milk…and am satisfied.
God: Eat, friends. Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.
The Wife: I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved husband was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my dear lover, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, and hair with the damp of the night.’
I have taken off my dress, and how can I put it on again, dear husband? I have washed my feet, and how can I dirty them again? My beloved extended his hand through the opening, and my feelings were aroused for him. I wanted him.
I arose to open to my beloved. And my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt on our door.
I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched desperately for him but I did not find him. I called him but he did not answer me.
I told everyone, “I adjure you. If you find my beloved, you will tell him: I am lovesick.”
The Chorus: What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, that thus you adjure us?”
The Wife: My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand other men. His head is like gold, pure gold. The locks of his hair are like clusters of fine dates. His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk.
His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, banks of sweet-scented herbs. His lips are lilies dripping with liquid myrrh…oh, so sweet!
His hands are rods of gold set with beryl. His stomach is carved ivory inlaid with precious sapphires.
His legs are pillars of alabaster set on pedestals of pure gold. His appearance is like a fine country, and choice as the aromatic cedars.
His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O dear friends. Help me find him!
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Chapter 6 – Song of Songs 6:1-13
The Chorus: Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?”
The Wife: My beloved has gone down to his earthly garden, to the beds of balsam, to care for his animals in the gardens and gather lilies. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine, he who cares for his animals among the lilies.
The Husband: You are as beautiful as the countryside, my darling, as lovely as any city I have seen. Your hair is thick and inviting. Your teeth are white and lovely. Your temples are like a slice of pure fruit behind your veil.
There are many, many women without number. But you, my dove, my perfect one, are unique.
She is a favorite of her family, a pure child. Other women who are wise call her blessed, saying ‘Who is this that is like a stunning dawn, as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun?’
I went down to my orchard of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded or the fruits had bloomed. But before I was aware, my soul set me over anything of high value due to your love.
The Chorus: Come back, come back, O lovely wife. Come back, come back, that we may gaze at you!
The Husband: Why should you gaze at my wife, oh chorus, as when she dances for me? It is just for my eyes only when she dances!
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Chapter 7 – Song of Songs 7:1-13
The Husband: How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O daughter of our Lord! The curves of your hips are like jewels, the work of the hands of an artist. Your navel above my garden is like a round delicate goblet which never lacks mixed wine. Your stomach is like a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like a tower of ivory. Your eyes are like pools of living water. Your nose is like a soft meadow. Your head crowns you like a queen, and the long flowing locks of your head are like purple threads of royalty. Your husband is captivated by your tresses.
How beautiful and how delightful you are, My love, with all your charms!
Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree, I will take hold of its fruit stalks.’ Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your breath like apples. And your mouth like the best wine!
The Wife: The wine of my mouth goes down smoothly for my beloved, flowing gently through the lips of those who fall asleep after a love celebration. I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me. I cannot wait!
Come, my beloved husband, let us go out into the country, let us spend the night in the villages away from our home.
Let us rise early and go to our vineyards. Let us see whether the vine has budded and its blossoms have opened. There, outside and alone, I will give you my love.
The mandrakes, the aphrodisiac fruit for a love potion, have given forth fragrance for us. And over our doors are all other choice fruits, both new and old, which I have saved up for you, my beloved.
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Chapter 8 – Song of Songs 8:1-14
The Wife: Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother’s breasts. If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you, over and over. No one would despise me, either.
I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
Let your left hand be under my head as we lay closely together and your right hand embrace me.
The Husband: I want you to swear, O daughters of our Lord. Do not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases.
The Chorus: Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?
The Wife: Beneath the apple tree I awakened you. Put me like a seal over your heart, dearest lover, my husband. Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as hell itself. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.
Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.
The Chorus: We have a little sister, and she developed into womanhood slowly, for she had no breasts until much later. What did we do for our sister until the day when she was spoken for?
If she was a wall of sexual purity, we would build on her a battlement to protect her. But if she had been a door of promiscuity, we would have barricaded her in with planks of cedar.
The Wife: I was a wall, and my breasts became like towers. Then I became in his eyes, my future husband, as one who finds peace.
My precious husband is an entrepreneur and had a vineyard. He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring to him money for its fruit. We worked together there and our love blossomed.
My very own vineyard is at my disposal as we work together still. The money from the harvest is for you, dearest husband. And a percentage is for those who take care of its fruit for us.
The Husband: O you, my dear wife, who sit in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
The Wife: Hurry, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. I am waiting…waiting.
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See Mark Driscoll’s excellent teaching series on the Song of Songs here.
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See more about our God-given sexual celebration here.
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
jesusislord says
Amen, dear sister. Amen!
Brother Marc