Introduction: With this section of verses, we introduce another setting and some other voices. It is neither the Shulamite who speaks, nor the court ladies. The shepherd is nowhere to be seen at this point. The speakers here are the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
This scene opens with the procession of King Solomon's court to the city of Jerusalem. Four of the townspeople see the procession coming and speak of what they see.
1. The first remark. - Song 3:6
"Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?"
- "Wow! Lookie there! Who in the world is that?"
- The king's riches and affluence are duly noticed. Who couldn't help but take notice of the richest man in the world?
2. The second remark. - Song 3:7-8
"Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night."
- Verse 7 used to always give me trouble, because I could not figure out why Solomon would have sixty valiant men standing around his bed!
- The context is very important here. Here, another inhabitant of Jerusalem answers the question of verse 6. We must remember that these people are watching this great procession of the king as he comes to Jerusalem.* "Behold his bed, which is Solomon's..." - The word for "bed" used here is not the same as the words used in 1:16, 3:1, 5:13, and 6:2. In this instance, it means, "a portable chair or covered vehicle used for carrying a single person, usually borne on poles by two or more men." Can you see the king reclined behind the curtains?
* "Threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war." These, by definition, were brave and physically strong men. They were armed and ready to defend the king.
* "Every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night." These were the rest of the men there to protect the king throughout the many nights of travel.- Solomon was well-protected.
3. The third remark. - Song 3:9-10
"King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem."
- Though still speaking of the king, the subject matter changes here indicating yet another voice from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now, a more thorough description is made of the king's travel sedan carried by these brave and strong men.
* "King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon." Even though his bed is not carried by horses, here, it is called a "chariot." It is made of the precious wood from Lebanon [probably Lebanon cedar] and decorated with silver and supported from beneath with gold. A fine purple material covers the seat.
* "The midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem." Here is an interesting observation. This person notices that the floor of the chariot is lovingly paved like a beautiful mosaic made with tiny pieces of beautiful decoration exactly fitted together.- Apparently, people look closely when the king passes by.
4. The fourth remark. - Song 3:11
"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart."
- This remark is said sarcastically. The term "daughters of Zion" is always used negatively.
* "Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts." (Isaiah 3:16, 17)
* "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." (Isaiah 4:4)- "Zion" means "parched place." It is another name for Jerusalem, especially in the prophetic books.
- This inhabitant of Jerusalem is using the term negatively because of envy and jealousy. This is indicated by the words of the Shulamite and her shepherd in Song of Solomon 8:6, "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."
- It is my opinion that this fourth remark (and maybe even all of the remarks) is made by a woman who is envious and jealous of these women in Solomon's court. I guess women can do this to other women of whom they are jealous and full of envy.
- "Espousals" is plural in the English indicating this was going to be a wedding with multiple wives. Why would anyone, in her right mind, be jealous of that?! Also, why would anyone, in her right mind, be envious of women with haughty, filthy, and whorish reputations?!
Conclusion: Contrary to what we have always been taught, Solomon is the bad guy in this most beautiful song. These four inhabitants of Jerusalem see all the pomp, all the riches, all the affluence, all the power, all the cedar, silver, gold, and purple. They see what money can provide. At least one of them is envious, but I believe all four were.
Solomon is the one who has stolen the shepherd's one and only love. He has taken her against her will.
The Shulamite wants to get as far away from the king as possible. She is not jealous nor envious of the women in Solomon's court.
In the same way, the Devil offers those, whose love he desires to steal away from our Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, all the pomp, all the riches, all the affluence, all the power, all the cedar, silver, gold, and purple of this world. How often do we give in to the god of this world!
One songwriter said it this way:
I give my heart so easily to the ruler of this world,
When the One Who loves me most will give me all.
Let's not be jealous of the bad guy or his court ladies. Let's
let our affections be set on things above!