Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Song of Solomon 5 Devotional

When Love Hesitates

“His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”Song of Solomon 5:16 (BSB)

Song 5 contains a painful moment. The woman's beloved knocks at night, his hair wet with dew, asking her to open (5:2). She hesitates, because she has already taken off her robe and washed her feet (5:3). When she finally rises and opens, he has turned and gone (5:6). She searches and calls, but he does not answer, and the watchmen beat her and take her cloak (5:7).

The poem does not explain or tidy up the hesitation. It shows that love, even good love, includes missed moments and real sorrow. Asked what makes her beloved better than any other, she does not complain about him. She praises him from head to foot and ends by calling him not only her beloved but her friend (5:9-16). In the next chapter the two belong to each other again (6:3). Love as God designed it is not only passion. It is friendship that keeps turning toward the other person after a failure. Small choices to open the door or keep it shut matter.

To think about: In a relationship that matters to you, what is one small way you could turn toward the other person instead of away?

About Song of Solomon 5: A Second Search and the Beloved Praised

The woman hesitates when her beloved knocks at night, and by the time she opens he has gone. Searching the city, she is struck by the watchmen and asks the daughters of Jerusalem to tell him of her longing. When they ask what makes him special, she praises him and calls him her beloved and friend.

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