they going to do in his chambers? Play checkers? Read the paper? Fold the laundry? No! Shulamith praises him, and then she wants him physically.
“You Are So Beautiful, I Can’t Stand It”
The woman always wants the details. She wants to know— indeed, needs to know—why you feel the way you do about her.
Husband: “I love you, honey.”
Wife: “Why?”
Husband: “What do you mean, why? I just do.”
Sound like a familiar dialogue? Your wife wants to hear the specific reasons behind your love for her. She wants to hear the qualities about her that make her lovable. She’s looking for reassurance, and when she gets the specifics, that locks it in for her. Now she can really believe you love her and see her as beautiful.
Solomon knows Shulamith needs to hear the details of his feelings for her. In 4:1–7, he paints a verbal portrait of the most beautiful woman in the world. It is his woman, Shulamith.
Solomon (4:1a)
“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!”
A good beginning. He calls her beautiful twice. Most husbands would stop right there. Not Solomon. He’s just getting warmed up.
Solomon (4:1b)
“Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.”
Okay, some cultural context here. Don’t use the “hair like a flock of goats” line on your woman. Back in that day, it was a very hot thing to say to a woman. Today, it would obviously fall flat. Say something like, “I love your hair because it’s so soft, smooth, and luxuriant.” (For some great “hair lines,” read her shampoo and conditioner bottles.)
Solomon (4:2)
“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
Which have come up from their washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.”
You’ve got to be kidding me! One whole verse dedicated to her teeth? In that day, it was a big deal for a woman to have all her teeth. Talk about details! I can relate, though. Sandy has a little space between her two front teeth. I love that space and tell her often that it’s a part of her beauty.
Solomon doesn’t stop at her teeth. Oh, no. He keeps going down her body, describing every beautiful part: her lips, mouth, and temples are next (4:3). Who cares about temples? He does. He wants her to know that he thinks she has magnificent temples. When was the last time you complimented your wife’s temples? I thought so.
In 4:4, Solomon expands his praise to Shulamith’s character:
“Your neck is like the tower of David
Built with rows of stones,
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men.”
Solomon tells her that her neck is not only physically attractive, but it also reveals some wonderful internal qualities. She carries herself with strength, dignity, and integrity. He wants her to know she is beautiful physically and as a person. Shulamith, like every woman, yearns for her man to find her beautiful outside and for the beauty that is inside.
Finally, in 4:5:
“Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.”
What took so long? Solomon wants to make sure that she realizes that it isn’t just about her breasts. They’re part of the gorgeous package, but not the focus of his desire and love. Every single physical part and every single character quality is beautiful.
In case she’s still wondering if he thinks she’s beautiful, Solomon closes the deal in 4:7 with these powerful words:
“You are altogether beautiful,
my darling, And there is no blemish in you.”
Oh, come on! Isn’t this overkill? Everybody has flaws! That’s right, everybody does have flaws. Everybody but your wife! That’s what Solomon is saying to Shulamith. She is not only beautiful, inside and out. Her beauty is perfect to him. Period.
When I’m teaching a seminar on the Song of Solomon and reach chapter four, I tell the men: “Your wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. Right? Well,
“You Are So Beautiful, I Can’t Stand It”
The woman always wants the details. She wants to know— indeed, needs to know—why you feel the way you do about her.
Husband: “I love you, honey.”
Wife: “Why?”
Husband: “What do you mean, why? I just do.”
Sound like a familiar dialogue? Your wife wants to hear the specific reasons behind your love for her. She wants to hear the qualities about her that make her lovable. She’s looking for reassurance, and when she gets the specifics, that locks it in for her. Now she can really believe you love her and see her as beautiful.
Solomon knows Shulamith needs to hear the details of his feelings for her. In 4:1–7, he paints a verbal portrait of the most beautiful woman in the world. It is his woman, Shulamith.
Solomon (4:1a)
“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!”
A good beginning. He calls her beautiful twice. Most husbands would stop right there. Not Solomon. He’s just getting warmed up.
Solomon (4:1b)
“Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.”
Okay, some cultural context here. Don’t use the “hair like a flock of goats” line on your woman. Back in that day, it was a very hot thing to say to a woman. Today, it would obviously fall flat. Say something like, “I love your hair because it’s so soft, smooth, and luxuriant.” (For some great “hair lines,” read her shampoo and conditioner bottles.)
Solomon (4:2)
“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
Which have come up from their washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.”
You’ve got to be kidding me! One whole verse dedicated to her teeth? In that day, it was a big deal for a woman to have all her teeth. Talk about details! I can relate, though. Sandy has a little space between her two front teeth. I love that space and tell her often that it’s a part of her beauty.
Solomon doesn’t stop at her teeth. Oh, no. He keeps going down her body, describing every beautiful part: her lips, mouth, and temples are next (4:3). Who cares about temples? He does. He wants her to know that he thinks she has magnificent temples. When was the last time you complimented your wife’s temples? I thought so.
In 4:4, Solomon expands his praise to Shulamith’s character:
“Your neck is like the tower of David
Built with rows of stones,
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men.”
Solomon tells her that her neck is not only physically attractive, but it also reveals some wonderful internal qualities. She carries herself with strength, dignity, and integrity. He wants her to know she is beautiful physically and as a person. Shulamith, like every woman, yearns for her man to find her beautiful outside and for the beauty that is inside.
Finally, in 4:5:
“Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.”
What took so long? Solomon wants to make sure that she realizes that it isn’t just about her breasts. They’re part of the gorgeous package, but not the focus of his desire and love. Every single physical part and every single character quality is beautiful.
In case she’s still wondering if he thinks she’s beautiful, Solomon closes the deal in 4:7 with these powerful words:
“You are altogether beautiful,
my darling, And there is no blemish in you.”
Oh, come on! Isn’t this overkill? Everybody has flaws! That’s right, everybody does have flaws. Everybody but your wife! That’s what Solomon is saying to Shulamith. She is not only beautiful, inside and out. Her beauty is perfect to him. Period.
When I’m teaching a seminar on the Song of Solomon and reach chapter four, I tell the men: “Your wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. Right? Well,
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