What is the context?
The beloved compares the woman with an ornamented mare among Pharaoh’s chariots, then praises her cheeks and neck. The companions offer further adornment.
Her reply uses perfume, myrrh near her breast, and henna blossoms to express how precious the beloved is to her. The senses of smell, sight, and touch belong within the praise.
The exchange of beautiful and handsome makes admiration mutual. A grassy resting place and fragrant wooden house complete the scene’s delight.
The imagery is poetry rather than a measured account of the lovers’ features or a demand that all beauty look alike. Its affection should not be reduced to a list of possessions.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Wesley reads the ornaments through gifts that beautify the church and the fragrant resting place through communion with Christ. The USCCB notes emphasize lovers whose meeting place becomes palace-like in their affection. These are spiritual and human readings of the same rich imagery, rather than identical explanations of each detail.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.
Where can I study this further?
No deeper study linked yet.