Ecclesiastes 5
Song of Songs 5 poetically contains the love dialogue between Solomon and the Shulammite woman. At the height of love, this chapter captures the changes in feelings, the process of waiting, and the return to one another, offering readers even deeper food for reflection.
1verseGuard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
2verseDon’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3verseFor as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
4verseWhen you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5verseIt is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6verseDon’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7verseFor in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
8verseIf you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
9verseMoreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
10verseHe who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11verseWhen goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
12verseThe sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13verseThere is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14verseThose riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15verseAs he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
16verseThis also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?
17verseAll his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
18verseBehold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
19verseEvery man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
20verseFor he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
The Development and Structure of the Scenes
- Verse 1: The bridegroom declares, “I have come into my garden,” singing of the fulfillment of love. This can be seen as symbolizing the completion of love, or intimacy itself.
- Verses 2–6: We see the Shulammite woman calmly dealing with the bridegroom’s visit, only to end up regretting that she does not meet him and then searching for him. The depiction of the bridegroom knocking on the door and the woman hesitating to open it is especially striking.
- Verse 7: A scene unfolds in which the woman sets out to find love and faces difficulties at the hands of the watchmen. This section may symbolize the hardships and trials one endures to obtain love.
- Verses 8–16: While asking her friends to help her find the one she loves, she sings of her deep affection for the bridegroom and how precious he is. Poetic descriptions unfold regarding the bridegroom’s beauty.
The Overall Meaning of the Text
This chapter shows the process of meeting a beloved, misunderstanding, parting, and then the longing and restoration that follow. Song of Songs 5 contains a message that helps us recognize again the depth of love, the act of waiting, and the value of what is precious. In particular, the woman’s inner feelings—her awareness of changes in emotion, her tenderness, and the beloved’s preciousness—are depicted realistically, stirring deep empathy among readers.
Points for Reflection
- When it comes to our relationship with the one we love, we can reflect on whether we have been careless or neglected them without noticing.
- Let’s think about the meaning that the path to restoring love and the waiting for love give us in our lives.
- It can become an opportunity to rediscover the preciousness of the other person in everyday life.
Applying It to Me
- If there have been times when I stepped back in my relationship with the person I love or with God, check first whether I am ready to open the door in order to restore that relationship.
- When love grows cold or dull, gather the courage to remember again the true preciousness of that person and put your love into action through expressions of affection.
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