Song of Solomon 7
1"How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince's daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.
2"Your navel is like a round goblet
Which never lacks mixed wine;
Your belly is like a heap of wheat
Fenced about with lilies.
The ancient imagery aside, it is clear that Solomon and the Shulammite have worked out their conflicts because they are back at admiring one another sexually again. Here he says that her feet look beautiful in sandals, and he calls her a daughter of a prince. She is not of royal lineage, being of humble birth, but this is a high compliment. He is saying, in effect that she is a woman of nobility, to which the phrase could just have easily been translated. He admires the curves of her hips, her navel, and her belly. All parts of her are a delight to him.
3"Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.
4"Your neck is like a tower of ivory,
Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon
By the gate of Bath-rabbim;
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
Which faces toward Damascus.
As further evidence that their differences were worked out, he enjoys looking at her eyes once again. He also expresses his delight in noticing her breasts, her neck, and her nose.
5"Your head crowns you like Carmel,
And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads;
The king is captivated by your tresses.
6"How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your charms!
There are so many things about her that charm Solomon. He loves her head and her hair. She is totally beautiful and delightful to him, and he is sure to express this to her. His romantic speech toward her has not diminished since their first night together.
7"Your stature is like a palm tree,
And your breasts are like its clusters.
8"I said, 'I will climb the palm tree,
I will take hold of its fruit stalks.'
Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
And the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9And your mouth like the best wine!"
"It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
Flowing gently through the lips of those who fall asleep.
Getting more and more intimate and sexual, Solomon speaks of touching her breasts and indulging in kissing her.
10"I am my beloved's,
And his desire is for me.
After they express their love toward one another, the Shulammite is convinced that she belongs to Solomon and that he delights in her. His love, delight, and affection with her are more than evident.
11"Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country,
Let us spend the night in the villages.
12"Let us rise early and go to the vineyards;
Let us see whether the vine has budded
And its blossoms have opened,
And whether the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
13"The mandrakes have given forth fragrance;
And over our doors are all choice fruits,
Both new and old,
Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.
He speaks of going on a romantic trip with her out into the country, spending a night in one of the villages. He says that they will go and visit the vineyards and look at the pomegranates together. Last time he took a walk like this he was by himself. This time, he is going to make sure that they stay together and go together. The mandrakes, which were supposed to increase sexual desire and/or fertility, were saved up by Solomon for this occasion. She appreciates that he desires her sexually and is planning on romancing her as such. The forethought and planning is highly valued because it means that she is highly valued.
The Good News