Song of Songs Chapter 5
Song of Solomon 5
The Maiden’s Dream
A. The Maiden Describes Her Dream
1. Song of Solomon 5:2, The Maiden Dreams of Her Beloved Coming to Her Door at Night
Song of Solomon 5:2, “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.”
Song of Solomon 5:1 completed the scene of marital consummation that began in chapter 4. The first line of chapter 5 belonged with the previous section, because it recorded the beloved receiving the maiden’s invitation and delighting in the garden that had now been opened within marriage. Song of Solomon 5:2 begins a new scene. The tone changes from fulfillment to distance, from union to conflict, from delight to sorrow.
The maiden says, “I sleep, but my heart waketh.” This indicates a dreamlike condition. She is asleep, yet inwardly aware. She is not fully awake, but her heart is active. The scene should probably be read as another dream or night vision, similar to the restless search in Song of Solomon 3. Whether the exact sequence is chronological or poetic is not the main point. The emphasis is on a relational difficulty between the maiden and the beloved.
She hears the voice of her beloved knocking. The voice had previously stirred her with excitement.
Song of Solomon 2:8, “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”
In chapter 2, his voice brought joy and expectation. In chapter 5, his voice comes at an inconvenient hour. He is outside the door, and she is inside. The picture is simple, but powerful. One who belongs inside is now outside. The beloved, who should be welcomed, is left waiting.
He says, “Open to me.” This is a direct appeal. He does not force the door. He does not break it down. He asks for entrance. His desire is clear, but he waits upon her response. This is important both literally and spiritually. In marriage, love cannot be forced without becoming sin. Affection must be invited, received, and given. A godly husband does not use strength to overpower. He appeals, he seeks, he speaks, and he waits.
The beloved addresses her with a series of affectionate names, “my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.” These titles show tenderness. He is not harsh. He is not cold. He is not demanding in a brutish way. He comes with affection.
The term “my sister” is an affectionate marital term in this context. It suggests nearness, permanence, and family belonging. A sister remains a sister, and the beloved’s use of this term communicates enduring relationship. The term “my love” expresses affection and desire. The term “my dove” suggests gentleness, purity, tenderness, and faithfulness. The term “my undefiled” points to moral beauty, wholeness, and blamelessness in his eyes.
He then says, “for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.” He has been outside in the night. His head and hair are wet with dew. He has endured discomfort in order to come to her. This is not a lazy or indifferent man. He has come through the night to seek her. His presence, his voice, his request, his affectionate names, and his own discomfort all combine into a strong appeal.
This verse creates a serious picture of marital conflict. The beloved comes in affection, but the maiden does not immediately receive him. The issue is not that love has died. The issue is that love is being neglected in a moment of inconvenience. That is realistic. Marriage does not fail only through great scandals. It can be injured by small refusals, slow responses, selfish comfort, resentment, and failure to value the other person’s approach.
There is also a careful spiritual application here. The picture of the beloved standing outside and knocking may stand behind the language of Revelation 3:20.
Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20 is spoken to the church of Laodicea, a church that had become lukewarm and self satisfied. The Lord stands at the door and knocks, calling for renewed fellowship. Song of Solomon 5:2, in its literal context, concerns the beloved and the maiden. Yet the spiritual parallel is fitting. The Lord’s people may belong to Him and still act as though He is outside the door. Fellowship may be hindered by self satisfaction, comfort, delay, and indifference.
2. Song of Solomon 5:3–6, The Maiden Fails to Meet Her Beloved at the Door
Song of Solomon 5:3, “I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?”
Song of Solomon 5:4, “My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.”
Song of Solomon 5:5, “I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.”
Song of Solomon 5:6, “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him, I called him, but he gave me no answer.”
The maiden answers the beloved with excuses. She says, “I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?” She is comfortable. She is already settled for the night. To open the door would require inconvenience. She would have to dress again. She would have to place her feet back on the floor. She might have to disturb her rest.
Her words reveal the problem. She is not unable to open the door. She is unwilling to be inconvenienced. The phrase “how shall I” does not express true impossibility. It expresses reluctance. She loves him, but in that moment she loves her comfort more. She wants him, but not enough to move quickly. She hears him, but delays.
This is one of the most realistic scenes in the Song. The book is not fantasy. It celebrates love, but it also shows the kinds of small selfishness that can wound a relationship. The maiden’s problem is not open hatred. It is sluggish love. It is not total rejection. It is delayed response. It is not the absence of affection. It is affection hindered by self indulgence.
The same pattern often appears in marriage. One spouse reaches out, the other delays. One appeals, the other makes excuses. One desires closeness, the other protects comfort. Sometimes the delay comes from resentment. Sometimes from fatigue. Sometimes from a desire to control the relationship. Sometimes from simple selfishness. Whatever the reason, love can be injured when a sincere appeal is met with indifference.
The beloved then puts his hand by the opening of the door. The KJV says, “My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door.” This likely refers to the ancient door latch mechanism, where a person could reach through an opening to attempt to move the latch. The beloved is still appealing for entrance, but he does not break in. He makes one more effort, while still respecting the closed door.
Some interpreters have suggested that this may carry a double meaning because of the intimate language and the wording involved. However, the direct meaning in context is that the beloved is outside and the maiden is inside. The entire scene depends on separation, not consummation. If there is any secondary suggestive force, it would be connected to the maiden’s conflicted desire, because she longs for him and yet delays opening the door.
She says, “my bowels were moved for him.” In Hebrew thought, the inner organs were often associated with deep emotion. The meaning is that her inward affection was stirred. She finally feels the weight of his appeal. Her heart begins to move toward him. She realizes that she does want him near.
She rises to open the door. When she touches the handles of the lock, her hands drip with myrrh. The beloved has left fragrance at the door. This may have been a lover’s token, a fragrant sign that he had been there. Even though she delayed, he did not respond with rage. He left behind evidence of affection. His response is not violent retaliation. It is quiet, fragrant love.
This is a powerful lesson. When a husband feels disrespected, ignored, or delayed, the flesh wants to answer with anger, accusation, or force. The beloved does not do that. He leaves a sign of love and withdraws. That does not mean there is no sorrow or consequence. There is consequence, because when she opens, he is gone. But his manner remains restrained.
She says, “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone.” The delay has consequences. The moment has passed. She was slow to respond, and now the one she wanted is absent. She says, “my soul failed when he spake.” She remembers his voice. The voice that should have moved her sooner now pierces her heart after he is gone.
She seeks him, but cannot find him. She calls him, but he gives no answer. This reverses the earlier scene. He had called, and she did not answer quickly. Now she calls, and he does not answer. The dream teaches that delayed love can become painful. Neglected fellowship can become distance. Refused affection can become sorrow.
This does not mean the relationship is destroyed. It means the relationship has been injured. Love remains, but communion has been disturbed. This is true in marriage, and it is true in the believer’s walk with the Lord. Fellowship is not something to be treated carelessly. If the Lord calls and His people continually delay, they may later seek the sweetness of fellowship and find that the sense of nearness has diminished.
Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”
Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
These verses do not teach that God is unwilling to forgive. They teach urgency. The time to respond to the Lord is when He calls. The same principle applies, by wisdom, to marriage. The time to respond to loving appeal is when it is made, not after resentment and sorrow have multiplied.
3. Song of Solomon 5:7–8, The Maiden’s Disappointing Search for Her Beloved
Song of Solomon 5:7, “The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.”
Song of Solomon 5:8, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.”
The maiden’s dream becomes more painful. She goes out searching for her beloved, but instead of finding him, the watchmen find her. In Song of Solomon 3, the watchmen were unable to help her, but they did not harm her.
Song of Solomon 3:3, “The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?”
Here, the watchmen strike her, wound her, and take away her veil or mantle. This likely reflects her own sense of guilt, shame, and vulnerability within the dream. She had failed to respond rightly to the beloved, and now her search is marked by pain. Dreams often turn inner turmoil into outward scenes. Her guilt and regret may appear as mistreatment by the watchmen.
The watchmen and keepers of the walls should have been sources of protection, but in the dream they become sources of injury. This deepens the realism of the poem. When fellowship is broken, the soul can feel exposed and misunderstood. The places where help might be expected do not always bring relief.
The removal of her veil or mantle adds to the humiliation. In a symbolic sense, she feels uncovered. She had delayed opening the door because she did not want to put on her garment or soil her feet. Now she is wounded and stripped of her covering in the street. Her effort to preserve comfort has resulted in greater discomfort. Her refusal of inconvenience has led to deeper pain.
She turns to the daughters of Jerusalem and says, “if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.” This is not the same lovesickness as Song of Solomon 2:5.
Song of Solomon 2:5, “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”
In chapter 2, she was lovesick because she was overwhelmed by love’s presence. In chapter 5, she is lovesick because she aches over love’s absence. The same phrase now carries a different sorrow. Love can make the heart faint in delight, but it can also make the heart ache in regret.
There is a spiritual application here as well. The believer may know a lovesickness of longing for restored fellowship with Christ. This is not the longing of an unsaved person seeking salvation for the first time, but the longing of one who belongs to the Lord and yet feels distance in communion. The soul pants for renewed nearness.
Psalm 42:1, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Psalm 42:2, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
The maiden’s cry, “tell him, that I am sick of love,” is the cry of one who now understands the value of what she delayed. She is no longer protecting her comfort. She is seeking the beloved.
B. The Maiden Describes Her Beloved
1. Song of Solomon 5:9, The Daughters of Jerusalem Ask About the Beloved
Song of Solomon 5:9, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?”
The daughters of Jerusalem respond to the maiden’s plea with a question. They ask, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved?” In other words, what makes him so special? Why are you so desperate? Why should we care about this man more than any other man? Why is your longing so intense?
Their question forces the maiden to think deeply about the one she loves. This is a turning point. She had been focused on her inconvenience, her bed, her robe, her washed feet, her delay, her wounded search, and her grief. Now she must describe him. She must remember who he is. She must call to mind his excellence.
This is often how restoration begins in marriage. A husband or wife who has become consumed with resentment must remember the good. Instead of rehearsing only the offense, inconvenience, disappointment, or frustration, the heart must remember the person. The daughters ask, in effect, “What is he to you?” Her answer will reveal that he is not common. He is not replaceable. He is her beloved and her friend.
They call her “O thou fairest among women.” This may be sincere, or in the dream it may carry irony because she has been wounded, distressed, and stripped of her covering. Either way, the title reminds the reader that she is still the beloved woman, even in distress. Her failure has not erased her identity. She is still the one loved.
2. Song of Solomon 5:10–16, The Maiden Responds by Describing the Beloved
Song of Solomon 5:10, “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.”
Song of Solomon 5:11, “His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.”
Song of Solomon 5:12, “His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.”
Song of Solomon 5:13, “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.”
Song of Solomon 5:14, “His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.”
Song of Solomon 5:15, “His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.”
Song of Solomon 5:16, “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”
The maiden now gives an extended description of her beloved. This answers his earlier praise of her in Song of Solomon 4. He had described her beauty in detail. Now she describes him with equal eloquence. This shows that she has not only been loved, she has also observed, admired, and loved in return.
The fact that she speaks these words to the daughters of Jerusalem, and not directly to him, is important. He does not hear the speech in the immediate scene. She is reminding herself. The question from the daughters forces her to recover her own appreciation. She must say aloud why he is worth seeking. This is often necessary in strained relationships. Sometimes a person must rehearse what is true about the beloved in order to overcome the fog of resentment.
She begins, “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” The phrase “white and ruddy” describes health, vitality, and attractiveness. Ruddy may suggest the healthy complexion of a strong young man. It may also carry the sense of manliness. He is not pale, weak, or unimpressive. He is vigorous and strong.
He is “the chiefest among ten thousand.” To her, he stands above all others. This is the language of preference and admiration. Just as he called her a lily among thorns, she now calls him chief among ten thousand. Mutual preference is central to the Song. He sees her as above all women. She sees him as above all men.
This matters because a man deeply desires the respect and admiration of his wife. He does not only want to be loved in sentimental language. He wants to know that she sees his strength, character, labor, accomplishments, and worth. A wife’s admiration can strengthen a man. A wife’s contempt can crush a man. The maiden now speaks with admiration.
She says, “His head is as the most fine gold.” The head represents dignity, nobility, and value. Fine gold suggests excellence, worth, and splendor. His head is not common. He carries dignity.
His locks are “bushy, and black as a raven.” His hair is full, dark, and masculine. The image communicates youthful strength and attractiveness. The beloved is not described in weak or delicate terms. He is handsome, strong, and distinguished.
She says, “His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.” Earlier, he praised her dove’s eyes. Now she praises his. The dove suggests gentleness and tenderness. This means he is not merely strong, but also tender. His eyes are beside waters, washed with milk, and fitly set, suggesting clarity, brightness, purity, and proportion. His eyes reveal both strength and softness.
A godly man should have both. Masculinity without tenderness becomes harsh. Tenderness without strength becomes weak. The beloved is strong, but his eyes are dove like. He is masculine, but not cruel.
She continues, “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.” This may refer to his beard and face, fragrant and well kept. In the ancient world, a well kept beard could be a sign of masculine dignity. The spices and sweet flowers suggest pleasantness, fragrance, and beauty.
She says, “his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.” His lips are sweet to her. His speech, kisses, and presence are pleasing. Earlier he said her lips dropped as honeycomb. Now she says his lips drop sweet smelling myrrh. Again, the relationship is mutual. He delights in her, and she delights in him.
She says, “His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl.” Hands represent action, work, strength, skill, and touch. His hands are not common to her. They are precious. Gold rings set with beryl suggest beauty, strength, and value. A man’s hands matter. They work, protect, provide, build, and hold. She sees his hands as valuable and admirable.
His body is described as “bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.” The image communicates strength, smoothness, beauty, and richness. She sees his body as impressive and noble. Again, the Song does not pretend that physical attraction is irrelevant. The maiden is attracted to her beloved’s body, just as he is attracted to hers. Within marriage, this attraction is good.
She says, “His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.” His legs are strong, stable, and noble. Pillars of marble suggest firmness and strength. Sockets of fine gold suggest value and excellence. He is stable. He stands firm. He is not weak or unstable in her eyes.
His countenance is “as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.” Lebanon was known for grandeur, height, and majestic cedars. His overall bearing is noble and impressive. He is not merely handsome in a narrow sense. His whole presence carries dignity.
Psalm 92:12, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
The cedar of Lebanon often suggests strength, height, endurance, and majesty. The maiden uses this image to describe the excellent bearing of her beloved.
She says, “His mouth is most sweet.” This may refer to his kisses, speech, or both. His mouth is pleasing to her. Words matter in love. His speech has been affectionate, not abusive. His appeals have been tender, not crude. His words are sweet to her.
Then she summarizes, “yea, he is altogether lovely.” This is the great summary of her description. She does not merely say that one part of him is lovely. He is altogether lovely. In her eyes, there is a completeness to his excellence. His strength, tenderness, appearance, voice, dignity, and affection all come together.
This phrase has often been applied devotionally to Christ, and carefully used, it is a fitting spiritual application. Jesus Christ is indeed altogether lovely. He is perfect in holiness, compassion, power, wisdom, mercy, righteousness, truth, and glory.
Colossians 1:15, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”
Colossians 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Colossians 1:17, “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
Christ has preeminence in all things. In the literal text, the maiden says her beloved is altogether lovely. In spiritual application, the believer may say with even greater fullness that Christ is altogether lovely.
The maiden concludes, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” This is one of the most important statements in the chapter. He is not only her lover. He is her friend. The Song is deeply romantic, but it is not satisfied with physical desire alone. The beloved is also her companion, confidant, and friend.
Friendship is essential in marriage. Physical attraction matters. Affection matters. Desire matters. But friendship gives endurance. A husband and wife should enjoy one another’s company. They should be companions, not merely roommates or physical partners. The maiden’s final statement shows that her love is not merely erotic. It is relational and personal.
Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
The beloved is her friend. That explains why his absence hurts so deeply. She has not merely lost a romantic moment. She has lost fellowship with the one who is dear to her soul.
Her words also expose the foolishness of her earlier delay. If he is chief among ten thousand, if he is altogether lovely, if he is her beloved and her friend, then why did she leave him outside the door? This is the convicting force of the chapter. Renewed appreciation brings renewed regret. When she remembers who he is, she sees more clearly how foolishly she acted.
This applies to marriage. Many husbands and wives become careless because they stop seeing the worth of the person in front of them. They remember annoyances more than virtues. They rehearse disappointments more than blessings. They assume the relationship will survive neglect. Song of Solomon 5 teaches that love must be tended. A spouse must be remembered rightly, cherished actively, and received when he or she reaches out in love.
It also applies spiritually. When believers grow cold, they often forget the loveliness of Christ. They become slow to respond, comfortable in their own routines, and resistant to His call. The cure is not mere guilt. The cure is renewed sight of Christ Himself. When the soul sees Him as altogether lovely, repentance becomes more than duty. It becomes the longing to restore fellowship with the One who is beloved.
Summary and Theological Emphasis
Song of Solomon 5 begins after the consummation of marital love and presents a dreamlike scene of relational conflict. The maiden sleeps, but her heart wakes. Her beloved comes to the door, knocks, and asks her to open. He appeals through his presence, his voice, his direct request, his affectionate names, and the discomfort he endured in coming through the night. Yet she responds slowly, making excuses about her robe and washed feet.
Her delay creates sorrow. The beloved does not force his way in. He leaves a fragrant sign of love at the door and withdraws. When she finally opens, he is gone. She seeks him but cannot find him. She calls, but he gives no answer. Her dream then becomes painful as the watchmen strike her, wound her, and take her covering. This reflects the grief and shame of neglected love.
The daughters of Jerusalem ask what makes her beloved better than another. This question forces the maiden to remember and proclaim his excellence. She describes him as white and ruddy, chief among ten thousand. She praises his head, hair, eyes, cheeks, lips, hands, body, legs, countenance, mouth, and overall loveliness. She concludes with the great confession, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend.”
The chapter teaches that love can be wounded by delay, selfishness, resentment, and comfort seeking. It also teaches that restoration begins when the beloved is remembered rightly. In marriage, husband and wife must not treat one another’s loving appeals lightly. In spiritual application, the believer must not leave Christ outside the door while resting in self satisfaction. The Lord is altogether lovely, and fellowship with Him should not be neglected.
