Song of Solomon Chapter 6

Chapter Overview

Chapter 6 deepens the dialogue between the Shulamite and her beloved by returning to the public’s gaze and the beauty that provokes it. The chapter begins with a chorus of concern and curiosity from the women, asking where the beloved has gone and inviting the lovers to reveal themselves again. The Shulamite responds with a reaffirmation of belonging—“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies”—asserting exclusive, reciprocal devotion. The beloved’s beauty is extolled once more, with a flurry of similes: beauty like Tirzah, Jerusalem, and a formidable army; hair like goats’ hair, teeth like a well-ordered flock, temples like a pomegranate, and a visage that shines as the sun and moon. The chapter then pivots to social dynamics: the chorus remarks on the multitude of women—queens and concubines and virgins—highlighting the Shulamite’s singular standing. The beloved’s absence is mourned and celebrated in the company of their imagination of public recognition. The closing verses invite a return to see the Shulamite, prompting a reframing of love as a public confession of beauty and fidelity, with a communal appetite to “look upon thee” as a sign of blessing and wonder.

Historical & Literary Context

Like Chapter 5, Song of Songs is a lyric-poetic work embedded in the Wisdom tradition. Chapter 6 continues to employ vivid evaluative imagery, praising physical beauty and the intimate bond within the couple, while acknowledging the social milieu that witnesses and tests that bond. The “two armies” motif at the end alludes to the fear and fascination of public scrutiny in ancient Near Eastern cultures, where beauty and desire could provoke communal response. The chapter’s cadence—alternating between intimate self-affirmation and public praise—emphasizes both personal fidelity and communal acknowledgment of beauty as a gift within a covenant relationship.

Key Themes

- Exclusive belonging: The reaffirmation of mutual possession: “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.”

- Public recognition of beauty and love: The chorus’ gaze and the invitation to “look upon thee” underscore social validation.

- Idealized beauty as a cultural good: A tapestry of likenesses (Tirzah, Jerusalem) anchors love within a shared landscape of identity.

- The tension of spectatorship: The women’s questions and the visible beauty create a dynamic between inward fidelity and outward display.

- Unity amid social plurality: The Shulamite’s singular love stands against the backdrop of many others in a royal-social setting.

Modern Application

This chapter offers contemporary readers a lens on cultivating a publicly faithful, privately intimate relationship amid social pressures. It encourages couples to celebrate exclusive belonging and to resist the lure of comparison or competition in a world of many “options.” The vivid imagery invites lovers to articulate beauty in ways that honor the other person’s dignity and worth, balancing private devotion with public integrity. For communities and churches, the chapter invites prayers and practices that affirm healthy, respectful expressions of love, while guarding against objectification or coercion. The emphasis on recognition—invitation to “look upon thee”—can translate into acts of celebration within families, communities, and worship, acknowledging the beauty and integrity of faithful love as a blessing to all.

- Song of Solomon 2:16; 7:10 (mutual belonging)

- 1 Corinthians 13 (the ethic of love, though in a different genre)

- Ecclesiastes 3 (seasonal rhythms of beauty and time)

- Psalm 45 (royal imagery and beauty)

Recommended Personas

- David (for lyric poetry and royal imagery)

- Solomon (as authorial voice and reveler of beauty)

- Jesus (for the transformative power of love in relational life)