1By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

2I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

3The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

4It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

5I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

6Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

7Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

8They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

9King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

10He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Solomon

Date Penned: (971-931 BC)

Overview: The Love Between the Bride and the Bridegroom (c 1-8)

Theme: memories of courtship (c-3)

Message: Seeking the Groom (v 1-11)

Song of Solomon 3 Commentary

(3:1) Desire - The young woman desperately wanted to be with her lover. This poem shows that her desire for him was so intense that she was willing to risk her personal safety to go out into the city at night to search for him. We all have a deep longing to be needed and desired. If you've been married for a while, do you still desire your spouse? If so, make sure to tell him or her. If your desire has waned, ask God to give you a deep desire and longing for your spouse. Like the two lovers are drawn to one another, so Jesus is drawn to his people. Paul paints a beautiful picture of the deep love and desire Jesus has for his bride, the church, which is to be a model for the kind of desire husbands and wives should have for each other (Ephesians 5:25-33).

(3:1-4) A Dream - Many think that in these verses the young woman is recalling a dream that caused her to become so concerned about her lover's whereabouts that she arose in the middle of the night to search for him. When you love someone, you will do all you can to ensure the safety of that person and care for his or her needs, even at a cost to your personal comfort. This shows up most often in small actions--offering to get your spouse a glass of water, leaving work early to attend a function your child is involved in, or sacrificing your personal comfort to tend to the needs of a friend.

(3:5) Searching - The young woman expressed her desire for her lover, which was so strong that she would leave her home to search for him. She looked for him at night, a dangerous time to walk around the city. The description of this event ends with the second warning not to "awake my love, till he please" (see also 2:7; 8:4). In marriage, spouses are to love one another enough to be willing to sacrifice their health and well-being for the other. The young woman warns her friends again that they should not rush into such a relationship.

(3:6-5:1) Engagement - Here the scene changes. Some believe that the wedding procession is described in 3:6-11, the wedding night in 4:1-5:1, and the consummation of the marriage in 4:16-5:1. Another possible explanation is that the period of Solomon's engagement to the young woman is being remembered. In the previous section (2:8-3:5), Solomon and the young woman fell in love. In this section, Solomon returns to her in all his royal splendor (3:6-11), expresses his great love for her (4:1-5), and then proposes (4:7-15). The young woman joyfully accepts (4:16), and Solomon celebrates with great exuberance (5:1). 3:7,9 Solomon's bed in this case was probably a covered and curtained couch on which a single passenger would be carried on men's shoulders.

LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Song of Solomon with Chapter 3. In our text today, we see the memories of engagement as our two who have courted and fallen in love now enter into a contract to be married. In this process, they abstain from physical relations but prepare for the physical needs of the Marriage as each works to provide for the union. How about you? Do you see God's engagement process as part of the Marriage between a man and a woman? Let us learn from our text today to remember that God has a plan for Marriage, including a Biblical Engagement.