… And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved. Song of Solomons 7:13
7:1 Solomon rhapsodizes on the beauty of his bride. In the eyes of love, one’s lover has a beauty that transcends what others might see. Prince’s daughter: Although of common birth (1:2), the Shulamite has regal beauty. The curves of your thighs: The Hebrew working suggests not only her form but the fluid motion of her dance (6:13).
1 The Beloved How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman.
11 Come, my beloved, Let us go forth to the field; Let us lodge in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, Whether the grape blossoms are open, And the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved.
⇒ A white wedding dress is a symbol of purity. Although being pure means no decay or defilement, the purity of a bride is no barren sterility. She is described in this chapter as not only being pure, but also being beautiful, fragrant and youthful (fertile). A bride may not be perfect in these regards. But she is, in the eyes of the bridegroom. Without the bridegroom who loves her and is committed to her for life, there wouldn’t be no wedding day, no bride and bridegroom. Nothing special to look forward to for her, for all of us.
71 The Beloved How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman. 2 Your navel is a rounded goblet; It lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat Set about with lilies. 3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle. 4 Your neck is like an ivory tower, Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon By the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looks toward Damascus. 5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses. 6 How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! 7 This stature of yours is like a palm tree, And your breasts like its clusters. 8 I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, The fragrance of your breath like apples, 9 And the roof of your mouth like the best wine. The Shulamite The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, Moving gently the lips of sleepers. 10 I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved, Let us go forth to the field; Let us lodge in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, Whether the grape blossoms are open, And the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, And at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, Which I have laid up for you, my beloved.
