the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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THE MESSAGE
Song of Solomon 5:3
The Woman
"But I'm in my nightgown—do you expect me to get dressed? I'm bathed and in bed—do you want me to get dirty?"Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- EastonEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
I have taken off my clothing.How can I put it back on?I have washed my feet.How can I get them dirty?
I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
"I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?
I have taken off my garment and don't want to put it on again. I have washed my feet and don't want to get them dirty again.
"I had taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I had washed my feet, How could I get them dirty again?
I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
I haue put off my coate, howe shall I put it on? I haue washed my feete, howe shall I defile them?
I have taken off my long‑sleeved garment,How can I put it on again?I have washed my feet,How can I dirty them again?
I have taken off my robe-must I put it back on? I have washed my feet-must I soil them again?
But I had already undressed and bathed my feet. Should I dress again and get my feet dirty?
[She]
I've removed my coat; must I put it back on? I've washed my feet; must I dirty them again?—I have put off my tunic, how should I put it on? I have washed my feet, how should I pollute them?—
"I have taken off my robe. I don't want to put it on again. I have washed my feet. I don't want to get them dirty again."
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
The Woman
I have already undressed; why should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet; why should I get them dirty again?I have taken off my tunic, must I put it on? I have bathed my feet, must I soil them?
I have stripped off My coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed My feet; how shall I soil them?
I haue put off my cote, how ca I do it on agayne? I haue washed my fete, how shal I fyle them agayne?
I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
I have put off my coat; how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
I haue put off my coate, how shall I put it on? I haue washed my feete, how shall I defile them?
I haue put of my coate, howe can I do it on agayne? I haue washed my feete, howe shall I fyle them agayne?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
I have vnclothid me of my coote; hou schal Y be clothid ther ynne? I haue waische my feet; hou schal Y defoule tho?
I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
The Beloved to Her Lover:
"I have already taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have already washed my feet—must I soil them again?"I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?
But I responded, "I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?"
I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again?
I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
I have put off my tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them?
I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?
I had put off my garment, how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?
I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?
"I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?
Contextual Overview
The Woman
I was sound asleep, but in my dreams I was wide awake. Oh, listen! It's the sound of my lover knocking, calling!The Man
"Let me in, dear companion, dearest friend, my dove, consummate lover! I'm soaked with the dampness of the night, drenched with dew, shivering and cold." 3The Woman
"But I'm in my nightgown—do you expect me to get dressed? I'm bathed and in bed—do you want me to get dirty?" 4But my lover wouldn't take no for an answer, and the longer he knocked, the more excited I became. I got up to open the door to my lover, sweetly ready to receive him, Desiring and expectant as I turned the door handle. But when I opened the door he was gone. My loved one had tired of waiting and left. And I died inside—oh, I felt so bad! I ran out looking for him But he was nowhere to be found. I called into the darkness—but no answer. The night watchmen found me as they patrolled the streets of the city. They slapped and beat and bruised me, ripping off my clothes, These watchmen, who were supposed to be guarding the city. 8 I beg you, sisters in Jerusalem— if you find my lover, Please tell him I want him, that I'm heartsick with love for him.Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
have put: Proverbs 3:28, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 22:13, Matthew 25:5, Matthew 26:38-43, Luke 11:7, Romans 7:22, Romans 7:23
I have washed: As the Orientals only wear sandals, they are obliged to wash their feet previously to their lying down. Hence a Hindoo, if called from his bed, often makes his excuse that he shall daub his feet.
Reciprocal: Haggai 1:2 - This
Cross-References
Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed." And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God .
When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was just like him, his very spirit and image, and named him Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Adam lived a total of 930 years. And he died.
The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.
You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it.
You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies—humans, animals, birds, fish—each unprecedented in its form. You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies—sun, moon, stars—all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we're only looking at pre-resurrection "seeds"—who can imagine what the resurrection "plants" will be like!
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I have put off my coat,.... In order to lie down on her bed at night, and take her ease; meaning her conversation garments, which she had not been careful of to keep, but had betook herself to carnal ease and rest, and was off her watch and guard, Nehemiah 4:23; and being at ease, and free from trouble, affliction, and persecution, was unwilling to arise and go with her beloved, lest she should meet with the same trials and sufferings as before, for the sake of him and his Gospel; which may be greatly the sense of her next words;
how shall I put it on? which suggests an apprehension of difficulty in doing it, it being easier to drop the performance of duty than to take it up again; and shows slothfulness and sluggishness, being loath and not knowing how to bring herself to it; and an aversion of the carnal and fleshly part unto it; yea, as if she thought it was unreasonable in Christ to desire it of her, when it was but her reasonable service; or as if she imagined it was dangerous, and would be detrimental to her rest, and prejudicial to her health;
I have washed my feet; as persons used to do when come off of a journey, and about to go to bed e, being weary; as she was of spiritual exercises, and of the observance of ordinances and duties, and so betook herself to carnal ease, and from which being called argues,
how shall I defile them? by rising out of bed, and treading on the floor, and going to the door to let her beloved in; as if hearkening to the voice of Christ, obeying his commands, and taking every proper step to enjoy communion with him, would be a defiling her; whereas it was the reverse of these that did it: from the whole it appears, that not only these excuses were idle and frivolous, but sinful; she slighted the means Christ made use of to awaken her, by calling and knocking; she sinned against light and knowledge, sleeping on, when she knew it was the voice of her beloved; she acted a disingenuous part in inviting Christ into his garden, and then presently fell asleep; and then endeavoured to shift the blame from herself, as if she was no ways culpable, but what was desired was either difficult, or unreasonable, or unlawful; she appears guilty of great ingratitude, and discovers the height of folly in preferring her present ease to the company of Christ.
e Homer. Odyss. 19. v. 317.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
She makes trivial excuses, as one in a dream.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Song of Solomon 5:3. I have put off my coat — The bride must have been in a dream or in much disorder of mind to have made the frivolous excuses here mentioned. The words relate to the case of a person who had gone to take rest on his bed. As they wore nothing but sandals, they were obliged to wash their feet previously to their lying down. I have washed my feet, taken off my clothes, and am gone to bed: I cannot therefore be disturbed. A Hindoo always washes his feet before he goes to bed. If called from his bed, he often makes this excuse, I shall daub my feet; and the excuse is reasonable, as the floors are of earth; and they do not wear shoes in the house. - WARD.
