Bible Commentaries
Song of Solomon 7

Verse 1

The Work of the Hands of an Artist

In Song of Solomon 7:1-Deuteronomy : follows a new description of the bride. In the description the groom gives of the bride earlier (Song of Solomon 4:1-2 Chronicles :), he says what she means for him. There he starts the description with her head. This new description he starts with her feet, her way of walking. The first description is done from the point of view of love. The second is from the point of view of her public action, which is also seen by others.

The bride is described in the royal glory she possesses and which is perceived by others. Although she has received that glory of the groom, it is not clear whether the description comes from the mouth of the groom or from the mouth of the daughters of Jerusalem. Because of the public character of the description, it is quite conceivable that the testimony about her is given by the daughters of Jerusalem.

The name “prince’s daughter” (cf. Psalms 45:13), with which she is addressed, is in keeping with this public testimony. We hear no names like ‘bride’ and ‘beloved as in Song of Songs 4. It is not a description of the intimate love relationship between groom and bride, but of the formal connection between king and queen.

As said, the description begins with the feet. It is said that they are “beautiful”. She stands out because of her elegant way of walking. There is no hurry, it radiates peace and dignity. She moves full of elegance. She takes her steps in her “sandals”. Whoever goes into captivity goes barefoot (Isaiah 20:4; cf. 2 Samuel 15:30). The father gives the prodigal son “sandals on his feet” when he returns home (Luke 15:22).

In the spiritual sense, the description teaches about our “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). We are not ‘children of the King’, but we do have royal dignity. This means that, in addition to having a relationship of love with the Lord Jesus, we also have a testimony in the world. It is the desire of every believer who loves the Lord Jesus to also respond to what is said here of the bride. Can the Lord Jesus and the people around us give this testimony of us what is given here of the bride?

Our feet are said to be shod “with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). The meaning is not that we should be prepared to proclaim the gospel – however important that may be. It means that in our walk it is visible that we live from peace. We have peace in every circumstance in which God brings us. People see that we go our way with the peace of God in our hearts, even when it is difficult. This is only possible if we look at the Lord Jesus, Who is the example in this (Matthew 11:25-Amos :).

Then her “hips” are described. In the hips is the power for walking. After God has disrupted Jacob’s hip joint, he goes limping through life (Genesis 32:25; Genesis 32:31). There is talk of “the curves” of the bride’s hips. This indicates that there are no sharp or angular edges in her walk. We can sometimes be ‘angular’ or ‘sharp’. The Lord is working to eliminate those sides. But He sees us as round.

Then the curves of the hips are compared with “jewels”. Her walk is graceful as a jewel. We don’t walk with long faces and heads hung low. If we have bent our necks before the Lord, it is seen in our walk. Then we listen to His directions and do His will (cf. Proverbs 3:21-Song of Solomon :; Proverbs 25:12). This is how He is seen in our lives, so that we will be a blessing to those with whom we come into contact. Sharp words will not be spoken and angular or uncontrolled action will not take place.

We do not have such elegant and graceful behavior by nature. It takes “the hands of an artist” to show this behavior. The Spirit of God is that Artist. The Spirit works this behavior in us as God’s workmanship, as a new creation. Own effort or all kinds of therapies for behavioral change are connected with the old man and always fail. It will only be possible if we give the Spirit the opportunity to live our lives.

Verses 2-3

Navel, Belly and Breasts

The next part of the body is the “navel” (Song of Solomon 7:2). The navel has to do with life, with its origins. The unborn child is fed in its mother’s womb through the umbilical cord. When a child is born, the navel cord is cut or cut off (cf. Ezekiel 16:4). The navel is a lasting reminder of the original connection with the mother.

The bride is an independent woman. She is a new personality. From a prophetic point of view, we see here the faithful remnant of Israel, or Jerusalem, which has been revived by a miracle of God. This remnant itself is also “at the center of the world” or “the navel of the earth” (Ezekiel 38:12). Everything that God promised old Israel, but that the people have lost through unfaithfulness, He gives to the new Israel. From there will come blessing and life for the whole earth. We see this in the temple stream that flows out of the temple in the kingdom of peace and spreads blessing (Ezekiel 47:1-2 Kings :).

The navel is compared here with “a round goblet which never lacks mixed wine”. A goblet can be seen as a picture of a person. A round goblet has no beginning and no end, it is endless. There are no corners or points. This is a picture of the new, eternal life we have been given. There is no beginning and no end to that. We ourselves did not contribute anything to its creation.

An endless, unceasing joy is connected with this life. That is what the mixed wine speaks of. It is a joy that expresses itself in various ways. We can apply this to all kinds of relationships we have. In this way we can be a joy for our wife and children in our dealings with them. This also applies to our neighbors and colleagues. We pass on joy as we reveal the new, eternal life we possess.

The “belly” is closely connected to the navel. It is the place where new life is formed and where new life comes forth (Job 1:21; Job 3:10-1 Kings :Job 31:15; Ecclesiastes 5:14; Ecclesiastes 11:5). The belly also speaks of the interior, of feelings, and of the absorption of food (Habakkuk 3:16; Romans 16:18; Jeremiah 51:34; Ezekiel 3:3; 1 Corinthians 6:13; Philippians 3:19; Revelation 10:9-2 Samuel :). Her belly is compared to “a heap of wheat Fenced about with lilies”. The wheat reminds us of the Lord Jesus. He compares Himself to a grain of wheat that has fallen into the earth and died, thereby bearing much fruit (John 12:24). From His death and resurrection came forth “a heap of wheat”.

This applies here to Israel in the future when all who are scattered in Israel are gathered together as “a heap of wheat” (Matthew 13:24-Amos :; Matthew 24:31). All Israel is then saved (Romans 11:26). That is the fruit of the work of Christ. The remnant has the features of Him from Whom they received life, just as every grain in the heap of wheat has the same features as that one wheat grain from which they came.

This heap of wheat, this great harvest, is “fenced about with lilies”. The lilies are a picture of the remnant of the tribulation in the land. These images increase the glory of the ‘of the prince’s daughter’, but above all of the Artist Who shaped her in this way.

The description of the breasts (Song of Solomon 7:3) fits seamlessly with the description of the navel and belly. The breasts indicate adulthood, maturity. They also point to the ability to pass on to the newborn child the food she herself first took to herself. We have also seen this description in Song of Songs 4, which is given there by the groom (Song of Solomon 4:5).

What was said there is also true here. Breasts are a picture of spiritual maturity and the ability to pass on food to small children. The “two fawns” seem to allude to this. Fawns drink from their mother’s milk. The milk that is passed on by the breasts speaks of the Word of God through which believers grow spiritually (1 Peter 2:2).

There is also balance in the bride’s public appearance. This is expressed in the image of “twins of a gazelle”. The original word means ‘two young deer born from the same mother’. They are identical in size, one is not bigger than the other. Her life is in balance. Doctrine and life are in balance. It does not lapse into extremes. This is also important for us. We must not set these two sides of the life of faith against each other, but let them develop side by side. If so, we will go our way with the elegance of a gazelle.

Prophetically we see in the bride’s performance as a daughter of the prince the performance of the new Israel in the kingdom of peace. Israel will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth in a lovely, elegant manner, like a gazelle, during the kingdom of peace. The peoples will be provided by her with what they need.

Verses 4-6

Neck, Eyes, Nose, Head and Hairlocks

The description of her neck also fits her character as the prince’s daughter (Song of Solomon 7:4). She is no longer obstinate, reluctant to bow under the yoke of the Lord, but powerful in faith. Her neck is a paragon of beauty. Honor is her neck compared to the tower of David (Song of Solomon 4:4), a kind of weapon storage-place, which speaks of defensive power. Here her neck is compared to “the ivory tower”, which speaks of royal glory. It fits her description as a prince’s daughter.

In the bridegroom’s description of the bride she compares the groom’s belly with shiny ivory (Song of Solomon 5:14). Ivory is mentioned in connection with the kingship of Solomon, king of peace (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chronicles 9:21). Solomon made “a great ivory throne” (1 Kings 10:18; 2 Chronicles 9:17). We can therefore connect ivory with the kingship of Christ which He exercises in peace.

That the bride’s neck is compared to the ivory tower indicates that Jerusalem will share in the reign of the Lord Jesus. That is what the Lord says to His disciples: “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

Now there is still rejection, but soon He will reign and then they may reign with Him. The throne and the twelve thrones speak of this. It is the throne of His glory, the throne which will be established on earth in the glory of the kingdom of peace, when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). The thrones they will sit on relate to their government over Israel, that is to say their rule over Israel. They will be distributers of blessings for Israel.

Her eyes are not compared here with doves, as has happened before (Song of Solomon 1:15; Song of Solomon 4:1), but with the rest of the pure and quiet water of “the pools in Hesbon”. It is not spring water from the depths or from a fountain that springs up, but water that is open and pure for the light of the sky. Her eyes radiate the peace of God’s Word, of which the pools are a picture. Everywhere she looks, she sees purity, cleanliness, everything is in accordance with God’s Word. There is nothing that disturbs this peace, for everything bears the hallmark of the Prince of Peace.

The pools are located “by the gate of Bath-rabbim”, which means ‘daughter of many’. If everything is in accordance with God’s Word, there is no desolation or death anymore. The LORD will make the house of Israel “increase their men like a flock” (Ezekiel 36:37-Zechariah :; cf. Zechariah 8:4-Deuteronomy :). A great multitude of redeemed, which have been brought back to the land by the LORD, shall bear witness of the great redemption which He hath brought about. This is the fulfillment of His Word.

The “nose”, which used to rise in pride to express contempt for the LORD (cf. Psalms 10:4; Ezekiel 23:25), is now compared to “the tower of Lebanon”. The tower is a castle, a fortress and at the same time a lookout post for watchmen. The nose is to smell. It is said of the Messiah that “He will delight [or: His smell shall be] in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3), that is to say, the air which He breathes is permeated by the fear of the LORD. The same goes for the bride’s nose.

Everything that threatens this fear of the LORD, that pollutes the air, she smells. The big threat in the end times is Damascus, the capital of Syria. From her tower she looks down on this in the kingdom of peace. Syria, in the person of the king of the north, is the leader of Assyria, who will attack, overwhelm and destroy Israel in the end time. This enemy is judged by Christ Himself (Daniel 11:45).

We need to know our enemy and where he is. When recognizing the enemy, the sense of smell may be more important than seeing or hearing. Smell is not linked to words we hear or deeds we see, but to an inner discernment. That goes far beyond what we see or hear. It is about being able to distinguish between what is of God and what is not of God. Someone may look neat and what they say may sound good, but it may not smell well because there is no fear of God in it.

The description of the bride ends with the head and hair (Song of Solomon 7:5). Her “head” is compared to “Carmel”. Carmel is the place where Elijah stood before God and gained victory over all that is evil (1 Kings 18:19-Jeremiah :; 1 Kings 18:37-Romans :). It is the place of mighty prayers and the blessing that follows. The fact that her head was like Carmel means that she was aware of the power of prayer. As a result, she has gained victories and received blessing. The blessing is that Jerusalem will be given “the majesty of Carmel” (Isaiah 35:2).

Her “flowing locks” has a purple color, which is the color of royal garment. That also fits her description as a prince’s daughter. By speaking of “flowing locks” the emphasis is on her long hair “as a glory to her” (1 Corinthians 11:15). This speaks of the fact that her royal dignity also has the aspect of surrender to the authority of the king and that she devotes herself to him.

This aspect arouses such great admiration in him that it makes him a captive. It captivates him, all his attention goes out to that. The same it is with us when we show our royal dignity in our submission to the Lord Jesus and to each other.

Subservience is a special feature of our dignity. We show our submission to Him by being obedient to everything He says to us in His Word. When we submit out of love, it fascinates Him so much that He only pays attention to that. All other proofs of love result from this.

After listing the bride’s beauties in her public appearance as a prince’s daughter, the groom, in awe, exclaims that she is “beautiful” and “delightful” (Song of Solomon 7:6; Song of Solomon 1:15; Song of Solomon 4:1; Psalms 45:11). He has that intimate relationship of love with her. He finds his full joy in her. Whatever he might desire, she transcends everything. She is for him full of pleasure. He is not talking about her here, but to her.

For the Lord Jesus, the bride, His earthly bride Jerusalem, is really everything. She is exceptionally beautiful and delightful to Him. She is beautiful in her appearance, she is delightful in her behavior. For Him she is the “sweetest”. His heart is full of her and goes out to her. She is His “love”, with [all] your charms”. He enjoys every part of the city. There is nothing more that disturbs. Everything is perfectly in accordance with His desires. He describes in the following verses the full enjoyment He finds in her.

Verses 7-9

Stature, Breasts, Breath, Mouth and Lips

The groom sees the bride in her full stature as “a palm tree” (Song of Solomon 7:7). The palm tree is the symbol of victory (Revelation 7:9; John 12:13). The victory is achieved by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Jerusalem stands as a result of this in the victorious power of salvation. All enemies have been defeated. He, the Messiah, has accepted Jerusalem again in His love and declares His love to her.

This also applies to us. Christ sees us in victory and so may we see ourselves. Through Him we are ‘more than victors’ (Romans 8:37). The Lord says that to encourage us. It will not make us proud, but it will make us humble and grateful at the same time. We may share in the victory He has achieved. If we stand there, it is a joy for Him. It will result in us that we will grow in our faithfulness in Him (Psalms 92:12).

Her “breasts”, which transmit food, are a great, abundant joy for the groom (cf. Proverbs 5:19). This is referred to as “clusters” of grapes. In the kingdom of peace Jerusalem will also pass on food and joy to others, the nations. They may “suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom” (Isaiah 66:10-1 Kings :). This proves that Jerusalem has reached spiritual maturity.

It is the intention that we too will grow spiritually and become adults. The stadium of our spiritual growth can be seen in the food we eat. If we have long been converted and are still drinking milk and not eating solid food, that is an unhealthy development. This lack of spiritual growth is blamed on the believing Hebrews (Hebrews 5:11-2 Chronicles :). If we grow spiritually and eat solid food, we can pass on to others what we have enjoyed ourselves. That will bring great joy to them.

The groom has placed the bride in the victory, but he wants to share in the blessed consequences that that has for her. For that he wants to “climb the palm tree” (Song of Solomon 7:8). Thus the Messiah of Jerusalem wants to hear what He means to her as the Conqueror in Whose power she has defeated all enemies. To “take hold of its fruit stalks” can be seen as an expression of His desire to taste the fruit of what she did, that is to hear from her what individual victories she has achieved in His power.

A believer who does not gain victories or grow spiritually is not a joy to the Lord’s heart. The Messiah wants to share in the joy of Jerusalem’s spiritual growth, of which “breasts be like clusters of the vine” speak. The emphasis here is on the joy of the Bridegroom. Her breasts are there for Him in the first place.

When Israel is about to take possession of the promised land, twelve men will explore the land. When they return from their journey, they take the fruit of the land with them as proof of the fertility of the land. One sensational fruit of this is “a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two [men]” (Numbers 13:23).

The bunch of grapes is a picture of joy. Happiness is the result of communion with the Father and the Son and with each other (1 John 1:3-Numbers :). Happiness and community belong together. The New Testament believer does not possess earthly, material blessings, but heavenly, spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). Anyone who, together with others – two men are needed to carry the cluster – occupies himself with the heavenly blessings, will have joy.

The “fragrance” of her “breath” shows that she has eaten from the apple tree. The apple tree is the groom (Song of Solomon 2:3). The groom appreciates that she has done that. The apples represent the good words the groom has spoken (Proverbs 25:11). The way we speak and the topics we talk about betray what we have ‘eaten’. When we have eaten ‘apples’, our words and attitudes will be filled with the fragrance of fellowship with the Lord Jesus. We look like Him then. When we have eaten of the ‘fruits of Egypt’ (Numbers 11:5), another fragrance will hang around us.

What fragrance is around us? What we occupy ourselves with in the hidden and in our free time will be perceived by others. The fragrance we spread is determined by the things we absorb in our minds. Are we reading God’s Word, the words of the Lord Jesus, or are we feeding on what the world has to offer in entertainment? Both fragrances are noticed by the people around us and especially by the Lord Jesus.

In Song of Solomon 7:9 the groom speaks about her “mouth” or “palate”. The palate has to do with the taste, it tastes food. The groom is very enthusiastic about her taste, because what she eats tastes “like the best wine”. Jerusalem has tasted the “gracious words”, the “comforting words” (Zechariah 1:13) of the Messiah and has tasted therein that He is “good” (Psalms 34:8). This is “for a joy and the delight” of her heart (Jeremiah 15:16).

In the second line of Song of Solomon 7:9 the bride begins to speak. It is as if she is interrupting him. Her answer is that the joy she has found in his words “goes [down] smoothly” back to him, her “beloved”. She owes her joy to none but him. Joy flows back to its origin, that is he himself. Similarly, the good, comforting words we speak are in reality the words of the Lord Jesus we pass on.

But she also mentions a group of people to whom the wine goes, not as a rich stream, but “flowing gently”. She thinks of “those who fall asleep”. She wants the lips of those who sleep to be touched by the wine. Even if it is gently, the effect cannot fail to occur. If the wine touches their lips, they will be raised from their sleep and will also bear witness to that love.

Life is present in those asleep, but it is not seen. Those who sleep look like dead. When they are awakened, it becomes visible that they are alive. Prophetically speaking, with the asleep the ten tribes that have disappeared, that is, the tribes in the scattering, may be meant. They are said to sleep in the dust, which means they are hidden therein (Daniel 12:2).

The application to us we see in the words Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus. He says to them: “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14). The Christian who sleeps is eliminated to testify of the glorified Lord. He needs to wake up and get up. Then he will be happy again in Christ because the Holy Spirit can fill him with that joy (Ephesians 5:18). This will be evident from his speaking, thanking and submission (Ephesians 5:19-Ecclesiastes :), aspects which we also saw with the bride.

Verses 10-11

Go out with the Beloved

The bride is now aware of the special love of the groom. She said earlier: “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song of Solomon 2:16). That is at the beginning of her relationship of love. What she has received is in the foreground. In it we hear what is important for the newly converted, what he has received: forgiveness of sin, eternal life.

A little later the bride says: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3). She has grown in her relationship with her beloved. Here it is no longer in the foreground that he is hers, but that she is his. This can also be seen in the growth of someone who has been converted. Then it is no longer in the first place that the Lord Jesus is his, but that he is of the Lord Jesus, that he is His property (Romans 14:7-Ruth :). What still is important is what he has received: the Beloved is also his.

In the verse we now have before us, she says: “I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.” Here it is all about who the bride is for the groom. In the spiritual growth of the believer then the stage has been reached that it is especially important who he is for Him. The awareness that His thoughts and desires go out to us then gives us the greatest joy. The proof of spiritual maturity is that the heart is no longer focused on one’s own happiness, but on the happiness or joy of the Other.

This will also apply to Jerusalem in the future. The Lord Jesus delivers the city and He takes it to His bride. She will become aware that His desire is for her. This awareness is overwhelming and gives the certainty of the inviolability of the new relationship. As long as our love for Him is the basis of our feelings, there is often uncertainty about the relationship with Him. The awareness that Christ loves us puts an end to all uncertainty about it.

Now that the bride has come to rest in her relationship with the groom, she wants to go out with him (Song of Solomon 7:11). She now does everything together with him. In Song of Solomon 7:11-2 Kings : she says four times “let us”. As a practical point, I would like to make the following remark. It is important in marriage to keep in mind that men and women have and do everything together. This applies not only when they are together, but also when they are not together. When the man is at work and talking about the children, you can hear him talk about ‘my children’, while they are ‘our children’, the children both of his wife and of him.

The bride takes the initiative and says to the groom to go with her. She wants to “go out into the country” with hem and “spend the night in the villages” with him. Herein we can see the desire to make others familiar with the love that is between them, so that the blessing of love can also be enjoyed in all places on earth where it is still night.

Going into the country means going to work with a view to the harvest. It is not about ‘her’ field, ‘her’ work, but about others. It concerns the whole country of the Lord’s interests. They “go out”. The bride leaves her ‘comfort zone’ and goes in search of people who long to hear of their love. Similarly, if we live in a close bond of love with the Lord Jesus, we will leave our ‘comfort zone’ to tell people in the world about our love for Him and His love for us.

That does not necessarily mean that we go to far away areas. Leaving our ‘comfort zone’ means that we take a clear stand before the world about our relationship with the Lord Jesus, about Who He is for us. That happens in “the country”, that is where we do our daily work. It will be seen in the way we do our work and also in the way we talk about Him.

We can do our work in a way that nobody notices us being a Christian. Then we avoid negative reactions and other inconveniences. But that is not what the believer who is full of the love of Christ does. Whoever is full of the love of Christ is compelled by that love to tell others about it (2 Corinthians 5:14). We may do the work of an evangelist in daily life in daily activities.

Staying the night in the villages determines us that after work in the country we take time for rest. Villages speak of a peaceful environment. The hectic city life is lacking there. During the rest there is time for fellowship with the Lord. This is necessary before the next day arrives with new activities.

Verses 12-13

Fresh and Old Fruits

In Song of Solomon 7:12 follows the third “let us”. After the night we do not sleep in. The bride wants to “rise early [and go] to the vineyards”. Here we can think of a service in the midst of God’s people. The vineyard is a picture of Israel, where God has done everything to make it fruitful (Isaiah 5:1-Judges :). There are several ‘vineyards’ here. We can apply this to all work that happens for the Lord with the intention that He may receive fruit from it.

The vineyard is the terrain of care, of attention to the fruit. For that care and attention, the mind of a shepherd is necessary. In the beginning of the book Song of Songs the bride spoke about her ‘own vineyard’ (Song of Solomon 1:6). This indicates that everyone has their own terrain, which was given to him by the Lord Jesus to work there for Him. In Song of Songs 1 she says that she has not guarded her own vineyard. But she has learned in the meantime and now she can go out to other vineyards to discover fruit there.

The application is about people who do not yet have an insight into the glorious connection between God and His people. If we know and enjoy them ourselves, we want to tell others who are in churches and groups that know nothing about that. For example, that woman who had been visiting a particular church for fifty years and said that she had never heard a sermon about the rapture of the church. Or someone who said she had never heard about the true meaning of marriage as a picture of Christ and the church.

The Lord’s intention is that we should work for Him on our own area in such a way that He becomes happy about it. The vineyard speaks of joy. We can think of our families, the local church and society. These are all areas where we have a responsibility. In all these areas we may testify of our connection with the Lord Jesus and the joy He finds in doing everything for Him.

When we realize that, we will look “whether the vine has budded [And its] blossoms have opened” that is, whether new life is coming and the first signs of that new life are already visible. Shepherds will take care to ensure that in the lives of young people there is a promise of a dedicated, Spirit-led life which the Lord Jesus rejoices in.

We will be careful in the local church to see if there are such promising young people who grow up to the glory of God (cf. Song of Solomon 6:11). This is to help them in their spiritual growth, so that they can reach maturity. “Let us see” means that there is spiritual vision. It may also be about believers who have been weak for a while in their being a Christian, but now show signs of renewed interest in the things of the Lord.

We will also look at “[whether] the pomegranates have bloomed”. As noted in a previous discussion of the pomegranate (Song of Solomon 4:3), this fruit indicates a fullness of life because of the many seeds it contains. Each seed is juicy, sweet and red. The joy of which the vineyard speaks is part of the fruit of the Spirit. But there are more parts of that (Galatians 5:22-Isaiah :). It is about the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit becoming visible in our lives. That is what it is all about when it comes to giving care to the believers.

The whole action of the bride shows that she is freed from her self-centeredness. She wants to give Him her love. This is the result of the connection with Him and being busy for Him and with Him in His work. Then He is the center of all life with all its activities. This gives rise to a desire to share it with others, to let others share in it.

True service is not the result of obligations or because there is no one else to do the work, but of being engaged with Christ. If we are drawn to others, are concerned about their spiritual growth and want to be helpful in this, we give our love to the Lord Jesus. For the believer, life is not just about giving and taking, but only giving. God is the Giving God, and we may follow Him therein.

Rachel, in her superstition, used “mandrakes” (‘love apples’) (Song of Solomon 7:13) in her relationship with Jacob, because she thought she would be redeemed from her infertility as a result (Genesis 30:14-Nehemiah :). This superstition is not the case with the bride. She calls “the mandrakes” because of their fragrance. It points out that her relationship with the groom is profound and spreads a fragrance that anyone can smell.

The true, profound, mutual love between the Messiah and Jerusalem is a matter that provides others with “all choice [fruits]”. These fruits hang over the doors of the house of groom and bride. The house of Israel is provided of doors through which people can enter the city. In the kingdom of peace, a visit to the city provides a ‘food package’ of all kinds of delicious fruits.

These are not, in the first place, literally edible fruits, but they are the fruits that the Spirit works and through which everyone is richly blessed. There is no greater blessing in a family imaginable than when its members live together in harmony and do everything in their power to make life as pleasant as possible. That will characterize the city.

What is enjoyed in the city, consists of “both new and old” fruits. It is about new experiences, such as the bride has gained in the recent great tribulation. These are also experiences the city has gained in the past from the faithfulness of God. These are the fruits that Jerusalem has saved up for Him and offers Him when He comes to her. We may also save up our experiences for Him and offer them to Him when we are with Him. He will ask us about it (Matthew 25:19-Isaiah :).

The new experiences are connected with the old experiences the fathers have gained in their lives with LORD. They are old and new things (cf. Matthew 13:52). Even old truths have to be true over and over again. It must all come from a living relationship with Him.

Through what we experience, old truths, of which we knew well, acquire their true meaning and shine through our experiences or deeper study of the Word. We see that meaning and shine because we discover Him in His Word. If we seek Him, He cannot “escape notice” (Mark 7:24).